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Don't be suprised if you pull your glove out of the bat bag where it has been since October and realize that you've forgotten how floppy it was and how loose the laces are. There are bunches of players in the same boat with you at this point in the pre-season. You can save yourself a little heartache later in the season by cleaning the glove and tightening the laces this next weekend while the East Coast hunkers down for the snow and cold weather. A bottle of Lexol leather cleaner and Lexol leather conditioner will go a long way to keeping your glove in awesome playing shape. You can find Lexol leather care products at Pep Boys and other stores that feature automobile detailing stuff. Tightening the laces will keep them from tearing through the leather make a bad situation worse.

I just finished working on a 2007 Rawlings Gold Glove 11.5" IF model with I web. The glove was about 2 months old with a ruptured lace from HS player's baseball practice. Apparently, Rawlings has started using a non-leather synthetic fiber composite lace in the Gold Glove series gloves, and it obviously does not hold up to serious use. These gloves cost $70 to $90 from various internet dealers and I am sure the switch is all about cutting production costs. If Rawlings has decided to go in this direction, you can bet Easton, Mizuno, and others are close behind. Be especially watchful as you shop for a new glove to make sure that you are getting the quality product you think you are paying for.

Please to take the opportunity to visit my website www.glovemedic.com for more tips on glove care. My services are there to help you get your glove relaced, conditioned and put it in great playing shape for the Spring season. The usual turn-around on a total relacing job is 1 week to 10 days. I am an active player in the East TN Adult Baseball league, a youth baseball coach, and dad. I appreciate good baseball leather and promise to take care of your glove and treat it right. "Don't pitch it, just re-stitch it".

As you get ready for the new season be sure to take it easy and don't hesitate to use ice and ibuprofen to reduce the inflammation in those achey joints and muscles. Have an awesome season, play hard, and stay healthy!
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Perfect timing for your post. My son's Wilson A2000 IF glove fell apart just yesterday. The lacing is leather, but perhaps he didn't tighten it enough in the off-season as you suggested. Regardless, the glove is less than a year old and it seems premature for it to wear out. Perhaps we'll be sending it to you for a re-lacing. Thanks for the tips on conditioning!

Son got a new high-end glove today. Obviously, it'll take a few days to break in. Coach got on son for dropping 2 balls at practice. We asked son if he told coach he had a new glove and he said no. "I don't want to make excuses," he said. Way to go, son!
Last edited by Infield08
quote:
Originally posted by trojan-skipper:
Darn Chuck, I just had my 1979 Wilson A2000 re-done by a local guy or I'd send it your way. I like your site... sure feels good when you get that one special glove on your hand doesn't it...


The main thing is that you got it fixed before it really got broken. There really is a special bond between players and gloves. My wife tells me that my glove affairs border on obsession. Given the choice of running off with the office secretary or buying a new glove once in awhile and spending weekends at the ballfield it doesn't seem like a bad way to go through your mid-life years.
Last edited by Chuck Faulkner
in a similar vein, for the DIYers out there, I was looking at a local/National sporting goods store for some more lacing to re-lace Junior's 2 YO Mizuno. Rawlings [??] sells a re-lacng kit, with an awl, wire threader and whatever you call the thing that looks like a screwdriver with a hole an eye on the end [I already had one of these - their's is different, but it provides a nice option]. Kit contained 4x the amount of black and tan lacing than the lacing only kit - well worth the extra couple bucks - the re-threading wire makes it a LOT easier, too. A week after re-lacing the heel, junior called home and said his web broke - I called MIzuno, and they shipped me a new H web - no questions asked - FREE!! Had it a couple days later. They even asked if I wanted to send them the glove for them to re-lace - Always a good option.

Re-lacing the web was a bit trickier than the heel. Word of Advice - leave as much of the original lacing in place while you re-do, so you can do it the same way - funny how ballplayers are not into creativity, especially when it comes to their mitt.

\Chuck's web site has some good stuff.

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