MLB Recommendations for Breaking in a Glove

Getting that first baseball glove is a rite of passage for every young ball player. But there's more to owning a baseball glove than it might seem. Before if can be taken out on the diamond for a game, it's a good idea to break it in. This typically involves softening the leather mitt and creating a pocket in the glove so it's easier to snag fly balls and field grounders. Every ball player has his own way of breaking in a glove. While there's no official set of Major League Baseball (MLB) instructions, individual big-leaguers have some recommendations for how to get the job done.

  1. Microwave

    • According to a May 2010 ESPN.com article, MLB players Aaron Rowand and Torii Hunter use a microwave to help with breaking in their gloves. According to the article, Rowand first gets the glove wet by soaking it under a faucet. This allows water to seep into the leather. He then puts it in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften the leather and immediately goes to practice with it so the balls make an indentation in the softened leather to form a pocket.

    Oven

    • The microwave isn't the only kitchen appliance that MLB sluggers use to break in a glove. ESPN.com's "How to break in a new glove" article states that MLB infielder Stephen Drew uses an oven. Specifically, the article says that Drew cooks new mitts in an oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 to 3 minutes after basting it with shaving cream for moisture. The heat helps the leather loosen, which helps create a pocket inside the mitt.

    Practice

    • Worried about damaging your glove by attempting to break it in via an unconventional method? Stick with what works: practice. That is, repeatedly playing catch with your new glove on, as is the case for MLB pitcher Tim Lincecum. Such a method may not be the fastest way to break in a new glove, but it's the most tried and true way of doing so. Beyond just playing catch, players can also field ground balls and line drives to help break in the glove.

    Other Methods

    • One of the most popular ways to break in a mitt is by heating it to loosen the leather. But this doesn't always have to be done with kitchen cooking appliances. In the case of MLB infielder Chone Figgins, you can just put it in the trunk of your car, which typically gets hot in warm months, to break it in. Other big leaguers turn to physical means of loosening the leather, such as hitting it with a bat, placing the leg of a kitchen table on it, or running it over with their cars.