In the early days of organized baseball, players in the field were barehanded and allowed to make outs by catching balls on the first bounce. After a rule change was implemented in 1864 that required the ball be caught on the fly to record an out, some players started using slightly padded fingerless gloves like the leather ones offered here. While some of the players were subjected to taunts from other players questioning their manliness, comfort and practicality soon outweighed any fear of teasing and the eventual use of mitts and gloves became more widespread.

There are plenty of references to amateur players donning gloves that started to appear as early as the 1860s. In most instances, it was by a catcher who donned them to protect sore hands. The gloves were often flesh-colored or light in color so as to not draw unwanted attention to them. Many players would purchase or repurpose a set of work gloves or tradesmen’s gloves and cut off the fingers. Some players used a bricklayer’s glove while others used driving gloves or even a railroad brakeman’s glove. The point was to take the sting out of catching the ball, whether it was hit or thrown to the receiving player.

Through our extensive research we know of less than 10 of these examples that still exist. This lot offers a circa 1880 matched pair, dark brown in color, that exhibits excessive use with loose seams that could be resewn if the new owner would like to take that initiative. So incredibly rare, they are some of the most desirable of all baseball gloves. Both gloves measure 4.5” wide by 4” high. The backs of the gloves are meant to be buttoned closed, but the buttons are missing. Nevertheless, this pair represents baseball in its earliest stages and the evolution the sport took toward advancing the game. These baseball relics are worthy of any advanced collection.