Why Your First Baseman Needs A First Base Mitt

Is your player starting to get serious about playing first base? Did you check your equipment bag to find out that you don't have a first base mitt for him?

If you answered "yes" to either of those questions, a natural follow up question might be the following: Is it REALLY that important to get them a first baseman’s glove?

Well, at JustGloves, we do believe having a first base mitt to play the position is important. And to help nail home the point, we have broken down why a first base mitt is important based off the three unique characteristics of the mitt.

The Three (3) Unique Characteristsics of First Base Mitts

Mitt Design

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The first unique aspect of a first base mitt is that it is designed as a mitt. As opposed to a regular fielder's glove where you can see the fingers of the glove externally, there is no external view of the fingers on a first base mitt. This design should help the mitt stay more rigid for a long period of time. As well, a common adage is that the mitt design promotes a deeper pocket compared to a glove design. In other words, first base mitts will have deeper pockets than regular fielding gloves in most cases.

Reinforced Web

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If you take a look at the web of a first base mitt, you'll see that it has more lacing and more leather when compared to a a regular fielding mitt. And this makes sense as a first basemen will consistently receive high velocity throws from its infielders throughout a game. Because of this, there needs to be as much reinforcement as possible to prevent the web portion of the mitt to break down easily. Similarly, a catcher's mitt (which will receive even more high velocity throws when compared to 1B) will also have a heavy duty web design.

Curved Edge

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There is a curved ridge that runs along the top of the fingers of a first base mitt. This shape makes the mitt as conducive as possible for scooping errant throws that hit the dirt before making it to a first basemen's mitt. As well, this shape should help funnel balls scooped out of the infield dirt into the pocket area of the mitt. This is important becuase when a ball gets to the pocket area and is squeezed by the glove, it will be very unlikely for the ball to slip out of the grasp of the mitt.

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In conclusion, if your player is serious about playing first base then they should invest in a first baseman’s glove. They, and their teammates, will see a noticeably positive difference when they begin to receive throws from across the diamond with their new mitt. 

Still have questions about? Don’t hesitate to give our Glove Experts a call at 1-866-321-4568, send us an email at  experts@justballgloves.com or live chat with our glove experts. And remember, with our customer service, we'll be here for you from Click to Catch!