Maintaining Baseball Equipment

Once you've invested in baseball and softball equipment, it's important to know how to keep it in good working order. Well-used and well-maintained baseball equipment is easier and more comfortable to use. Here are some baseball equipment maintenance points to consider.

Baseball Equipment Care:

1. Breaking in a glove: Breaking in baseball equipment, like your glove, is important to get it into ideal shape for practice and play. There are a few things you should and shouldn't do when breaking in a glove:

   Dos and Don'ts

   • Don't soak leather baseball equipment, like a glove, in water. Evaporating water will dry out the leather and cause cracking.

   • Don't heat your glove in the oven or microwave to soften the leather. This will soften the glove but also dry out and crack the leather.

   • Don't run over your new baseball glove with a car or other heavy objects. You're more likely to tear the leather than soften it.

   • Do rub your new baseball mitt with a good grade of oil to soften your baseball glove.

   • Do put a baseball in the pocket of the glove and gently tie it closed for a day or two. It helps to put it under your mattress and sleep on it. This creates a good pocket for the baseball.

   • Do play with your baseball mitt. This is the single best way to break in your baseball equipment.

2. Maintaining baseballs: Once a baseball is worn out, torn or unlaced, there's usually no repairing it. Avoid scratching the ball on pavement, which may tear the covering. It's best to use inexpensive baseballs for practice, and nice baseball equipment for games.

3. Maintaining bats: Avoid using aluminum baseball equipment, like bats, in temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). The cold increases ball density, producing more dings in your baseball equipment. Don't store baseball bats in very hot places, like car trunks. Extreme heat can warp both wooden and metal baseball equipment.

4. Maintaining gloves: To keep your glove in good condition, follow similar steps to breaking it in. Once or twice a year, oil your baseball glove, rubbing gently with a clean, dry cloth all over the surface. Very little oil is needed, so be sure to wipe down the glove afterwards to remove the excess. Put a ball in the pocket, tie it with a shoestring and let the baseball glove sit for a full day. Open it up and play catch for 15 minutes or so. If the glove gets wet, dry it slowly (no ovens or microwaves) and re-oil it. This keeps it from drying out and cracking. In between conditionings, check the laces regularly and retighten them if the leather has stretched. With proper care, even discount leather baseball equipment can last for years.