Leather
The best baseball gloves are constructed from premium or high quality full grain leather. The premium leather is stiffer and thicker for more structure and support. Yet the leather is flawless, smooth, and soft for a superior feel and comfort. High-end gloves are pre-oiled, but need to be broken in and formed to the players liking and preferred shape. The perfect blend of materials for light weight, feel, support, and durability add to the longevity and admiration of your baseball glove.
Laces
Holding your glove together is the laces. 1/4 inch or 3/8 inch lacing is common. Part of the craftsmanship of the glove includes strong and high quality laces. Leather is warrantied for one year, but the laces are not. Keep the laces tight and oiled so that they don't break.
Web
The webbing of the glove is also called the pocket and were you most likely catch the ball. Web types are classified as open or closed. Open web examples are I Web, H Web, Single Post Web, and Double Bar. Open webs make the glove lighter weight and usually used at third base, shortstop and the outfield. Closed web examples are basket web, trap web, modified trap web, and 1 piece solid. It is considered a stronger web and used by pitchers and catchers.
Sizing
The size of the baseball glove for adults has little to do with the size of hand, but more with what position the ball players plays. 11 or 11.25 for second base, 11.5 to 11.75 for shortstop, 12 and up for outfield, and 12 inch for utility or pitching. 11.5 inch seem to be the most popular size most likely because the glove can be used at all infield positions except for first base and including pitching. When players reach 12 years old they start using adult gloves, but before you will see players using youth gloves or gloves described with tapered or smaller hand openings and tighter finger stalls.
Pattern
The pattern describes the shape of the glove. You have first base gloves with first base pattern with a deep pocket and longer size and reach. You have catchers mitt patterns with closed web and thick leather and padding. Infield patterns can have deep, wide, or flat pockets. Outfield patterns with long fingers and wider deeper pockets.
Back
The back of glove opposite of the palm can be open or closed. Closed back gloves give a more secure fit and have an opening for one finger. Open back gloves have more room to place finger outside the glove and shift to different positions. A lot of softball gloves have closed backs with a way of tightening on the wrist for smaller hands. The back of the glove is also where the binding is on the fingers. Since the back of the glove is not like the palm where you feel the ball inside the mitt, manufactures have constructed gloves with synthetic materials to make the glove lighter weight. This trend comes and goes, where most traditionalists prefer a total leather glove without any synthetic materials.
Player Quotes
"I tease Larkin and tell him if he had a decent glove he would never make an error. His glove is stiff and the fingers go out in funny directions. But gloves are like bats, what feels good to one guy doesn't to another."
-Ron Oester