We tend to take our tools for granted, and ignore them until they fail. Then we make emergency repairs, and ignore them again. Baseball gloves are a main tool, and deserve greater attention.

Examine the leather laces before they break. Notice where they go, crossing between high and low, in and out. Photograph that, because when the leather laces break and pull out, you want to put the new laces in the right places.

To get leather laces to stay tied, use pliers to pull the knot as tight as possible. Then dip the knot (only the knot! not the rest of the glove!) into a mug of very hot water for several seconds, to let the water soak into the leather laces. Then set it aside to dry. When wet leather dries, it shrinks and stiffens, which for these leather laces makes the knot all the tighter.

Just as with other tools, gloves come in various shapes and sizes. Outfield gloves are big; the first-baseman’s mitt is rather specialized too. The catcher’s glove is the most specialized, just as the rest of the catcher’s gear, and the catching job itself.

A brand-new glove is no ally until it’s broken in! Last year I saw a slick infielder drop MANY easy balls with his beautiful, stiff new glove. He retreated to his floppy, ugly, worn-out, flexible, catch-everything glove during games. [A year and a half later, he still prefers the old glove for games.] Lanolin can soften new leather.

Novice players can avoid a lot of sting from hard-hit (or hard-thrown) balls by catching them in the webbing instead of the palm. The palm has a little padding, but not much, so a fast-moving ball can really hurt. But behind the web is open air, not your own skin, so catching a ball there, while slightly less secure than in the palm, doesn’t hurt at all.

A baseball glove might be the first essential tool you take too much for granted, but it sure won’t be the last. We have a strong, life-long tendency to ignore tools till they fail: computer, car, TV, camera, refrigerator ... and especially our human body. At the very least, give them routine maintenance. They’ll benefit from attention between times too. And if you keep them in top condition, they’ll reward you with top performance.