In baseball's early days, players didn't even have the option to wear protective equipment. It simply didn't exist. However, even after the first designs were introduced, the players who used them were ridiculed and considered weak. In fact, according to EyeWitnessHistory.com, most players opted to endure the rigors of the game without complaint rather than face humiliation from their teammates.
Doug Allison
In 1869, Cincinnati Red Stockings catcher Doug Allison was the first person recorded to wear a baseball glove. Because his hands were cracking and splitting from playing multiple back-to-back games, Allison hired a local saddle maker to create a simple leather glove for him. As Baseballglove.com explains, the glove was made to only cover the palm of his hand. Thus, there were holes for each of his fingers, which remained exposed.
Charles C. Wiatt
It took five years for another player to don a protective glove, but in 1875, first baseman Charles C. Waitt took the field with one hand covered. His glove was flesh colored with a large, round opening in back. Compared with modern gloves, it was relatively thin, and did not cover the fingers. EyeWitnessHistory.com claims that Waitt told competitor Albert Spalding that he chose a flesh-colored glove because he was embarrassed to wear it and didn't want to call attention to the device.
Albert Spalding
Premier pitcher for the Chicago White Stockings, Spalding is known as the first player who was able to wear a glove without ridicule. In 1877, he took to the field with a black, fingerless glove. However, it was made with slightly thicker leather and some padding. According to EyeWitnessHistory,com, Spalding was pleased with his innovation. "I found that the glove, thin as it was, helped considerably, and inserted one pad after another until a good deal of relief was afforded," he said.
Mainstream Design
As Sportales.com explains, pitchers were allowed to start throwing overhand in the 1880s, and as a result, players were encouraged to wear gloves. In addition, to compensate for the faster throwing speeds, manufacturers designed gloves to cover the entire hand and added webbing between the thumb and forefinger. Several years later, players started wearing gloves with the fingers laced together for more control, and eventually, glove designs advanced to include deeper pockets, closed backs and basket webs.
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