Keeping Your Glove Looking New
After you've tied up your glove for a couple of days,
untie the glove, take out the ball, then rub in a little glove oil.
Rawlings makes an oil called
Glovolium but there are several others out there too, which you can find at most sports stores. Once again, just use a little - it's just a coating, not a drenching. Give your glove another day to dry, and you'll be able to
snag those grounders just like
A-Rod or make those circus catches like
Ichiro.
Breaking In A Glove - What Not To Do
Don't spit into your glove. Yeah, you see lots of pros do it, and it does look pretty cool, but there are chemicals in your spit which can actually wreck your glove.
Keep your glove away from your dog. Dogs don't know how to play baseball but they love the taste of new leather.
Don't leave your glove out in the rain. A good downpour will not only cancel your baseball game but it will also ruin your glove.
Some pro ball players pour hot coffee with cream into the pocket of their glove to break it in. Others try pouring water onto the glove, then heat it in the microwave for 20 seconds. We're not so sure these methods work, and your parents will probably be a little choked when they find there's no coffee left and the microwave's busted.
To see more tips for breaking in a new baseball glove, click here.
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