The Finest in the Field(r): A History of Baseball Through 50 Iconic Gloves

The gloves themselves are the stars in this rich history of baseball's most memorable fielding moments, as curated from Rawlings's unmatched collection.

Highlighting fifty gloves as touchstones of baseball's most storied players and plays, this book pairs a gallery of sumptuous glove photography with essays to place each glove into its historical context. The treasury also features archival photos of the players, period advertisements, and other memorabilia.

Baseball's history comes to life with famous gloves and famous moments. They include Christy Mathewson's game used glove from the National Baseball Hall of Fame's collection illustrating the model worn during the greatest pitching performance in World Series history in 1905; Jackie Robinson's model glove worn during the years he broke baseball's segregation barrier in 1947; and the model like Mickey Mantle wore in 1956 while making the catch to preserve the only World Series perfect game. Other gloves are immediately connected to plays so famous they have their own monikers: Willie Mays's "The Catch," Derek Jeter's "The Flip," and Ken Griffey Jr.'s "The Wall Banger."

Throughout the book--which features every Gold Glove Award winner--are quotes from players and vignettes calling out special moments.

This book will be compelling to fans, players, historians, and collectors. Students of the game, from all generations, will now truly own a piece of baseball's rich history.

Author: Ed Wheatley
Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications
Published: 03/24/2026
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 3.48lbs
Size: 12.17h x 9.24w x 0.97d
ISBN: 9780847876570

About the Author
Ed Wheatley is an award-winning author and film producer. He has earned Sports Collectors Digest's best book published on baseball, and his films have all been selected for the National Baseball Hall of Fame's film festival. Founded in 1887, Rawlings Sporting Goods is the number one baseball brand worldwide and creator of the iconic Rawlings Gold Glove Award in 1957.
Johnny Bench played his entire Major League Baseball career, which lasted from 1967 to 1983, with the Cincinnati Reds, leading them to six division titles, four National League pennants, and two World Series championships. A fourteen-time All-Star and a two-time National League Most Valuable Player, Bench excelled on offense and defense, twice leading the majors in home runs and three times in runs batted in, as well as a ten-time Gold Glove Award winner. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989 in his first year of eligibility. He was named to MLB's All-Time Team in 1997 and All-Century Team in 1999, and ESPN has called him the greatest catcher in baseball history.