Thread: ? - First Baseman's Mitt

I asked this on another forum several months ago so I apologize if you've already answered this question.

DD played 1B this year and really took to it, so I was thinking about getting her a firstbaseman's mitt.

As I looked around the internet, the mitts were hard to find. I saw a couple that looked good and were marked way down, but I hesitated and they were gone.

Then I noticed at a couple NPF games we went to this year that the 1B on both teams were using regular fielding gloves.

She likes her glove just fine and isn't asking for a mitt, but I didn't know if it would be to her advantage to have a 1B mitt. (deeper pocket maybe? I don't know). This past summer I looked in some sporting goods stores, looking to see if I could find something she could try on. Those stores were set up primarily for baseball and in one store they said that 1B mitts for baseball and fastpitch are the same. The 13" 1B mitt in that store looked (to me) smaller than DD's 12" fielding glove.

Her existing glove (12+" SSK) has a solid web and I think it would be to her advantage to have the # pattern that you can see thru. Otherwise is there a benefit to having a 1B mitt in addition to her regular glove?

Or am I just giving in to my nature to want to buy more toys

You are giving in to your nature to buy more toys...The 12" SSK is fine for 1B.

BUT: You should buy her a backup glove. Sooner or later, her mitt will fail during a game. (It happened to my DD twice over her career.) So, it is a good idea to have a broken-in mitt in the bag.

Ray

If you decide to get a mitt, do not buy it on the internet. Go to a store or show and try them on.

My own DD played 1st base with a 13" SSK fielder's glove, her entire career.

I a 34" circumference ssk mitt. It has been my experience that a lot of people can't throw. Having the additional 2 inches on my reach is beneficial.

We are always told, do what MLB does. But, if your DD doesn't want a mitt, save your $80.00.

I agree that a spare glove is a good idea.

Thanks! I do have a backup glove but she doesn't like it as much so I'm saving it for her little sister. Perhaps I will just get her a backup glove with an open web pocket. I was lucky buying her two gloves off the internet that worked well for her and that she liked, but I don't want to buy her another glove unless she can try it on first. The stores around here don't carry much in the way of fastpitch gloves, so I'm kind of stuck.

I would buy a first base glove because it has a bigger pocket. I play alot of first base and a few times I left my 1st base glove at home and there is a big difference in my opinion. It is alot easier to catch the short hops. I would go to a store and have your dd try them on until she finds one she likes.

I forgot to mention, in ASA you can wear a mitt at any position.

That's exactly why I asked, thank you!

also it's good to know it's not position specific so she can use it wherever she plays.

I am a little over the top when it comes to gloves. I bought a Wilson A2000FP 1B glove for my DD the beginning of this spring. This is an expensive glove but I believe you get what you pay for. I went with this glove due to the female specific cut of the glove. It has narrower finger stalls and a smaller wrist opening with a velcro adjustment. The glove is only 12 1/4 inches so I feel that my DD can control the glove better compared to the 13 inch baseball gloves. People have stated the benefits to the larger pocket but I believe the better the glove fits a kids hand, the better they will be able to use it. When my kid graps a glove out of her bag, she has 5, ( I told you I was over the top) just to play catch, she always takes the 1B glove.

If your daughter is serious about 1st base and will be playing there as her primary position, she should have a 1st basemans' glove. Of course she thinks her glove is fine, because she's been using it and is comfortable with it already. Every player should have appropriate equipment for their position. Just as an infielders glove is different from an outfielders glove or a catchers glove, a 1st basemans glove is no exception.
Heather
College Sports Recruiting