New Baseball Glove - Need Help ASAP

Won't the school provide one? Or at least offer ideas?

Since you're in a hurry, I would say keep it simple. Make it 11.5". I'd look for an H-web, but people have their own preferences about that. Anything with laces in the web can catch your fingers. Go A2000, A2K, HoH, or Pro Preferred. A2000 and HoH will break in quicker than the other two.

Don't buy anything without him trying it on. Search eBay for "11.5 baseball glove" and limit the distance to a reasonable drive, then contact the seller about trying on the glove before purchase. Might get lucky with craigslist, but not likely to find an unused glove there. Dick's may also have a decent selection, but you probably will pay full retail there. He might also have a teammate who's looking to sell one. Good luck.

Safest bet would be just get the same model he had.  He'll be comfortable with it.  Those Rawlings models don't change much year to year and that dual core series is relatively easy to break in for a decent grade leather.

Nokono use a real soft leather and breaks in like no time. These  are quality but honestly I have found them be love hate types of gloves, it just depends what side of the fence you are on.

if you get a pro preferred they are stiff but Rawlings has a softening process you can use, these are really nice products

Heart of the hide is fine but I would go pro pre first

mizuno makes some real nice quality products...

You could try someone like this guy. He reconditions gloves and seems to do really good work. Not sure of cost or time frame. A search brings up his Instagram account. I've bought bats from him and found his to be great to work with. 

https://www.google.com/search?...-mobile&ie=UTF-8

Son has always used Akadema (well until he got to college).  I used to be a dealer and everyone that ever touched one loved it.  

https://akademapro.com/collect...ino-1/products/arn-5

Use Holiday50 as the checkout code

  Everything on their site is 50% off right now.  They are every bit the quality of Wilson or Rawlings.  If he is somewhere they have a Dick's Sporting Goods you can take a mitt to them and they have this fancy steam machine that does a nice job breaking in gloves.  Not the way I'd do it and it's not great for the leather but at this point it's probably the easiest way to get it softened up quickly.

My kid uses a Wilson 12" A2K DW5... 

Both my boys were/are SS's and they used the Rawlings Pro Preferred Web- Pro I in both 11.5 and 11.75 sizes.  There isn't a long break in time.  Comfortable and Productive glove, typically good for 3-4 yrs, in season they would tighten the laces every 6-8 weeks.  

Committed 2018 has only used the 11.75, he plays SS & 3B. 

http://www.rawlings.com/product/PROSNP5-2C.html

Yert16.....if the mitt is in good condition, just floppy you can have it reconditioned/restrung.  I have a guy we've used several times....he is phenomenal.  You can ship it to him and get it back in a few days.  He is with a college program that's likely not that far from you.  PM me and I'll give you his contact info....don't really want to post his number here. 

I would say a 11.75 would probably be a better fit for a player who is 6'4 with large hands. One thing you didn't bring up is what kind of budget you have to spend. I would buy the A2000 $200 before the A2K $350, my SS has had both and he doesn't see that much of a difference in them for the $150 upgrade. Marucci also makes several really good gloves. And of course the 2 Rawlings mentioned are really good gloves, but can be pricey. I would definitely recommend he go to a Dicks or glove store and try some on to see what he likes. He also could ask to try out some of his teammates gloves.

Would reinforce the recommendation to try a teammate's glove. The patterns won't have changed and he can order the same brand/model. It will be the "tool of his trade", make sure it's everything that he wants and needs. Given his size and the fact that he just found out about the positional opportunity I would surmise that he may be a versatile player that could also see time at 3rd, that being said look at 11.75/12" gloves.

I'll also clarify, sizes differ from manufacturer to manufacturer, Wilson seems to run a bit smaller than Rawlings in my experience. Most SS will play with a 11.5", bigger guys 11.75". 2B go 11.25"-11.5", Pedroia went to 11.75" this year, but his glove wears smaller. 3B mostly 11.75"-12", think Kris Bryant uses 12.25". All of this is why it's best to find something that he has had his fielding hand in. Wilson A2000 and Rawlings HOH are great, durable, quality gloves for the price.

If you want something special  under the tree, these look pretty darn cool:

http://www.carpentertrade.com/

Iowamom23 posted:

Won't the school provide one? Or at least offer ideas?

I wish but equipment is on the players at his school.  My son would actually have to solicit those ideas which means it probably won't happen.  

Buckeye 2015 posted:

Son has always used Akadema (well until he got to college).  I used to be a dealer and everyone that ever touched one loved it.  

https://akademapro.com/collect...ino-1/products/arn-5

Use Holiday50 as the checkout code

  Everything on their site is 50% off right now.  They are every bit the quality of Wilson or Rawlings.  If he is somewhere they have a Dick's Sporting Goods you can take a mitt to them and they have this fancy steam machine that does a nice job breaking in gloves.  Not the way I'd do it and it's not great for the leather but at this point it's probably the easiest way to get it softened up quickly.

They steam the glove, then put it on a 5 gallon bucket and beat it with this bowling pin looking thing, then you see how it feels.  If you don't like it yet, then they repeat the process.  I think it was only like $20 or $30, free if you buy the glove there.

Thanks everyone for the helpful information.  Your comments are exactly what I was looking for.  His old glove is an 11.5.   I'm looking to stay under $300. I was hoping to order something today so Santa Claus could bring it but based on your advice, when he gets home from school on Monday, we will go to Dick's and try on a few and then order online. He'll probably say the $25 faux leather glove feels best. I think I will have his old glove restrung also as a backup.  

One other thought since you're in the Mid-Atlantic. Rawlings has a "Factory Store" at Reading PA Outlets. They have a good selection of gloves, including discontinued models and blems at a nice discount.

We are very pleased with the quality of Rawlings Sure Catch Youth - that is the original softness, size and flexibility. The leather quality of this glove is good and the style of the glove is great too.

@Daniel Ray posted:

We are very pleased with the quality of Rawlings Sure Catch Youth - that is the original softness, size and flexibility. The leather quality of this glove is good and the style of the glove is great too.

I do believe this advice will be just in time for the posters son's spring corporate softball team.

Son plays MIF in college....5'11 big hands: used the Rawlings 11.75" INFIELD PRO I WEB and is now back to the Wilson A2000 11.75" H web. 

These are great IF gloves  --- cannot go wrong with either

JUst now noticed the 2017 date....ROFL too good

@Gov posted:

JUst now noticed the 2017 date....ROFL too good

Whenever you see a post come back from the dead it’s almost always due to a new poster. They join, scroll through posts and don’t realize they have a date on them. If you scroll up to the post that revived this thread it’s a new member with 10+ posts.

I’ve been here since 2007. Last month someone new revived a post from 2004. There were names even I didn’t recognize. I saw three names I know have died and not recently.

Recommend A2K gloves. They are well-crafted pair fits small and big-sized hands. And, the gloves are sketched with a Dri-lex lining at the wrist that gives fresh quick-drying items. It has more heel padding compared to A2000 baseball gloves.
And lastly, A2K is softer and is a line in the marketplace for both right and left-throwing fieldsmen.