How To Store A Baseball Glove

There is a rule listed out by Major League Baseball that pertains to equipment being left on the field of play and most individuals would find it peculiar. Specifically, it is known Rule 3.10 and it makes the following statement:

“Members of the offensive team shall carry all gloves and other equipment off the field and to the dugout while their team is at bat. No equipment shall be left lying on the field, either in fair or foul territory.”

Believe it or not, there was once a time where defensive players playing in baseball’s most elite league would just toss their gloves on the ground right at their position once their team had fielded three outs in an inning. An article by the site Now I Know reported that second base and shortstop would toss their gloves in the shallow outfield grass, outfielders would just drop their gloves where they stood and third base and first base would put theirs just within foul territory. Oddly enough, pitchers and catchers would bring their gloves and mitts back to the dugout. 

However, this era of improper baseball glove storage ended in 1954 when the rule now referred to as 3.10 came into effect. At that time it was finally determined that errant gloves lying on the field may injure players and have an impact on the outcome of games.

It took many years for Major League Baseball to recognize that player’s should be better storing their gloves during games.

And if you’ve found yourself wondering if you’re storing your glove correctly while away from the ballfield, then we’ve got the article for you. Keep reading to ensure that you’re not making a similar mistake to what big leaguers were doing in the first half of the 20th century and storing your glove improperly.

How do you store baseball gloves for off season?

In a perfect world, you’d store your baseball glove in the same manner no matter if you were in-season or out-of-season. But during the season, you’re practicing and playing games and needing to transport your glove quite frequently. This makes in-season storage a little trickier (and that may be a topic for another blog post).

But for most players, the fall and winter present a season where a glove will stay put for an extended period of time. Because of this extended period away from the ballfield, one can be extra intentional in how they store their baseball glove.

First off, when it comes to storing your glove during the offseason it is important to keep it in a place where it will be seen and will receive air flow. We really wouldn’t recommend putting it under a bed for multiple months or stuffing it into a closet with your coats. 

Our general recommendation for putting it up during the offseason would be to put it on a shelf within a room that has a controlled temperature (i.e. not a garage or shed). As well, we would recommend laying it flat on its palm or up on its fingers. See below for an illustrated depiction:

Should you store a baseball glove with a ball in it?

We would recommend storing the glove flat on its palm or up on its fingers as shown above. But if you’re being forced to put your glove into a bag for an extended amount of time, then yes, we would definitely recommend putting a baseball in the pocket of the glove. If you store your glove in a bag without a ball in it, there is a good chance that it will flatten out. A flat glove provides much less pocket area and nearly every single player is going to want a larger/deeper pocket as it will catch baseballs much easier.

How do I protect my baseball glove?

You can always protect your glove while storing it by first wiping as much debris and moisture from the glove as possible. Adding a small amount of conditioner to the glove (whether that be in the form of an oil or paste) will also help moisturize the glove and prevent it from drying out. Our Glove Care Kit actually contains glove conditioner that can be used to keep your glove in top shape!

If you complete your final game of the season and then go set your glove on a shelf for a few months without wiping it clean or adding any conditioner; the leather will most likely become dry. Dry leather on a glove manifests itself by making the glove feel crusty, rigid or even cracked the next time you pick it up.

We mentioned it a little earlier, but a way you can protect your glove when storing it is to put it in a place where you might see it regularly. If you do this, you’ll be more likely to put your hand in the glove and pound the pocket a few times during the winter months. Intermittently handling the glove during a long offseason could go a long ways with ensuring that it remains soft, pliable and ready for the next season.

How not to store your glove…

There are four main ways we would not recommend storing gloves:

1. Cramming multiple gloves on top of each other within a crate or cubby
2. Laying it flat on its side without a ball in the pocket
3. Putting gloves under a bed where they won’t get air flow and possibly be forgotten during the offseason
4. Stuffing them in a bag that is completely filled with baseball gear

Below we illustrate all four ways that we would not recommend storing your baseball gloves.

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Compared to the 1950s when baseball players consistently stored their gloves on the ball field during games, we’ve come a long way regarding the attention we dedicate to how we store our gloves. Hopefully you’ve found this blog article helpful if you’ve been looking for tips on how to store your ball glove. If you’re looking for more answers, please contact our team of Experts. They can be reached on phone at 1-866-321-2287, through email via experts@justgloves.com or by LIVE CHATTING right here.