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The GIF History of Wilson’s Glove of the Month: #1-#19

In June 2013, Wilson launched a simple concept that would ultimately create some of the most collectible baseball gloves ever.   It’s the “Glove of the Month,” a limited edition A2000 or A2K model each month.  Since then, these gloves have become some of the most coveted by glove collectors.  Wilson “Glove of the Month” models are very limited, and they aren’t available at large national chain retailers (one of the original goals of the program was to boost business for smaller “Mom and Pop” stores).  These dealers are also instructed to not sell GOTM models online (at least for a few months) and only sell them in-person or over the phone.  In that sense, inventory can be scarce.  If a GOTM that you want is released, it’s best to buy one quickly because most of them don’t stay in stock very long.

Why a History of Wilson Gloves of the Month?

Mostly because I can, and Mike the editor said you guys might like it.  I have about 100 Wilson gloves in my collection now, including at least one of each GOTM model!  I didn’t start collecting GOTMs right when the program started, so in order to obtain a full set, I had to track down all of the previous gloves that I had missed.  This involved contacting each of the 100+ GOTM dealers in the U.S. and Canada to see what they still had in stock, as well as making deals with other collectors because some of the gloves had long since been sold out.  Once I started getting the gloves, I arranged them on shelves, leaving blank spots for the ones I was missing, which made me keep going until all of the blank spots were filled in.  I was fortunate to find a collector in the midwest that had many of the early gloves that I was missing (like the Castro, Andrus, and Miguel Cabrera Triple Crown glove) and he was willing to sell all of them to me at a very reasonable price.  There was definitely some luck involved in getting the full set, and if I hadn’t found that collector, there’s a good chance that I wouldn’t have been able to finish the set.

How do you buy Wilson Gloves of the Month?

To find which stores are part of the GOTM program, Wilson’s dealer locator (wilson.com/en-us/forms/finddealers) can be used. Select ‘Category’ and then ‘Glove of the Month.’ Wilson also lists each GOTM on their website, but they’re only put up there for sale on the site if there are extras that dealers didn’t purchase. The majority of the time, these gloves are never sold on wilson.com, and they’re just immediately listed as ‘Sold Out’ because they want you to buy these gloves from small dealers.  The best way to get GOTM’s of the past is on marketplaces like SidelineSwap.  There are plenty available at that link.

There is also a charity tie-in with the GOTM program, as a portion of the proceeds go to the charity Pitch In For Baseball, a non-profit that distributes baseball and softball equipment to kids around the world.

#1. June 2013

A2000 1786 SS 11.5” Saddle Tan/Royal Blue/Black/White

The first ever Wilson Glove of the Month has come to be known as “The Castro” because Starlin Castro became a star in Chicago wearing this glove, and it was extremely popular with glove junkies.  The reality, though, is that it was originally designed by both Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney, the Cubs’ double play combo at the time, which is why this was originally marketed as a Cubs double play glove.

Both Castro and Barney received this model, but Barney only used his briefly before switching to 1786 models in other colorways. Castro, on the other hand, has continued to use this design (or ones very similar to it) for the last 6+ years, despite playing for two teams that don’t have royal blue as team colors (Yankees & Marlins). This is why the glove will continue to be associated with him, with many people not realizing that Barney played a part in its design.

Side note:

#2. July 2013

A2000 DW5 12” Royal Blue/White/Orange

The DW5, selected for the July 2013 GOTM, is David Wright’s personal glove model, and the colorway on this glove was also designed by Wright himself, hence the Mets colors. This is not a color design that Wright ever used, however. Instead, Wilson had Wright design a glove to be given to participants of the 2013 All-Star Celebrity Softball Game, which was played at Citi Field. Each celebrity that played in the game was given one, then 240 were produced as a GOTM, with the difference being that the celebrity gloves had stitching on the thumb noting the All-Star festivities. Wilson has also released gloves from other Celebrity Softball Games over the years, but this is the only one to ever be a GOTM.

#3. August 2013

A2000 1787 11.75” Royal Blue/White/Red

Hanley Ramirez is one of the few players to have designed more than one GOTM, with this August 2013 GOTM being modeled after one of his LA Dodger game gloves. It’s a perfect design with Dodger blue, white accents, and a small amount of red, just like the numbers on the front of the jersey.

Hanley has designed and used some of the most recognizable custom Wilson gloves in history, and this glove is now a memento from the days when he turned LA into “Hanleywood.”

#4. September 2013

A2000 1799 SS 12.75” Black/Pink

Although October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the September 2013 GOTM came out one month prior, ensuring that it would be in stores ahead of time. It wouldn’t be until October 2019 (6+ years later) that another GOTM with the color pink would be released.

#5. October 2013

A2000 1786 SS 11.5” Blonde/Red/Black/Wilson Yellow

The October 2013 GOTM was designed and used by Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus.

After trying different glove companies in the minors, Andrus signed with Wilson in 2008, then made the big leagues one year later. He would occasionally switch back and forth between the 1786 and the slightly smaller 1788 patterns, which is an 11.25” model.

#6. November 2013

A2000 MC24 12.25” Navy Blue/Orange Tan/Orange

The November 2013 GOTM is based on Evan Longoria’s EL3 pattern, but with an extra .5” of length and a three-pointed crown insert on the back of the fingers.  Miguel Cabrera won the AL Triple Crown the previous year, and this is based on the glove that Wilson gave Cabrera to commemorate the occasion. The only differences were that Cabrera’s glove had his name stitched on the thumb, and also had “2012 Triple Crown” stitched on the crown insert.

Note: There is another MC24 Wilson model (a first base mitt) that is much more common, as it has been a retail release and it’s available as a custom.

#7. December 2013

A2000 YP66 12.5” Black/Gray/Wilson Yellow

When Yasiel Puig debuted in 2013, he used a 12.5” Y web that had previously been a retail release. It looked very similar to the December 2013 GOTM, except it had gray binding instead of black.

There are several different Y-web gloves that have been released over the years, with some stamped as “YP66” “YBG” or simply “Y.” There have also been size differences among these models with some being 12.5” and others being 12.75.”

#8. January 2014

A2000 DP15 SS 11.5” Black/Red/White

The DP15 Dustin Pedroia model, selected for the January 2014 GOTM, has had a few different versions over the years, with the size, web, and overall pattern evolving over time.  The basic idea with the DP15 (or any Wilson PF ‘Pedroia Fit’ glove) is that it’s made for adults with smaller-than-average hands. This also means that it works great as a high-end youth glove. This small-hand pattern is accomplished with shorter, narrower finger stalls, along with a smaller hand opening. Other DP15 features include a much thinner heel pad (which almost feels like no heel padding at all) and extra long laces (which can easily be trimmed if the player prefers).

This particular DP15 isn’t a colorway that Pedroia designed or used; it is simply the Pedroia pattern with colors designed by Wilson.

#9. February 2014

A2000 G5 11.75” Columbia Blue/Royal Blue

Interestingly, parts of the February 2014 GOTM can appear white in certain lighting, but there’s actually no white leather or stitching on it at all. It’s all Columbia blue and royal blue. Also, this “Reinforced H-Web” (as Wilson calls it) isn’t nearly as popular as other webs, but it’s a nice combination of web components. It feels like a single post web up top, but thanks to the lower reinforcement, it also has the pocket stability of a dual-post web.

#10. March 2014

A2000 X2 11” Walnut/Blonde

The March 2014 GOTM, at 11 inches, is the smallest GOTM to date, and the X2 is also the smallest adult-sized glove pattern that Wilson currently produces. They have made 10.75” patterns in the past, but not for some time now. The 9.5” A2000 Trainer glove is the only adult glove that’s currently smaller, but that’s not intended for game use. The leather on this GOTM is walnut, not saddle tan, although different lighting in photos can make it impossible to tell the difference between the two colors.

#11. April 2014

A2000 KP92 12.5” Yellow Gold/Red

The KP92 pattern selected for the April 2014 GOTM was originally designed with input from Minnesota legend and Hall of Fame outfielder Kirby Puckett in 1992, hence the initials and the number. This particular colorway is significant because it’s modeled after the glove that Gerardo Parra used with the Diamondbacks in 2013. That year, he won the second of his two Gold Glove Awards, as well as Wilson’s NL Defensive Player of the Year (OF) and the Wilson NL Overall Defensive Player Award.

#12. May 2014

A2K JF16 12” Orange/Black

Based on one of the game gloves of the late Marlins ace José Fernández, the stamping of the May 2014 GOTM was changed to reflect his initials and uniform number, but the pattern is the same as the HG12.

This is the only GOTM that’s modeled after the glove of a player that has since passed away, and the value of this glove greatly increased on the secondary market following the tragic death of Fernández in 2016.

#13. June 2014

A2000 1791 32.5” Navy Blue/Red/White

The June 2014 GOTM is the mitt that the catchers were wearing behind the plate during the 2014 Home Run Derby, which took place at the Twins’ home, Target Field in Minneapolis. It’s a Glove of the Month, but it’s technically a mitt, so doesn’t that make it the “Mitt of the Month”? It’s the only catcher’s mitt to be a GOTM, and since there has yet to be a first baseman’s mitt as a GOTM, that means that this is also the only MOTM.

#14. July 2014

A2000 1786 SS 11.5” Saddle Tan/Black/White

The July 2014 GOTM was modeled after one of the game gloves that Eric “Nerd Power” Sogard used when he was with the Athletics. Sogard’s current glove doesn’t have the white welting or logos, but he’s still sticking with the saddle tan leather and black SuperSkin.

#15. August 2014

A2000 1799 SS 12.75” Orange/Black/Royal Blue

The August 2014 GOTM was designed and used by Mets outfielder Juan Lagares, and at the end of a stellar defensive season, he won a Gold Glove Award for his play with this very glove. Lagares has made some slight changes to the colorway of his gloves over the years, but they’ve all been very similar to this one.

#16. September 2014

A2000 1788 11.25” White/Gunmetal/Royal Blue

The September 2014 GOTM design was selected by Wilson’s followers on social media. There were four gloves to choose from, with this design receiving the most votes. It was the first GOTM with gunmetal leather, and also the first to have white shell or palm leather

#17. October 2014

A2K 1786 11.5” Light Gray (Not Standard Wilson Gray)/Black/Wilson Yellow

“The Ghost”

The October 2014 GOTM colorway was introduced on the pro dept. gloves at Spring Training in 2011, and was originally intended to be used on many of the 2012 retail gloves that came out a few months later. This never happened, however, because MLB was planning to institute a rule that prohibited any fielder, regardless of position, from using a fielding glove that fell within a PANTONE color set lighter than their 14-series. This was done to keep glove colors from being too similar to that of a baseball, thus having a contrast between the two, and making it easier for umpires to differentiate a catch from a trap (no catch).

This glove is often associated with Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, because when he went to Rangers Spring Training in 2014, this was the glove that he used. At that point, he already had the glove for a few years, originally getting it back in 2011 when he was playing for the Asheville Tourists, (a Rockies ‘A’ level minor league team). After people saw him using it again in 2014, it was released 8 months later as a GOTM.

#18. November 2014

A2000 ML44 (33 w/ Custom A-Web) SS 11.75” Black/White/Red

The November 2014 GOTM is based on Mike Leake’s 2014 game model glove, only without a finger hood. This pattern is the same as the 33, but because it has a custom A-web, the model number was changed to Leake’s initials and uniform number when he played for the Reds. He’s still using the same model today, but he’s tried a few different color schemes since designing this glove. Most recently, he’s been going with a dark brown glove, which has white welting and green labels.

#19. December 2014

A2K DP15 11.75” Walnut/Black/Wilson Yellow

The December 2014 GOTM was released as a throwback of Dustin Pedroia’s glove from 2010. The walnut with black colors were the stock A2K colors at that point.

This has the thinner heel pad and long laces, as DP15 models usually do.

Although the wrist isn’t laced on the tighter holes, it still has a smaller-than-usual hand opening, even without the lacing being in the holes in the right side. Also, the palm piece of leather doesn’t fold over like a 1787, so this is more of a 1786 with an extra quarter inch of length.

Which is your favorite?  Next up: 2015 GOTMs

Hunt GOTM’s at SidelineSwap.

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