Baseball is a sport that has been around for over two hundred
years. The very first game is different from the game we know
today. In fact, very little equipment was used, and the first
few pieces have been broken or lost in time. It is this scarcity
that makes antique baseball gloves such collector's items. The
History of Baseball Gloves The first baseball gloves were used
in the 1870's. Prior to this, no gloves were used and balls were
caught with bare hands. The first glove users were often called
names, and thought to be less manly than the rest. By the
1890's, however, it was normal for players to wear gloves.
Though some say that the first gloves were designed so a player
could knock the ball onto the ground, for the most part, gloves
were made to protect the hands. They did this by providing a
cushion for catching the ball. Early gloves were plain leather
gloves without any fingertips, which designers claimed helped
the players get the same control they would have as when they
were playing barehanded.