A good glove does not have to be expensive. There are gloves that will give many seasons of satisfactory service for under $50. You can pay more, but more money does not necessarily mean a better, more serviceable glove. There are expensive ($90-$200+) gloves which may last one or two seasons, and there are inexpensive gloves ($35-$60) that can last for ten years or more with routine maintenance.
Select a glove for the position you will be playing more often.
Outfield - larger glove
Infield (except first base) - small to medium
First base, softball - first baseman's mitt outfielder's
First base, hardball - first baseman's mitt
Catcher, softball - first baseman's mitt, outfielder's
Catcher, hardball - catcher's mitt
Check for fit; a glove should feel fairly snug when adjusted. Check to make sure the glove adjusts to your hand. Allow for batting glove if you wear one and, except for hardball pitchers, you should wear one inside your glove. The batting glove will absorb most of the sweat from your hands, thus protecting the lining of your glove. Change the batting glove when it gets wet or rotted.
Feel the leather. It should be fairly sturdy to sturdy. Sure, a stiffer glove will have to be broken in but once done, the glove will be serviceable for many seasons. The softer "pre-broken" gloves feel great, but most of them wear out very quickly and may be difficult or impossible to repair. The leather in these gloves is usually thinner and therefore weaker than that in a sturdier glove. The thinner, softer leathers tend to show signs of stress at the lacing holes in the web and fingers after a few months of continuous play. These softer gloves often have thin laces which cannot withstand the rigors of continuous hard play and will break after a few games. If these laces are replaced with a more substantial lace, this new lace can result in stretched or torn lacing holes because of the softer/thinner leather in the glove body.
Beware of gloves that are marked with such nebulous terms as "specially treated leather" or "all leather palm". These descriptions may mean tissue-thin leather bonded to a fabric backing (a sort of leather veneer). Obviously this leather is not going to give years of service to the serious ball player. The "veneer" glove presents the same repair problems as the "pre-broken" glove; the body material is too flimsy for permanent repairs to be possible. "All leather palm" means just that. The palm of the glove is leather. The rest of the glove is usually not.
Beware of plastic gloves - it is getting more and more difficult to readily distinguish between plastic and leather. Leather gloves will have "Genuine Leather" stamped on them; plastic gloves will not.When plastic tears, it is seldom repairable. Plastic gloves for kids are not recommended because they are almost impossible to break in. Oiling plastic does not soften it. Plastic gloves are not necessarily cheaper, especially if you have to buy a new one next season.
Once you've chosen your glove, if it is not a "pre-broken" model, you will have to break it in. A good glove is like a good friend - it takes a while to develop a good relationship. But with gloves and friends alike, the effort and time will be well rewarded.
Gloves are designed with built-in hinges which allow the glove to be opened and closed easily. The most common hinge is found at the heel of the glove just below the little finger. There are short laces which hold the little finger pad in place. The lace which holds the heel pad in place is usually about 3/4" - 1" away. This space has no pad and therefore becomes a natural hinge. The glove will close just like your hand, with the little finger at an angle to the thumb. Many players prefer to break a glove with the thumb and little finger tips coming together evenly, and some gloves are designed to accommodate this. These gloves have vertical laces to hold the palm pad in place, thus allowing the glove to break across the pad. It is possible to break down the thick heel pad so that the glove can close. It is preferable to buy a glove designed to break to your specs rather than try to modify the break angle.
I always clamp my jaw and shudder whenever a customer tells me of "the best way to break a glove." I have hear the most bizarre methods imaginable. Well, maybe not, but I've heard a lot of weird ones, and I've seen the results of many of the so-called "best ways." I've had gloves in my shop with bacon-crisp laces-a result of soaking in oil and putting in the oven (always on "low") to dry. Wrong! This is like cooking the Sunday roast. How about soaking the glove in a bucket of motor oil? Wrong! The oil saturates the glove and the pad, making a soggy rag which will never recover. Or plunging the glove into a bucket of water for a couple of days, then wrapping it in a towel and putting it under your mattress till it dries. I'm not making this up.
Then there is always hot coffee with sugar and cream poured into the palm; or putting a ball in the pocket and driving back and forth over it. Need I continue?
When I break a glove, I use a cleaner-conditioner that contains lanolin. I work this stuff into the leather and wipe off the excess. I talked to a representative of one of the major glove companies who said to use plain old shaving cream. Rub it into the palm and play ball. I don't like using this method because it takes a lot of time to get the white foam out of the guide holes, and I don't like the way that looks, but it works. If you use shaving cream on your glove, stay away from the scented kind. I don't know if it's bad for the glove, but it makes it smell funny.
I condition the glove and work it till I can feel it becoming more cooperative. Then I put a soft ball in the pocket, fold the glove around it with the little finger under the thumb, and wrap it with a "magic" rubber band. Simple, yet effective.
Now, I did have a customer who told me his "best" method and, after preparing myself for the worst, was delighted to find it made excellent sense, and he said it was fast, too. He conditions a new glove then goes to the batting cages and buys a bucket o' balls - not to bat, to catch. After one session, he says the glove is ready to play. Makes sense to me. Try it.
CARING FOR YOUR GLOVE
The most important part of caring for your glove is to recognize that leather is a living, organic material that will decompose if wet and stiffen if allowed to dry out. The enzymes in saliva will eat through it, so DON'T SPIT IN YOUR GLOVE. It's a pretty good idea to keep your glove away from the dog, too. Leaving your glove out in the weather will ruin it, as will putting it away wet from perspiration. Always wear a batting glove under your baseball glove; this absorbs the sweat from your hand. When your batting glove gets wet, change it. This will add years to the lining of your glove.
When your glove gets wet, dry it with a towel or soft cloth, and leave it exposed to room air for a few hours until the lining is dry. After it dries, rub it with a little glove stuff to moisten the leather. When you put your glove away, it's best to put a softball in the pocket and wrap it in a wide "magic" rubber band.
I'm often asked whether frequent oiling is good for gloves. After years of repairing gloves, I say not. This does not mean no care is necessary. My experience has shown me that in glove care, as with most other things, moderation is best. When you do lubricate your glove, it's important to choose the right stuff. I recommend Glove Stuff. I have tried most everything on the market and some that weren't. After several years of trying neatsfoot oil (the basis for many glove oils); Vaseline; shoe grease; Lexol; saddle soap; and various other concoctions for leather, I have finally found what I think is the best product for cleaning and conditioning a glove. It is Glove Stuff. It contains lanolin, and it is terrific. This stuff cleans the crustiest deposits and softens the glove without making it heavy and soggy. I've been using it for about five years (maybe more), and my pickiest customers - college baseball players - love it. I package and sell Glove Stuff myself.
ROUTINE MAINTENANCE
I call this a tune-up. This should probably be done at least once a season just so you can check he condition of the glove. I offer it as a service, for a (small) price, but you can easily do it yourself, and it might even be a bonding experience. A tune-up involves tightening the laces in the fingers and web; retying any loose knots; and cleaning, conditioning and shaping the glove. Worn or damaged laces are easy to spot when a tune-up is performed. Another problem which can be observed during a tune-up is a blow out at the crotch of the index finger. This is a common occurrence because the glove manufacturers/designers have lowered the finger crotches in gloves, which puts seams right where the ball impacts the glove. This constant battering results in seams bursting and then, if not repaired, a torn palm.
If you find torn seams, split leather, or broken laces, be sure to have them repaired as quickly as possible. Playing with a damaged glove can damage the glove further and cause personal injuries and even errors.