WTB Johnny Bench Rawlings Mitt (RL-1, RL-10)
Posted: May 4th, 2017, 6:30 pmHello, I'm new to writing on this forum but have done a lot of looking around and reading! My father-in-law is a big-time Johnny Bench fan. Has been ever since he was a kid. He tells this story of him going every week to some sporting goods store in Arizona to look at a Rawlings Johnny Bench catchers mitt. Said it was roughly $60 at the time. 1970's (or 1960's). He never could afford it.
I'd love to be able to get him that childhood mitt. I'm not sure what model exactly it would be, but from my research, it's probably a Rawlings RL-1 or RL-10. My father-in-law said that the special thing about the mitt was that it was 2-piece instead of 3. What I take this to mean is that nowadays, most catchers mitts have three sections, around the pocket, to catch the ball. The RL-1, RL-10 only have two with a "double-hinge" type thing separating them.
I've found a few on ebay, but all are in pretty used condition. Used is fine, but if possible, I'd like to find something without ink on it. The Johnny Bench endorsed model would be ideal, since that is probably what he was looking at back in the day. Anyone have one for sale? Or know of someone who does?
Thank you.
I'd love to be able to get him that childhood mitt. I'm not sure what model exactly it would be, but from my research, it's probably a Rawlings RL-1 or RL-10. My father-in-law said that the special thing about the mitt was that it was 2-piece instead of 3. What I take this to mean is that nowadays, most catchers mitts have three sections, around the pocket, to catch the ball. The RL-1, RL-10 only have two with a "double-hinge" type thing separating them.
I've found a few on ebay, but all are in pretty used condition. Used is fine, but if possible, I'd like to find something without ink on it. The Johnny Bench endorsed model would be ideal, since that is probably what he was looking at back in the day. Anyone have one for sale? Or know of someone who does?
Thank you.