Golden Glove

Ichiro Suzuki, or just plain "Ichiro" has been the one player that I will buy a ticket for just to watch him play a nine inning game...

Yeah, I'm intrigued by his swing and his speed, but I've also been astounded with his defensive play in right field. His coverage in right field has been nothing less than astounding.

So, here's a clip on the Mizuno glove that he's been using and the care that he implements daily with his glove treatment from "Talking Leather on SI Players" from SI.com...Check out how he treats his glove compared to the care Bret Boone gives to his tool here...There's a huge difference, and it's also a slight bit of proof of how much care and detail the Japanese give to their craftsmanship in all trades...Pretty cool stuff.



Here's the excerpt on Ichiro...

"I like the glove to be a little loose," says Ichiro, who oils his game glove each day and stores it in a specially made cotton bag. "If I have it too close to my skin, I'm not able to get good movement on it." The rightfielder says he "started caring for my gloves when I was in elementary school," and since 1992 he has had them custom-made by 72-year-old Nobuyoshi Tsubota, who works for Mizuno and was honored with Japan's Emperor's Award for craftsmanship. They're buttery soft and lightweight, and Ichiro guards them closely. "I've never loaned one of my gloves," he says. "I don't let [my teammates] put their hands inside. If someone does, that bothers me. Or if the glove is on the bench and someone sits on it, that really bothers me."

FYI: Ichiro won seven Gold Glove awards in Japan. He has four straight as a Mariner.

Butter Soft,
IronDog