Joey Molis aka The Glove Geek Fixed My Baseball Glove

For past few seasons of coaching Little League and playing catch with my son Harrison, I have used a catcher’s mitt. After years and years of catching baseballs, my Rawlings® Model GG27TF with the Trap-Eze deep pocket had sprung a leak or two or 100. Sure, I could still catch with it – I could catch a baseball right in the face as it sailed through the gaping hole in my glove. It served me well for many, many years and I retired it for a catcher’s mitt. Harry was always interested in pitching, so the catcher’s mitt definitely served its purpose.

A few weeks back I saw a post on Twitter from Cumberland’s Upper Deck Baseball Academy (Twitter – @UDSHOWCASES) about The Glove Geek, Joey Molis, who repairs old or broken baseball gloves. Here was the post:

So, I reached out to Joey, a standout 3rd Basemen, Cumberland native, former Bandits Baseball player, who is now attending and (fingers crossed) will be playing baseball for Bridgewater State University this spring. I took a photo of my dilapidated glove and asked The Glove Geek to see what he could do. If you can do the Vulcan salute with your glove, it is usually a sign that your glove needs repair!!!

Joey and I met up one Saturday afternoon. We chatted about baseball and the upcoming season, his time in Rhode Island Baseball, his time with the Sunset League in Newport, and I handed him my glove in need of repair. Great kid, very well spoken, and great to chat baseball with.

This past week, Joey emailed me that the glove was ready. I asked him about the process, what tools he used, and what he did to recondition the glove. Here is a recap of the process from Joey, “I started with some conditioner just to bring some life back into leather. I typically do one or two coats, depending on how fast it dries, or when I feels it is ready. In your case I did 2 coats of Rawlings® glovolium conditioner, which was a heavier conditioner, thus the two coats. After that, I conditioned the lace I planned to use so that it would break in easier and go through the holes easily. The lace can be any color, in this case I used black.  The main tool I use is a metal rod that is bent into a v-shape (I don’t have an actual term for it). I poke a hole on the end of the lace using a different tool and put one prong of the v-shaped tool through the hole. Sometimes if the lace gets stuck or I am struggling to get the lace through the hole, I use a bigger tool that is similar to a sewing needle. It has a hole at the end that I can stick the lace through and pull the lace through to the other side.  To start the glove, I do the palm so that the glove stays together. Next, I do the heel, and then the web. Finally the fingers are the last big piece that complete the glove. The last things I do are the thumb and pinky, and the wrist, which was not needed for your glove. When I finish each section, I use pliers to cut the lace. Typically, a glove can take as little as 5-6 days, or up to 2 weeks, depending on how much work needs to be done.“

Joey and I met up Saturday at Warwick’s Rhode Island Baseball Institute, where Joey has either worked out or coached at for several years running. He handed me the glove and told me he was heading off to school to begin the quarantine process for Bridgewater State. And here is my glove – reconditioned and fixed!!!

Joey did a great job. The webbing is secure, the glove feels great, and I have 100% confidence that it will work and function as it should. As Joey mentioned, the process takes about 2 weeks and he was spot on that estimate for my repair. It was great to meet Joey, learn about his Rhode Island Baseball Experience with Cumberland, The Bandits Baseball Club, RI Baseball Institute, Sunset League, and now onto Bridgewater State University. And his glove repair gets an A-Plus from me. If you have a glove that needs repair, reconditioning, new laces, or other service, I highly recommend using the Glove Geek, Joey Molis! Thanks Joey. Once again, here is how you can get in contact with The Glove Geek.