SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A baseball glove is more than a tool of the trade for a major leaguer. It’s an extension of who he is. Even, sometimes, when he sleeps.
That’s how Rockies third-base prospect Ryan McMahon breaks in his leather.
“I put it under my mattress and put a couple of baseballs in there, kind of moved it how I wanted it to form, and slept on top of it the first night I had it,” McMahon said.
The nonroster invitee remembers his first glove. What player doesn’t?
“My grandpa gave it to my dad when I was born,” McMahon said. “And I used to sleep with a whiffle ball bat till I was like 10, so it’s been baseball my entire life.”
Most recently, with the Rockies considering him to play first base, McMahon added another glove to his collection.
“I just got my first first-base glove so I’m working on breaking it in right now,” McMahon said.
Infielder Daniel Descalso doesn’t have a favorite glove; he has a couple. Make that four.
“I have a smaller one for the middle infield. I’ve got a little bigger one for third base. I have a first-base glove, and I have an outfielder glove just in case,” Descalso said. “I have a whole stockpile of gloves.”
Although he’s been through quite a few gloves during his career, he still remembers his first glove — a Louisville Slugger he got for his fifth or sixth birthday.
“I had it for a long time. I had my name branded on the back part; I think I still have it somewhere at the house,” Descalso said. “My dad found it in storage a little while ago and passed it along to me.”
Throughout his career, Descalso has learned certain gloves have a feeling that can’t be matched.
“There’s always one that feels good and you try to use it for as long as you can,” Descalso said. “It gets kind of sweaty and crusty and gross, but there is something about the comfort of a nice broken in glove that you just feel comfortable with.”
The one glove he has that goes beyond comfort for him is his first-base glove. Given to him by a former teammate, the glove holds extra meaning.
“Mark Ellis gave it to me when I played with the Cardinals,” Descalso said. “So I got his name on here, my name on here and I’ll pass it down to somebody else when I’m done playing.”
Rockies star third baseman Nolan Arenado changes gloves about every two years. But he has a special glove he holds near to his heart.
“Adrián Beltré gave me a glove signed by him and that meant a lot to me,” Arenado said. “He was my favorite player growing up. I don’t have a trophy room but if I did that would be the first one up there.”
On the other end of the spectrum is Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu. A glove that he used throughout college was eventually so worn out he was forced to retire it.
“I used [the glove] for seven or eight years till it broke,” LeMahieu said. “It was pretty devastating. I still have it and keep it with me just in case I really need to bring it back out again.”
