A New Glove

To an outsider, a ball glove may seem like just a ball glove. Something used to catch, and prevent injury to the daring 9 men who step between the chalks lines for 27 outs. But to a ball player, it is our most valuable tool.

To paraphrase a bit of "Full Metal Jacket", each ball player feels the same about their gloves; "This is my glove. There are many like it, but this one is mine. It is my life. I must master it. Without me, my glove is useless. Without my glove, I am useless."

To some people, this may seem like jibberish, but a ball player understands. It is our most important tool, and we cannot excel without it. Our gloves truly become our best friends.

A flash of leather allows us to draw the crowd and opposition in to view our greatness, and assures you are doing your part to help the team.

Although there are many gloves made of each model, no glove is ever identical to the one next to it. Each player shapes it to their preference, keeps it soft, or stiff, and the battle wounds that our gloves wear are never duplicated by anothers.

Of all the equipment turn over that takes place through the game, the glove tends to stick around. I have never met a person who has a new glove for each season. You keep the glove as a safety blanket, and a reminder.

It reminds you of what you are capable of, what you have done, and reassures you that you can keep on doing it.

But like every dog, every glove also has its day. The day when all the patch work to fix laces, to prevent balls from popping out, and to just keep the glove functioning, will no longer be enough. Your tool has fulfilled its duty, and it is time for a new one.

Although it is a sad day, and many of us hold onto our old gloves, the excitement of a new mitt is unmatched.

It is a new start. We are allowed to upgrade our models, choose to have new features on our gloves, or take some features away. We can choose a glove that is already loose, so it will break in faster, or one that is stiffer than a corpse that will require time and dedication to work in.

When the decision is made on a glove, there is no turning back. Your hand slides in, and the glove is truly a part of you. The two of you have begun a journey together. A new glove is like a woman. It has a soft and tender touch, and you must treat it properly to get what you want out of it. But, like women, a new mitts smell can often leave you hypnotized. You become enthrawled with what is to come with your new partner.

So you may pick up your old mitt and think to yourself very bitter sweetly, "remember that game?" A new glove is a new journey which unfortunately means the previous journey has to end, but the stories and memories will, no matter what, continue.