A Good Glove
On the allure of the short-term and the value of the long-term.
I bought my very first baseball glove a few weeks ago.
If I take care of it, there’s a good chance it will be my last glove too.
I was given a very interesting offer when I purchased the glove and I’d like to talk about what the offer was really offering, and why it was so easy for me to say yes.
**
Baseball gloves are made of leather and the good ones are usually quite stiff.
A glove feels best when it’s broken in, and I’ve heard an encyclopedia worth of tricks to try and break-in a glove, including running it over with a car.
When I went shopping for my first glove, I told the folks at the store that I didn’t really know what I was looking for. I just wanted to invest in something that I would have for a long time. When asked, I told them that the closest I intend to come to playing competitive baseball, is playing catch with our son on a paved road.
After explaining this, they helped me pick out an 11.75 inch Rawlings R9 Pro in baby blue with navy stitching. It’s a beauty.
When I went up to pay, the person at the counter asked if I had heard of their new “break-in” service. I said no, and he explained that for a fifth of the price of the glove, they would use this fancy machine to help break-in my glove in 45 minutes.
**
From the very little I’ve come to learn about baseball (I only became an ardent fan this year), everything about the game feels like a lesson in patience.
A hitter has to practice patience at the plate, trying not to swing at everything.
A team has to practice patience as they play through all nine innings of a single game, without ever knowing how long a single inning might take.
An organization has to practice patience as they make their way through 162 games in a regular season.
A baseball glove itself, is a lesson in patience.
Despite what the encyclopedia says, the real magic of breaking-in a glove comes from years of a sweaty hand trying to safely enclose a ball in a pocket.
**
I instantly said yes to the break-in service.
What it was offering me, is what we have an abundance of in our world: shortcuts.
When combined with our desire for immediate gratification, the result is virtually impossible to resist.
Did it work? Was it worth the price and the 45 minutes?
I guess so? But if I’m being honest, I don’t know.
Sure it was less stiff than it felt on the rack, but it was still pretty stiff.
**
A shortcut might make sense if you’re playing a short-term game.
But like properly breaking-in a baseball glove, most worthwhile games are long-term ones.
Let’s be patient enough to play them.
