Two things... Yes there are plays that are do or die types that might even require a bare hand play.
I hate to dispute what Oregon State or anyone else is doing, but here is a comment made by Roberto Alomar... one of the best 2B in baseball. I do know for many years they have been teaching 2B to receive the ball in the pocket toward heel to make the transfer quicker.
Roberto Alomar… One of the best fielding % of any 2B in history of the Major Leagues.
Quote talking about baseball gloves…
• I like my glove to be very flexible so I like soft leather.
• I do not like a glove with a deep pocket because when you are turning a double play, the ball can get lost in a deep pocket. I like a relatively flat, shallow glove, which allows you to find the ball quickly.
• Tying any of the laces that stick out from a glove makes it tighter and more rigid. Since I like my glove to be flexible, I just let the laces dangle. When I get the glove new, all the laces are tied up in knots but they eventually work themselves loose and then I just let them stay that way.
• My glove is pretty small, even for a middle infielder. Second basemen usually have the smallest gloves of all the fielders, and in most cases, shortstops will have slightly bigger gloves than second basemen.
• All of the guys in the clubhouse know that I also don't like anyone putting their hand in my glove. It's built for my hand, and if someone else puts their hand in it to try it on, I can usually tell, because it will feel looser on my hand when I put it back on.
• It's hard to say exactly what makes a good baseball glove, but mostly it has to feel right to you.
• In cold weather, sometimes I will spray some stick-um on the inside of my glove to give my hand a better grip on the inside of the glove. I spray it on the outside of the thumb so I can rub my throwing hand on it for a better grip on the ball for throws.