Breaking in a baseball glove

You learn how to break in a baseball glove as soon as your able to hold a baseball mitt with one hand. It was a time honored tradition in my family each winter. Come late October or early November, after the leaves had already fallen and been raked up and when the air smelled like smoking chimneys and snow, my dad would take me down into the garage. With a secret batch of ingredients, a few old stained rags, and our elbow grease, we set to work breaking in a new glove so it would be ready to play catch come April.

Everybody s dad probably has their secret formula for what ointments, homespun compounds, and techniques used. Whatever the means, the ends justify the means. A broken in glove means that is has been softened up, adding flexibility and comfort. Besides the soft leather, a broken in glove also has a worked-in pocket.

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