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Posted By: prewarsports

It is a webbed workmans fielders glove with a crecent heel. By the 1890's catchers were using HUGE mitts which were so padded they essentially could not be closed with one hand because most had moved directly behind the plate to catch. You basically let the ball hit the padding and then used your non-throwing hand to cup it from falling to the ground. This is why you see so many 1890's-1920's catchers with the mangled throwing hands. I have a 1910's glass plate x-ray from a medical school which shows a typical baseball catchers hand deformation. This would occur when a catcher was getting ready to cup the ball with his throwing hand and a foul tip would knock it slightly off course and break fingers. Another reason why people like Ray Schalk and others are in the hall of fame despite low batting averages that typically got lower as the season progressed. Most of the time they were playing with broken fingers taped to non-broken fingers for strength. Worked pretty good for fielding but I bet hitting was tough.

Long story short, it is a fielders glove and I have some 1890's catchers in full gear photos that show the bigger mitts from this era if you want to see them.