FORT MYERS, Fla. -- One of the most important days of Spring Training is the day a player receives his new glove. It’s his tool of the trade. So it's no surprise Wilson Glove Day is one of the most anticipated events at Red Sox camp.
As they’ve done for the past five years, Wilson Sporting Goods -- the official glove of Major League Baseball -- handed out the new models prior to Thursday’s workouts. Wilson also presented each Red Sox player who was on the 2018 World Series championship team and who’s under contract with the company a commemorative red-and-blue glove with the Red Sox logo on the outside thumb and a World Series championship logo on the inside pocket. It’s a slightly larger glove than one that players would normally use.
“We make it bigger so the guys can sign [their names] in there,” said Scott Paulson, Wilson’s MLB sports marketing director.
Mookie Betts admired his latest “trophy” from the World Series championship season.
“It’s definitely something that you can look at and reminisce on what you did that year,” Betts said. “It’s definitely going up in the [trophy] case.”
Betts made a change in the design of the glove he will use this season, opting for a more red-and-blue color rather than the normal tan models. He is also going to a slightly larger glove.
“Hopefully I can still catch it and have my same range,” said Betts, who is sold on the SuperSkin leather, which is lighter and doesn’t hold moisture as much, making it easier to break in. "I get the same consistent feel each and every day. I think the most important thing is it doesn’t get heavy.
"It’s always a good day when it’s Glove Day. I can’t wait to go break it in.”
Betts is one in a group of Red Sox players contracted to Wilson along with Andrew Benintendi, Rafael Devers, J.D. Martinez, Steve Pearce, Dustin Pedroia, Rick Porcello, Nathan Eovaldi and Steven Wright, who said he would use last year’s glove until such time he can break in the new one and then switch them out.
Of his two new gloves, Wright has his two children’s names stitched on one and his number (35) on the other.
Wright said he would put the World Series championship commemorative glove on his shelf next to the one he got from the 2016 All-Star Game.
Porcello was awed by the commemorative glove.
“Winning the World Series is something I dreamed about my whole life and now to have a Wilson glove with the World Series logo on it and us as champions is a dream come true,” said Porcello, who made a slight change in his glove this season, making it a half-inch longer.
“Hopefully it’ll hide the ball a little bit better,” said the right-handed pitcher. “All those runners at second base who are trying to steal my pitches won’t be able to see it now.”
But Porcello also has a new glove the same size as in previous years, just in case.
“I haven’t used a glove this big, so I’ll see how I like it. If it’s not what I want, then I’ll just go to the [other one].”