The Walmart Special has arrived (Mizuno Pro Select)

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Nov 18, 2015
1,585
113
My oldest daughter has started playing again (will try to post /brag about that in another thread!). It was time to replace her 12” Rawlings glove, which has held up well (paid ~$50 for it 4 years ago), but being a lefty, she’s destined for the OF, and asked for a bigger glove.

Because a few members here had previously posted about deals they’d found on Walmart.com, I quickly discovered that there were definitely some deals on Mizuno’s still to be had.

She didn’t really have too strong a preference - preferred brown over black, and based purely on pictures, preferred a basket web over an H or I web. I was hoping to stay around $100, but was still surprised when I showed her this one (brown with white lettering and white trim) and she said that was the one she wanted.

Here’s where it pays off being a lefty. This link should bring up the RHT version in black: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mizuno-Pro-Select-Fastpitch-Softball-Glove-12-5/461101174?selected=true. Notice the $250 price tag. Even the LHT in black was this price.

This is the link for the brown, LHT style she went with: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mizuno-Pro-Select-Fastpitch-Softball-Glove-12-5/855613028?selected=true. I have to assume it’s the same glove, just a different color, but $144 difference in price? Hitting “add to cart” was a no-brainer. And I had to wait 3 whole days to get it - oh the inconvenience of free shipping! It arrived today, and we opened the box this evening. My youngest just received the MA 12.25 A2000 for her birthday, and while I expected that glove to require some serious break in, the Pro Select leather seems to be a much sturdier and thicker leather. Time to channel my inner Aso...

Here’s some glove porn - this is a fastpitch model. And I really have to squeeze my average-sized hand in to get past the opening.
03c37a6eb69609e4183b22b87bed4ff5.jpg


08920633fc9b82f7bf478ea38da53e35.jpg

I may be changing my opinion on the finger stalls - the leather is way too thick to be mistakenly stretched out just from me trying to break the glove in. (But I’m still not going to jam my fingers in there).

And the obligatory “money shot” with a 12” ball - looks like plenty of room, and I’ll be encouraging her to get an even deeper pocket with a TIP approach.

54eab9559df524c8b59415947a4e566b.jpg


e150a0a868d59278581d12998ff66aac.jpg

She tried it on and could barely make a dent in the side trying to close it. I had her put a light coat of obenauf’s on the interior, and we discussed a few options for breaking it in. She wants to try the water method, but I think I may skip the “wedge it on your dashboard” method to dry it out.

The glove is heavy enough already, so I’m steering clear of any oils. I still have some conditioner left over from my Vinci catchers mitt, so that may go on the rest of the glove after it dries. The leather looks great - I don’t want to darken it any further, so unless more drastic measures are needed, the Obenaufs will just be used in the hand stall. If the spring season isn’t a complete loss, I’m hoping this new glove gets to see some game action in a few weeks. Mallet and weights standing by to begin break-in!

Thanks for any tips you care to share.

Gags
 
Last edited:
Dec 20, 2019
180
28
My oldest daughter has started playing again (will try to post /brag about that in another thread!). It was time to replace her 12” Rawlings glove, which has held up well (paid ~$50 for it 4 years ago), but being a lefty, she’s destined for the OF, and asked for a bigger glove.

Because a few members here had previously posted about deals they’d found on Walmart.com, I quickly discovered that there were definitely some deals on Mizuno’s still to be had.

She didn’t really have too strong a preference - preferred brown over black, and based purely on pictures, preferred a basket web over an H or I web. I was hoping to stay around $100, but was still surprised when I showed her this one (brown with white lettering and white trim) and she said that was the one she wanted.

Here’s where it pays off being a lefty. This link should bring up the RHT version in black: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mizuno-Pro-Select-Fastpitch-Softball-Glove-12-5/461101174?selected=true. Notice the $250 price tag. Even the LHT in black was this price.

This is the link for the brown, LHT style she went with: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mizuno-Pro-Select-Fastpitch-Softball-Glove-12-5/855613028?selected=true. I have to assume it’s the same glove, just a different color, but $144 difference in price? Hitting “add to cart” was a no-brainer. And I had to wait 3 whole days to get it - oh the inconvenience of free shipping! It arrived today, and we opened the box this evening. My youngest just received the MA 12.25 A2000 for her birthday, and while I expected that glove to require some serious break in, the Pro Select leather seems to be a much sturdier and thicker leather. Time to channel my inner Aso...

Here’s some glove porn - this is a fastpitch model. And I really have to squeeze my average-sized hand in to get past the opening.
03c37a6eb69609e4183b22b87bed4ff5.jpg


08920633fc9b82f7bf478ea38da53e35.jpg

I may be changing my opinion on the finger stalls - the leather is way too thick to be mistakenly stretched out just from me trying to break the glove in. (But I’m still not going to jam my fingers in there).

And the obligatory “money shot” with a 12” ball - looks like plenty of room, and I’ll be encouraging her to get an even deeper pocket with a TIP approach.

54eab9559df524c8b59415947a4e566b.jpg


e150a0a868d59278581d12998ff66aac.jpg

She tried it on and could barely make a dent in the side trying to close it. I had her put a light coat of obenauf’s on the interior, and we discussed a few options for breaking it in. She wants to try the water method, but I think I may skip the “wedge it on your dashboard” method to dry it out.

The glove is heavy enough already, so I’m steering clear of any oils. I still have some conditioner left over from my Vinci catchers mitt, so that may go on the rest of the glove after it dries. The leather looks great - I don’t want to darken it any further, so unless more drastic measures are needed, the Obenaufs will just be used in the hand stall. If the spring season isn’t a complete loss, I’m hoping this new glove gets to see some game action in a few weeks. Mallet and weights standing by to begin break-in!

Thanks for any tips you care to share.

Gags
now it drops to $106 for the same glove, you should buy it @ $106 and return the $144 one, since they have 90 days return policy and save some cash.
 
Nov 18, 2015
1,585
113
To clarify - the $144 was the difference in price between the black and brown. I paid $106.

The hot water treatment really seemed to work. Of course, the oven thermometer I thought we had was nowhere to be found, so trying to guesstimate what 150 degree water "looked" like was a bit of a challenge. Hot from the tap is somewhere around 105-120, so I added a minute or two on the stove and called it good.

Tried to focus on the heel, pocket, and webbing. Once wet, you can tell how the hot water started loosening things up. I did have my daughter spread the Obenauf's around the palm and finger stalls after my initial post, but no other conditioner yet. Oh - and spread some on the exposed laces - I know ideally I'd have worked it into the "hidden" areas, but I didn't want to discolor the leather. Then just went at it with my softball-on-a-stick and a 3lb weight (and a few hits with an 8lb weight, but I'm a long way from having Aso-like forearms - I can't imagine the grip strength that guy must have after all these years).

Stuck a ball in it, wrapped it up for the night, and since the heel was still a little damp the next morning, I did end up bringing it into work with me and leaving it in the dashboard to dry. It wasn't a sunny day, only around 60, but it seemed to do the trick.

I've barely had any "telework" days, and my weekend seemed to be spent in the Home Depot paint section ("since we're going to be stuck in the house, I'd like to repaint some of the rooms..." 🥺 So I still haven't been able to see her use it. But it seems to have broken in quicker than the aforementioned A2000. I think the pocket and webbing need to be deeper / formed better, and I'm hoping I didn't overdue the heel and mess up the breakpoints.

But it's a really nice glove. Smells great - you hear about people putting a glove under a mattress - I'd put it under my pillow so I could still smell the leather. :)

I'll go back in from my phone and add more pictures. I wish they had this price on the RHT model - I'd be buying ones for my whole team, and two for myself.

My ONLY concern at this point is the heel padding. I remember reading that other higher-end gloves have needed a layer of padding taken out, and I'm not sure yet if that's why she still has trouble closing it. Oddly - my daughter also said the ball stung her hand more with this one than her entry-level 12" Rawlings (she said she was even shifting her fingers). Will give both issues another week or two before attempting any further modifications.
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
We have a version of this glove.

Breaks in just fine. Just pound on it, tug at it, play catch with it. Won't be long...
 
Nov 18, 2015
1,585
113
No issues with the heel padding?

It’s hard to tell how it’s closing when I’m a righty, and can barely get my hand in to begin with.

I’m really surprised how quick the break-in has been. Good weather this afternoon - may get to see the glove in action at last!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
The heel was definitely the hardest part of the glove. I got a softball and pounded it on the heel to loosen it up in several places, with added focus on where it hinges for my DD. I went into this thinking I'd need 8-10 twenty minute sessions to break it in, so was pleasantly surprised when it took less than that.
 
Jan 24, 2022
11
3
If you do not have time to play baseball every single day, another option is to leave the glove with a ball. Fold the glove over the ball and then tightly seal this with a rope. This allows the glove to adjust around the ball’s shape so that it can form a pocket.
 
Aug 31, 2020
36
8
Bought the same glove for my daughter last season for around $129. Awesome glove and breaks in really easily. She was gaming it in a week or two.
 

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