Glove of the Series

The Marucci Paddleheads

By Kyle Robinson

The first in our series from Kyle, who picks out of his substantial baseball glove collection one that fits the current series and B’s vibe.

The Missoula Paddleheads—one of the powerhouse clubs in the Pioneer League—come to Raimondi for Opening Week, so the first glove out of the collection had to feel right.

Glove of the Series: the Marucci Capitol Series Limited Batch No. 1.

An early Horween release from Marucci’s collector-era Capitol Series, built on the 43A2 pattern—a shape a lot of glove people still compare to the Rawlings TT2.

If you’re someone who knows glove lore, you know this one.

Limited run. No giant hype campaign. Just a really well-made middle infield glove that quietly built a reputation over time.

For a lot of ballplayers and glove collectors, the Horween leather is the best part. Horween’s been tanning leather in Chicago since 1905, and their leather has a reputation that’s well earned—a staple of American craftsmanship, sought after not just for baseball gloves, but for luxury bags, footwear, and even the American football.

It breaks in slow, darkens with use, and somehow looks better every season it survives.

Not flashy. Not trying too hard. Just dependable, with a job to do.

Feels a little like Oakland.

A place people keep underestimating while it keeps showing up, taking care of business, and getting better with age.

Kyle Robinson is a transplanted Texan with a lifelong passion for the game of baseball. Residing in Oakland with his wife Randi, their daughter India, and a menagerie of pets, when he’s not slyly convincing his wife to name their pets after legendary baseball broadcasters (thank you, Milo Hamilton Robinson) he is probably balancing parenthood with trying to cram in as much baseball as possible. Whether it’s keeping the dream alive as a weekend warrior behind the dish, or on the sideline as a coach, volunteering, rest assured he has baseball on the brain. Find him on Instagram: @krob452