Playing baseball requires a variety of equipment. When playing the field, the most important piece of equipment used is the type of glove. There are basically four types of gloves. A catcher's glove is round and padded and allows him to catch pitches that may approach speeds of 95 mph. A first baseman uses a longer glove that allows him to scoop up a poor throw. An infielder uses a glove with shorter fingers to allow him to pick the ball out easily while an outfielder uses a glove with longer fingers to help him catch fly balls while on the run.
Catcher's Glove
The catcher's glove must protect the catcher's hand and allow him to easily secure the pitch after he receives it. The padding in the pocket and the finger area of the glove protect the hand and the deep pocket allows him to catch nearly anything he can get his glove on. The catcher needs to have great control of the glove since he does not use his throwing hand to secure the ball. That hand is unprotected and using it to cover the ball would result in hand and finger injuries.
First Baseman's Glove
This glove does not have individual slots for fingers. As a result, this glove is often referred to as a first baseman's mitt. This glove is easy to manipulate and control and it has a long profile that allows the first baseman catch and scoop poor throws. The first baseman is expected to pick out throws that bounce in the dirt without any issues and the first baseman's glove helps him to do that.
Infielder's Glove
The infielder's glove is nearly form fitting to the hand and it is usually quite small. Each infielder's glove has rather short areas for the fingers and a baseball-sized pocket. Infielder's gloves are smaller because infielders have to catch hard ground balls, retrieve them quickly with their throwing hand and then throw the ball to first base. Infielders need to make quick transitions throughout the game, especially when they are turning double plays.
Outfielder's Glove
The biggest difference between an infielder's glove and an outfielder's glove is the size. Outfielders use bigger gloves that have longer areas for the fingers. This is to give the outfielder an advantage when chasing down fly balls. An outfielder who is running to catch a fly ball may make contact with the ball in the finger areas and not the pocket. Having a glove with longer fingers may help him secure the ball.
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