1800s Fingerless Baseball Glove

[ruth-gehrig]

What are everyones thoughts on this glove described as 1800s fingerless baseball glove? It sold for $7200! http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item...d=131027470713

[Runscott]

Yesterday I saw a guy at Fedex wearing a modern version of these, so the style is popular among today's workers. If that was the case in the 1800's, not sure the baseball leap-of-faith justifies the price. Still, very cool.

[murphusa]

Worth every penny.

You can read a great recap on the gloves sale history here


starts about 3/4 of the page down

http://www.vintagebaseballgloveforum...hp?f=12&t=5501

and here

http://www.vintagebaseballgloveforum...p=29411#p29411

[khkco4bls]

Should have been over 10 grand.

[ruth-gehrig]

Maybe next time it will be

[steve B]

Without some sort of Provenance to a player I don't see how that can be positively identified as a baseball glove. Especially since it's for the right hand, so most likely a lefthanded player.

Cycling gloves were just like that for years, and versions that are similar are still made.
Here's a pic from probably the 1950's both the guys on the right and left are wearing similar open back gloves.

Steve B

[Runscott]

Steve, you can find 1800s ads where they were sold in pairs: fingerless for the throwing hand and similar glove with full fingers for the catching hand.

[BigJJ]

I seem to remember the Halper sale having an exceptional complete pair. I know Ive seen one complete pair before.

[Runscott]

Here's one in use.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Runscott

Steve, you can find 1800s ads where they were sold in pairs: fingerless for the throwing hand and similar glove with full fingers for the catching hand.

I didn't know they came as pairs.

I'm still lost as to how to tell one apart from an old cycling glove. Most even have similar padding. And they were commonly used from probably the 1920's -50's or later with few changes. Around the 50's the knit back gloves became the style. Probably used earlier too, but many earlier photos are staged publicity shots.

Steve B

[packs]

I distinctly recall an Old Judge pose in which the catcher is wearing two fingerless gloves. Can't remember which player though.

Here it is. Hard to tell if they're fingerless or not though:

[murphusa]

here is a pair, they also made an oven mitt type glove that went with the fingerless

[Runscott]

Here's one with the 'fingered' glove on the catching hand - it's reasonable to assume his throwing hand glove is fingerless.