You simply cannot find better quality in any Major League Brand Glove no matter what you pay. The leather, lacing, fit, pattern & quick break-in is equivalent to any $200+ glove. Made for pro & college players, Franklin baseball gloves are now available for all players. Models for all positions. Built better, lasts longer! Check out our full selection of Franklin Baseball Gloves. The soft supple leather makes them perfect for beginning little league players.
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Right Handed Thrower = Child would wear the glove on his/her left hand
Left Handed Thrower = Child would wear the glove on his/her right hand
| - Youth Baseball Sizing Chart - | ||||||||||||||||||
| Use the chart below as a general guideline for determining glove size. | ||||||||||||||||||
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- Glove Buying Tips - |
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 PriceA good glove does not have to be expensive. There are gloves that will give many seasons of satisfactory service for under $75. You can pay more, but more money does not necessarily mean a better, more serviceable glove. There are expensive gloves ($100-$200+) which may last one or two seasons, and there are inexpensive baseball gloves that can last for ten years or more with routine maintenance. The more expensive gloves do tend to use better (often heavier) leather than less expensive gloves. All things being equal, with careful maintenance, the higher quality glove should last longer. The question is "is the more expensive glove worth the price"? |
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| Size Select a glove for the position you will be playing most often. Use the chart at the top of this page as a general guideline for determining glove size. A glove should feel fairly snug when adjusted. Check to make sure the glove adjusts to your hand. Allow room for batting glove if you wear one. Except for pitchers, most players should wear a batting glove inside their fielders glove. The batting glove will absorb most of the sweat from your hands, thus protecting the lining of your glove. Change the batting glove when it gets wet or rotted. |
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| Quality The leather should be fairly sturdy. A stiffer glove will have to be broken in, but once done, the glove will be serviceable for many seasons. The softer "pre-broken" gloves feel great, but many of them wear out very quickly and may be difficult or impossible to repair. The leather in the pre-broken gloves is usually thinner and therefore weaker than that in a sturdier glove. The thinner, softer leathers tend to show signs of stress at the lacing holes in the web and fingers after a few months of continuous play. |
- Glove Materials - |
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| Manufacturers usually tout a glove's materials whenever they are made of something considered "premium" enough to provide a selling point. If a glove is made of full-grain leather or premium steerhide, the two top grades, the manufacturer will definitely print that fact prominently on the glove. Top-quality leather makes the best gloves, but the reality is, for a kid's glove that will be outgrown and discarded after a few years, premium materials are nice but not crucial. The original method of turning animal skins into leather is known as "vegetable tanning," which means the skins are tanned with tree bark or tree-bark extracts containing tannin. Vegetable-tanned leather undergoes a lengthy tanning process that results in a leather that is flexible and has superior moldability. The other primary method of tanning is called "chrome tanning," in which the skins are tanned with mineral salts. Chrome tanning can be done in a fraction of the time of vegetable tanning, and results in a stronger, more abrasion-resistant leather. Almost all baseball gloves today are chrome tanned leather. "Oil tanning" is a specialized process that is rarely seen today, and is used exclusively in split leathers such as chamois and buckskin. Rawlings claims to use oil-tanned leather in some of their gloves, but more likely the leather is chrome tanned and then oiled. Leather specialist Steve Laliloff, who made the gloves for the movie "Eight Men Out", stated that vegetable tanned leather is preferable and will last longer than chrome tanned leather, however, it's very difficult to obtain vegetable tanned leather, especially when a volume of gloves is being manufactured. Here are the basic Leather Grades and Types used in Baseball & Softball Gloves: |
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| Buffalo Skin Buffalo skin is used by only one manufacturer, Nokona. Buffalo skin is said to be tougher and lighter than full grain steer hide, but breaks in just as easily. Most people aren't going to want to get a Little Leaguer a buffalo skin glove because of the high price, but if they want to, it's out there. |
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| Full Grain Leather "Full-Grain" leather is steer hide or cow hide leather on which the entire natural grain remains. It will either be the original thickness of the skin, or the bottom grain will have been sanded off until the leather is the desired thickness. This grade is uncommon in youth gloves, but is readily available in premium adult gloves that come in sizes suitable for older Little Leaguers. Although in theory full grain leather can be any weight, in practice, gloves made of full grain leather tend to be stiffer and heavier than other types, and require longer break-in periods. These leathers are rarely pre-oiled, because the players who buy gloves of this quality usually want to apply their own particular break-in method. Once broken in, full grain leather gloves are superior in both performance and durability. Catchers' mitts are almost always made of full grain leather or premium steer hide. |
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| Top Grain Leather "Top-Grain" leather" is a misnomer; it is usually leather in which the "top" grain (the fur side) is sanded off until the leather is a desired thickness, and then filled or treated, where an artificial grain is introduced, usually by pressing. Many baseball gloves probably are top grain leather, but the manufacturers may not always use the phrase to describe the leather. Often they use a brand name instead. Nokona is the only manufacturer that says its gloves use "top grain leather." In Nokona's case, the leather is heavy weight and very durable. Wilson's "Quick-Stop" leather is also a top grain leather, but it is medium weight and has average durability. |
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| Premium Steer Hide Steer hide, which comes from neutered bulls, is somewhat stronger than cow hide. Manufacturers are free to call any steer hide "premium," but in practice they reserve this designation for their better grades of heavy weight steer hide, usually top grain, occasionally full grain. Gloves made of this leather tend to be stiff and somewhat heavy, with longer break-in periods. These leathers are sometimes pre-oiled. Many manufacturers have gone away from premium steerhide both because the market now demands softer gloves, and to save money because few consumers know the difference. |
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| Leather or Cow Hide "Leather" means cow hide, usually medium weight, but sometimes heavy weight. This category encompasses the greatest range of quality. Cow hide performs well, and will break in faster, but also wear out faster than steer hide. Usually this grade will come "pre-oiled" or otherwise treated to reduce break-in time. Cow hide is probably the best all-around choice for a youth glove for ages 10 and up. There are many good Leather glove bargains in the $25-$50 range. |
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| Kangaroo Skin Kangaroo skin is stronger than steer hide of any grade, and weighs a fraction as much. It is fairly new to the baseball glove market, and what grades are being used is anybody's guess. Some manufacturers use kangaroo only in premium gloves, while others use it only in their budget baseball gloves. Early reports say it breaks in easily but doesn't hold its shape as well as the better cow hide or steer hide grades. Often gloves are made with steer hide or cow hide palms for durability, and kangaroo skin backs for light weight. |
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| Pigskin Pigskin is far less durable than cowhide. However, it is more flexible and breaks in far more easily than cowhide, and costs less. Pigskin gloves are inexpensive, and can be ideal for a youngster who wants a good-performing glove but who may grow out of it in a year. |
- Breaking In A New Glove - |
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Option1: Most manufacturers agree that a glove oil or leather conditioner cream should be used as long as it does not contain silicon. Most manufacturers recommend not using anything that requires a microwave or an oven. Apply a small amount of Glove Oil in the triangular area shown. Rub it into the leather until most of it has been absorbed, then wipe off the excess with a soft towel. Next, fold the glove at the hinge and excercise that area a bit. Then, fold the glove and squeeze the fold so that a crease can be formed along the triangle line from the index finger side to the hinge. Option 2: Another best way to properly break in your new baseball glove is to play catch with it at least 20 minutes every day for two weeks. This not only causes the glove to become softer but also allows it to form to your hand. If you find that you aren't getting any results using this method or want to break in your baseball glove more quickly, there is a method to speed up the breaking-in process. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees (never use a microwave) for about 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and place the glove in the oven on a cookie sheet for 5 to 10 minutes, checking the glove every few minutes. Do not leave the glove unattended while in the oven. Carefully remove the baseball glove from the oven. (The glove will be hot, so use caution.) Liberally rub glove conditioner on the glove. Proceed to break in the glove. A similar method is to leave the glove in a hot car before applying glove conditioner and breaking it in. Common Myths: Myth 1: Baseball gloves can be soaked in a bucket of water to help break them in. Water should not be used to soften a glove's leather. Water will make the glove heavy, and it will cause the leather to eventually dry out and crack. Myth 2: A microwave can be used to break in a baseball glove. Never try to use a microwave to break in a glove. A microwave cooks from the inside out, and doesn't heat evenly. A glove will get too hot in a microwave and may even have holes burned through it. Myth 3: The easiest way to break in a basball glove is to tie a baseball in it and let it sit overnight. This process will not produce the optimal pocket shape, and it does not form the glove to your hand. Use the suggested method to get the best pocket shape and glove fit. Final Tips: Remember, your youth baseball glove is a tool for good fielding. Break it in properly and fit it to your hand. Condition your glove with glove conditioner regularly and replace loose and broken lacing when needed. |
- Caring For Your Glove - |
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| The most important part of caring for your glove is to recognize that leather will deteriorate if subjected to repeated exposure to moisture and heat. Saliva will also result in damaged leather, so Don't Spit In Your Glove. Leaving your glove out in the weather will ruin it, as will putting it away wet from perspiration. Always wear a batting glove under your baseball glove (except for pitchers) - this absorbs the sweat from your hand. When your batting glove gets wet, change it. This will add years to the lining of your glove. When your glove gets wet, dry it with a towel or soft cloth, and leave it exposed to room air for a few hours until the lining is dry. After it dries, use a little glove conditioner to moisten the leather. When you put your glove away, put a softball in the pocket and wrap it with a wide rubber band. |
Franklin Batting Gloves & Baseball Gloves
Franklin Baseball Gloves have outstanding features that you'll appreciate, and which not all kids baseball glove manufacturers provide. Microbial bacteria protection in the palm and finger lining prevent common problems associated with sweaty hands on hot summer days. The gloves design provides good air flow to keep fingers dry. The flexibility of pigskin leather means your little leaguer will get to play with a useable glove, not a stiff one that will take the fun out of playing baseball.
Franklin Sports provides all the Kids Baseball Equipment your team or child needs. The FieldMaster Baseball Pitching Machines are perfect for backyard use when combined with the portable backyard batting cage. The machine pitches plastic balls up to 60 mph for a safer fun. Your youth ball player will be able to take batting practice anytime without the danger of using real baseballs. The field master pitching machine allows kids to improve their hand eye coordination and follow a ball's path better without the fear of being hit by a real baseball. You can also purchase the autofeed adapter. These Backyard Batting Cages are simple to set up and are strong enough for real baseballs when used by youngsters. Take a look at the Portable Batting Cages and you'll see that the price is very reasonable.
Franklin Sports is the dominant brand name in Youth Baseball Equipment. Their ready to play line of Baseball Gloves are excellent quality gloves with the quality leather and lacing you'd expect from a major baseball glove manufacturer. If you're searching for Rawlings baseball gloves, Mizuno baseball gloves, Nike baseball gloves, or from other specialty glove manufacturers such as Nokona, Spalding, Easton, TPX, Zett, or Louisville slugger, consider that Franklin's gloves are considered as good as this group of brand name baseball gloves.
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Kidsportsinc.com is a licensed seller of Franklin Baseball Equipment. Franklin Sports attention to quality offers you peace of mind when buying baseball gloves, batting gloves, teeball sets, tball bats, and other baseball equipment.
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Franklin Sports youth baseball gloves are very popular among kids and teen baseball players. Whether your child plays outfield or infield, these gloves are comfortable and can help him/her feel more comfortable catching fly balls or grounders. Franklins attention to quality is the reason their youth baseball gloves are preferred by many youngsters and parents.
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- Soft Supple Leather - Quality Stitching
After setting this crease, re-fold the glove and form a similar crease from the thumb side of the triangle to the hinge. The final step is to re-fold the glove so a crease can be formed from the center of the web crotch to the hinge. When finished with these steps you should be able to see three distinct creases fanning out from the hinge to the web crotch. After completing these steps (about 20 minutes) put the glove on your hand and close it a few times. You should be able to feel a difference in the way the glove responds. Repeat this procedure in a few days, but do not use the glove oil in excess. Here's a tip from one of our readers. He conditions a new glove using the above procedure, and then goes to a batting cage (at an off-peak hour, so there will be fewer distractions and less chance of injury). He buys a bucket of balls to catch, not to hit. He says that after one session the glove is game ready.