# Catcher using a fielder's glove ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 19, 2004, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catcher-using-a-fielders-glove/270059 "2004-10-19T17:07:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bossy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/58f4c7/32.png) [@bossy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bossy)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catcher-using-a-fielders-glove/270059/1 "2004-10-19T17:07:58Z")
Watching Varitek try to catch Wakefield’s knuckler last night, I wonder if a catcher is allowed to use a fielder’s glove (1st basemen’s glove or regular fielder’s glove) as the cather ? I know that other fielders are not allowed to use a 1st baseman’s glove, but does a catcher HAVE to use a catcher’s glove ? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catcher-using-a-fielders-glove/270059/2 "2004-10-19T17:45:35Z")
There were a handful of left-handed catchers back in the 1950s who used first-baseman’s mitts (usually with a couple of extra sponges inserted. They may have changed the rules by now, but since it’s possible a team’s 'emergency" catcher might be left-handed, I’d think there would have to be some sort of provision. The real reason you don’t want your catcher to wear a fielder’s glove is because fielder’s gloves aren’t designed to catch balls traveling at 90+ mph. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catcher-using-a-fielders-glove/270059/3 "2004-10-19T17:50:07Z")
The rules of Major League Baseball seem to require a catcher to wear a catcher’s mitt (or no glove at all). Mitts and gloves are covered under rules 1.12, 1.13 and 1.14, to be found [here](http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/official_info/official_rules/objectives_1.jsp) . Rule 1.12 describes the mitt that a catcher may wear. 1.13 describes a first baseman’s mitt, and 1.14 describes a fielder’s glove. A mitt differs from a glove in the same way that a conventional mitten differs from a regular glove: the mitt doesn’t have individual fingers. A catcher’s mitt is allowed to be bigger than a fielder’s glove, and the webbing between the thumb and forefinger is allowed to be bigger on a catcher’s mitt. Since a catcher’s mitt can be bigger than a fielder’s glove and can have a larger webbing, I don’t think it would be easier to catch a knuckleball with a fielder’s glove. The problem with catching a knuckleball is that the pitch changes direction suddenly and unpredictably. The bigger the mitt, the less likely it is that the pitch will completely miss the mitt. A catcher on a team with a knuckleballer will often have a special larger mitt for that pitcher (most catchers’ mitts are not the maximum size). ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catcher-using-a-fielders-glove/270059/4 "2004-10-19T18:06:17Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > There were a handful of left-handed catchers back in the 1950s who used first-baseman’s mitts (usually with a couple of extra sponges inserted. They may have changed the rules by now, but since it’s possible a team’s 'emergency" catcher might be left-handed, I’d think there would have to be some sort of provision. Do you have names of left-handed catchers? I had always heard that there was exactly one left handed catcher in MLB history. I never believed it but had nothing to disprove it. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catcher-using-a-fielders-glove/270059/5 "2004-10-19T18:33:36Z")
Two, actually. Dale Long in 1958, Mike Squires in 1980, 1 game each as a stunt. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catcher-using-a-fielders-glove/270059/6 "2004-10-19T18:37:40Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Two, actually. Dale Long in 1958, Mike Squires in 1980, 1 game each as a stunt. Why have there been so few left-handed catchers? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catcher-using-a-fielders-glove/270059/7 "2004-10-19T18:48:02Z")
> [@robby](#): > > Why have there been so few left-handed catchers? IIRC, it has to do with positioning in the catcher’s “other” capacity as “4th baseman” – a left-handed catcher is not in as good position to handle pick-offs, and in particular the all-important play against a man trying to come home from third. ---
**Author:** ![fatmac98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3ec8ea/32.png) [@fatmac98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fatmac98)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catcher-using-a-fielders-glove/270059/8 "2004-10-19T18:49:37Z")
> [@robby](#): > > Why have there been so few left-handed catchers? Lefties woulod have to turn their whole bodies to try to throw out runners at third. Most hitters are right handed, throws to second usually do not have to go past hitter. Right handers wear mitts on left hand, which is on third base side of body for plays/swipe tags at the plate. ---
**Author:** ![Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuji_Kitakyusho)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catcher-using-a-fielders-glove/270059/9 "2004-10-19T19:07:35Z")
revealing my ignorance on matters of baseball: I had no idea there were different types of gloves used. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catcher-using-a-fielders-glove/270059/10 "2004-10-19T19:56:40Z")
> [@robby](#): > > Why have there been so few left-handed catchers? Cecil says: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_303b.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_303b.html) ---
**Author:** ![Jplacer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85f322/32.png) [@Jplacer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jplacer)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catcher-using-a-fielders-glove/270059/11 "2004-10-19T22:36:31Z")
> [@Gary T](#): > > Cecil says: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_303b.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_303b.html) Acutally there have only been 33 left-handed throwing players who caught in at least 1 defensive inning. Jack Clements had over 1,000 innings as a left-handed catcher. Benny Distefano was the last left-handed catcher in MLB. He caught 3 games with the Pirates in 1989. ---
**Author:** ![edwino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catcher-using-a-fielders-glove/270059/12 "2004-10-19T23:36:54Z")
I know last year, the Astros had Jared Fernandez, a knuckleballer, on their roster. When Ausmus caught for him, he wore this gigantic glove that actually looked pretty funny. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catcher-using-a-fielders-glove/270059/13 "2004-10-19T23:39:29Z")
> [@Jeff Lichtman](#): > > The rules of Major League Baseball seem to require a catcher to wear a catcher’s mitt (or no glove at all). Mitts and gloves are covered under rules 1.12, 1.13 and 1.14, to be found [here](http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/official_info/official_rules/objectives_1.jsp) No, I think the rules are just laying out the maximum size. A catcher could certainly use a normal fielder’s glove since they are smaller. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catcher-using-a-fielders-glove/270059/14 "2004-10-20T04:21:47Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > No, I think the rules are just laying out the maximum size. A catcher could certainly use a normal fielder’s glove since they are smaller. There are differences between a catcher’s mitt and a fielder’s glove other than size - for example, a catcher’s mitt has no fingers. The rules specify that a catcher is allowed to wear a mitt and describe how the mitt can be constructed. The rules don’t say the catcher can wear a glove of any type. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catcher-using-a-fielders-glove/270059/15 "2004-10-20T05:10:52Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > No, I think the rules are just laying out the maximum size. A catcher could certainly use a normal fielder’s glove since they are smaller. Since Rule 1.14 specifically PROHIBITS the catcher from using the gloves described in that section of the rule, there is a strong implication that they must use “mitts,” as opposed to “gloves.”