Ozzie Smith and Akadema

[DT]

I noticed Ozzie Smith is no longer associated with the Akadema company (he used to be pictured on this page: http://www.akademapro.com/endorsement.html)

When he was at Cooperstown last month, he was back to using the Rawlings Pro12TC :
http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070725&content_id=4317&vkey=hof_news

Does anyone know why he's no longer involved with Akadema?

[jackwhale]

I think it is likely that all 'endorsed' gloves involved payment by the company to players. Although big companies mean higher payment to the player, calling it 'greed' seems a little harsh.

I don't know which brand Ozzie used as a player. I suspect it was Rawlings? When did he endorse Akadema?

Akadema has an interesting informative website...much faster and more informative than Rawlings

[BretMan]

Ozzie was a Rawlings user and endorser throughout his career. His use and promotion of "Trap-Eze" gloves helped to revive that design.

As I recall, he was promoting Akadema gloves for about the past five years, until they signed Manny Ramirez as their spokesman, particularly their "fingerless" glove design (which I think was called the Reptilian Claw- I see that they now use that same name on a different outfielder model).

One of those fingerless gloves came through my shop last year. My impression was that it wasn't holding up very well. The large pocket area with no finger stalls had no form to it and replacing the laces didn't help much. Minus the finger stalls, the glove seemed to lack structural rigidity and that caused the pocket to deform.

You've got to give them credit for trying something unconventional in the somewhat coventional world of baseball glove design. But that unconventional design seems to have hit an evolutionary dead-end as that product in no longer offered.

One of the catcher's on my fastpitch team has the Preying Mantis mitt and it is both innovative and functional. Their other gloves I've handled all seem well-made and durable, comparable in quality to other company's gloves in the same price range.

Akadema does seem to be an innovative company and attuned to the "glove lover" mentality! The only Akadema glove I own is their Ken-Wel Dazzy Vance reproduction. It is a work of art and a thing of beauty!

[jackwhale]

I was drawn to the Gehrig 1b mitt. Glad to hear they are quality items.

[BretMan]

After checking their website some more, I see that their "fingerless" designs are still available, only the model numbers, trim and colors have changed.

Here is a picture of the older model I was thinking of, the AXX6, which is the one that Ozzie was promoting. There is just enough finger to qualify these as "gloves" instead of "mitts" for baseball and softball rules that still make a distinction between the two.

A couple of years ago, the Amatuer Softball Association (ASA) issued a special ruling on these gloves to clarify that they did indeed qualify as "gloves". Partly in reaction to that ruling, they have since made a rule change allowing either "mitts" or "gloves" to be worn at any defensive position.

[DT]

If Ozzie Smith is irrelevant to today's generation, how relevant can Bob Feller be to them??? http://www.akademapro.com/endorsement.html

Ozzie was not an endorser of Akadema gloves, he was a "Senior Advisor" ala Feller and I've read that he was involved in the Testing and R&D of new Akadema glove designs. Now that Smith is no longer involved with the company (but Feller, Carter and Yaz still are) I was just wondering if anyone knew why Oz dropped out?

I'd just like to know why he's gone back to using the PRO12TC during exhibitions, etc. as it doesn't look like he's getting paid to use that model glove. You'd think if Akadema had taken his input and built an innovative glove to his specs, he'd still be using that glove paid or not.... I dunno. But I thought this would be a good place to ask as there are so many knowledgeable people here.

And as far as Akadema gloves go, I've got one and it's gathering dust for about a half dozen reasons....

[jackwhale]

Ozzie probably has a thousand gloves and he just randomly picked one up on the day the photo was shot.

Sometimes I forget which baseball hat I'm wearing--just grab one and go.

[jackwhale]

Found this in archives for GloveNewsToday, which, by the way, is still published in the USA although there are plans to move printing operations offshore.

"Akademia Sports announced today that they have traded Ozzie Smith back to Rawlings for two minor leagers and a player to be named later. In press release CEO Gilligan said, "We had to get our salary cap back in line before moving on." Ozzie said that he "appreciated the opportunity to return" and "is looking forward to hanging out with Jeter and other Rawlings shortstops at company picnics." "I can still do the somersault too."