Vintage Baseball Glove Forum

SEE THE FOLLOWING POST FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THIS MITT.

Even though I am not any kind of an expert on baseball gloves/mitts, I do believe that this mitt is a 100% GENUINE AND 100% ORIGINAL MADE IN TAIWAN Spalding ® Mike Hegan Model 42-6416 baseball mitt and is not any kind of a fake/counterfeit mitt.

I purchased this mitt around 1987 when my son got interested in baseball. I purchased this mitt brand new at a large sporting goods store, and I was told that it was an “out-of-date” model. I only used this mitt during one baseball season and only to play catch with my son – I probably didn’t use it for more than a total of about twenty (20) to thirty (30) hours. My son gave up baseball after just one season because he was more interested in soccer and tennis, so I “retired” this mitt and put it into storage around 1988.

After I purchased this mitt, I LIGHTLY treated it with Louisville Slugger ® Glove Softener before I used it. Before I retired this mitt and put it into storage, I again LIGHTLY treated it with Louisville Slugger ® Glove Softener and let it dry for a day. Then I placed a brand new Rawlings ® leather covered Little League ® baseball (made in China) in the mitt’s pocket and secured the mitt closed with two (2) pieces of a brand new rawhide shoelace – I didn’t use the conventional “rubber” bands because I knew that I’d be storing this mitt for more than a few years. As can be seen in several of the photographs, I put each of those pieces of shoelace through the eyelets in the edges of the mitt in order to avoid damaging the mitt. As also can be seen in one (1) of the photographs, the white leather cover of the baseball I stored in the mitt’s pocket is still white after being in contact with the mitt for approximately twenty (20) years, which shows that I didn’t over treat the mitt with glove softener. I stored this mitt in a closed corrugated cardboard box in my son’s bedroom closet since 1988, and I only removed it from that box a few days ago.

Measuring on the inside of this mitt, the distance from where the top of the web meets the top of the finger area going downwards along the edge of the finger area and across the pocket to the hinge in the heel of the mitt is eleven (11) inches. This mitt is made entirely of “chrome tanned” top grain cowhide, with the exception of: all of its stitching – which is nylon, all of its eyelets – which are brown painted aluminum alloy, all of its laces – which are untanned rawhide, all of its piping – which is cloth reinforced vinyl, all of its padding – which is some kind of dark gray “felt” material, and its round blue/gold/white “Spalding ®” label – which is woven and embroidered nylon fabric. This mitt is specifically designed and made without any welts anywhere at all. This mitt has a full two-piece web; this mitt has individual inner loops for the wearer’s thumb, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger – the thumb loop and the little finger loop are both adjustable, while the middle finger loop and the ring finger loop are both fixed; and this mitt also has an adjustable wrist strap. This mitt is in EXCELLENT condition. It shows only very minor wear on just a few of the brown painted aluminum alloy eyelets – from contact with baseballs – and only minor wear on a few small areas of its inside leather lining – from contact with the palm and the heel of my bare right hand. It also shows only a very slight amount of staining from its limited use, and it has never been used in the rain. All of the leather pieces – including the laces – of this mitt are still stiff but flexible, and none of those leather pieces are cut, cracked, dried out, or in any other way damaged, but the cloth reinforced vinyl piping near the bottom of the mitt’s web is slightly cracked – glove softener only protects leather. Unfortunately, I used a permanent black marking pen and lettered “VB” on the inside of the mitt’s wrist strap, but those “VB” letters aren’t visible unless the end of the wrist strap is completely unlaced and opened.

If you’re interested in purchasing this mitt, or if you have any question(s) about it, please contact me.

Thanks,

Ralph Van Buren (45B40-95B40)

Man that's a sweet piece of hide you have. Too bad it's a left hand thrower.

it really is gorgeous, just for you differntly handed individuals (c;

If that was my mitt and it was a right hand thrower, forget it, I wouldn't part with it. Mainly 'cause I'm extremely partial to 1st base/catchers mitts.

No-Lite-Toe & Clint (awarsoca),

Thanks for the nice comments about this Spalding ®1st baseman’s mitt. Personally, I believe it’s the most functional and the best looking 1st baseman’s mitt that I’ve ever seen – those are the main reasons I purchased it.

I’ve always had the opinion that, just like a right hand throwing catcher and a right hand throwing second baseman have decided fielding advantages over a left hand throwing catcher and a left hand throwing second baseman, a left hand throwing first baseman and a left hand throwing third baseman have decided fielding advantages over a right hand throwing first baseman and a right hand throwing third baseman.

I’ve just listed this mitt on eBay – SPALDING ® 1980’S MIKE HEGAN LHT 1ST BASEMAN’S MITT (ITEM# 280255188918) – with a starting bid of $24.99 and with a shipping cost of $6.75 (via United States Postal Service Insured Priority Mail ®).

Ralph Van Buren (45B40-95B40)

That mitt deserves top dollar. If I were a south-paw I'll go after it like a wild hog! If I won it, I could only showcase it. I rather acquire mitts I can actually use. Good luck on the 'bay Ralph. I'll be watching.