early glove?
 

Does this early 1870s CdV picture the player with a glove on his left hand? It sure looks like a glove of some sort. What do you think? If it is a glove, the image is one of the earliest showing a player wearing one.

I'm going to say that's his bare hand.

Looks like just his hand to me.

I do see the fingers, but something is there on the palmside. I don't think the sleeve would have been that long. It would have been shorter if anything.

looks like a long sleeve to me...especially since it matches the color of his collar

Gary, can you scan just that hand area perhaps in 300 or better DPI?

His sleeve has two different colors to it and he is holding a ball in his hand and that is giving off what looks like a shadow around the hand

Good points by all. His other sleeve does seem to match in pattern. Maybe they thought he would grow into it.
Dan, I'm lucky scanning at all.