Greg Nettles game glove

[skipperzipper]

I am new to this forum so I hope this question is in the correct section, I have always looked for the Model Rawlings game glove that Greg Nettles used when he played for the Yankees in the 70's. It was an open web type like an ( I type web). Any help is appreiated. Thanks Ralph

[Centerfield]

Sorry, I don't know the model he used, but I do remember that he wrote E-5 on all his gloves and glanced at it between each pitch!

[Cowboy7130]

I thought Graig Nettles was a Louisville Slugger endorser. Sure enough, I ran a quick search on ebay and came up with three gloves - all of which were LS models.

However, I checked my trusty 2007 Vintage Baseball Glove Catalog Source Book ( shameless plug for a wicked-good book!) and discovered that Graig Nettles lent his facsimile signature to the Rawlings XFG15 in the 1974 model line (VBGCSB, p. 86). Perhaps he was using a Rawlings until he "made it," endorsed the Big R for a year, and was offered a switch to Slugger.

[skipperzipper]

Thanks Cowboy but I am not looking for his endorsement gloves ( sorry if I wasn't clear) but I am looking for his game playing glove model. Thanks for your info also and I am going to have to get that sourse book it seems to be great. Thanks again Ralph

[softball66]

I had Graig sign a ball for me at a local show years ago. He was personable and we talked about his very early baseball before he signed a professional contract.
I was going to ask him about his glove use but didn't get around to it. Wrote to him later but never heard back.
My guess is that he used Rawlings in his early days and maybe through the Yankee period. Then maybe switched to LS later in his career with San Diego as Getty images of him seem to show a label that's not Rawlings. He used a single finger, single bar open web as far as I could discern at that time. Most Rawlings styles Pro H, Pro 1000 had double bar open webs. But this is guess work.
He turned in some nifty glove work in the WS!

[burker72]

Nettles and Gossage were my heroes as a kid growing up. Nettles really did use a Louisville Slugger glove. In fact, I toured the LS plant about 8 years ago and it was on display. I suspect their site might have some info on it at their website, unfortunately, I cannot say when he moved to LS. I believe that the description of his glove is correct - single bar, finger hole is correct.

He was a great one for sure. I loved it when he fought George Brett in the 77 or 78 playoff series with the Royals. We won't talk about the Padres, Braves, or Expos (blech) years.

[V-Anchored]

When he made all of those great plays in the '78 World Series he was using a Louisville Slugger glove...fastback with an open web. Kind of looked the same as the Rawlings that A-Rod used to use.

I also read about the E-5 that he used to write on his gloves. Yankee pitcher Steve Hamilton (The Folly Floater!) said that he wrote a big 76 in the pocket of his glove. That is what the gun registered on his fastball and he wanted to remind himself not to try and blow one by the hitter.

[softball66]

Let me add a little addendum to my Graig Nettles meeting at the autograph show. I've heard since that he can be a little grumpy but he was very generous with his time with me. In 1964 my team had gone to the state finals in the NBC semi-pro tournament. If we'd won our last game and state title we would have been able to go to Wichita for the nationals. There the likes of Nettles, Tom Seaver and Don Sutton were playing for various teams and I asked Graig about his team, which I think was Fairbanks.
We were talking and I was the only one in his line. At the adjoining table the great Bullet Bob Hayes was signing and it was the last time, I think, that he signed publicly before he died. His line was curled around the room and maybe out the door with autograph seekers.
He stopped with his signing and yelled out to his autograph seekers, "Hey you guys get in the line over there with Graig Nettles! He's a world series hero and you need to get his autograph!
I've often thought about that magnanimous gesture by Hayes and think it's the neatest time I've had while getting autographs. I always have had the highest admiration for Hayes for doing something like that.

[skipperzipper]

I understand that how Nettles started using that E-5 on his glove is that the team was in Cleveland in a bus and Oscar Gamble said to Greg Hey look the Clevelanders must still remember you they have a street named after you and Nettles looked and the street sign said E-5 on it.

[skipperzipper]

I talked to a baseball glove expert named Denny Esken and he told me that Greg used a Rawlings XFG-1-H model while with the Yankees in 77-78 it was a 12" glove. Just thought I would put the info out there. The model is now Known as PRO-6HF Thanks for everyones help. Ralph

[toad]

Nettles Glove from his Yankee days is on display in the San Diego Hall of Chanpions, he's a San Diego Native, it's a Rawlings HFG-6 also on display or photo's of him using the glove.

[skipperzipper]

That could be, because Rawlings dropped the "X" on the gloves in an around the years that he played with the Yankees so this is probably a glove he used towards the end of his yankee stay. Over the years that glove was also known as XFG-6. Buy the way what model Louisville Slugger glove did he use when he played With the Padres do they have one on display would be interested to know. Thanks Ralph

[toad]

Nettles Glove from his Yankee days is on display in the San Diego Hall of Chanpions, he's a San Diego Native, it's a Rawlings HFG-6 also on display or photo's of him using the glove.

I saw this Glove again over the weekend and checked it again, it's a HFG6-P. It is starting to look a little dry.

[spedrunr]

hey toad, if you get a chance, mebbe post a few pix of the nettles gamer?

[romanobooogardo]

Wikipedia spells Craig Nettles name as 'Graig Nettles', but the baseball cards spell it as 'Craig' Nettles, as i remember it being...