When gloves are being debated, high-end models always seem to be the highlight of the conversation. For example, when discussing Marucci, dialogue will naturally gravitate to the Capitol Series (and with good reason). The Capitol gloves are crafted from Kip leather. Kip is flawless in its look and its tight fiber structure allows a glove to hold shape for many seasons while performing at the highest levels of competition.

JustGloves respects the quality and craftsmanship that goes into the Capitol gloves, but we’ve also learned to avoid turning up our noses at gloves that may not be considered as “high-end”.

Marucci’s youth gloves aren’t made from Kip leather, but they have been received extremely well by our customers for the last few seasons. Even though these youth gloves are not built with the most luxurious leather, that is actually a good thing when you consider how a youth glove is used (keep reading to find out the reason).

We’re specifically going to dive into the Marucci Caddo youth series to see what has made this line of gloves and mitts so successful at JustGloves!

CADDO S TYPE SERIES

The Name

First off, it must be said that Marucci has the best convention when it comes to naming their gloves. Each series is named after symbols that have come to signify their home state of Louisiana. The Caddo series is named after the Native American Caddo tribe that resided in the Northwest region of the state and for the lake that assumed the name of the tribe and sits right on the Louisiana-Texas border. Check out the Caddo logo below:

The Leather

When discussing gloves, it all comes down to the leather that is used to build the glove. As highlighted above, Marucci’s Capitol glove is made from Kip leather. Meanwhile this Caddo is made from a more general cowhide leather. When you compare cowhide to higher-end leathers, you’ll notice that cowhide is a lot softer. This is often due to it being harvested from an animal that has lived a longer life (when compared to the short life of the animal that produces Kip leather). Because of that longer lifetime, the cow grew a large belly that allowed its skin to be stretched. And that stretched skin permitted the material to be more pliable when it was made into leather.

The Feel

Generally speaking, cowhide leather isn’t going to be as coveted as Kip leather. However, cowhide is better for a youth baseball or fastpitch glove. Young players and their parents will almost always want a glove that can get into game-ready shape in a minimal amount of time. Even with an experienced player doing the break-in process, Kip gloves will take weeks, a month or even longer to get just right for game play. On the flip-side, a young player who is able to prep a cowhide Caddo glove should have it ready for game play within a couple of days.

As well, be sure to note that youth players' hands are still growing. A reasonable amount of time that can be expected for a youth glove to last one player is 2-3 seasons (and sometimes shorter). It would be silly to craft a youth glove with the stiffer Kip leather. By the time a young player were to get a stiff glove game-ready, their hand might have already grown too large for it. Soft material is best for a youth glove as the use can be maximized while it still fits a player’s hand.

The Fit

The fitting of the Caddo series gloves is designed to fit a smaller hand. Generally speaking, JustGloves would say that the Caddo gloves and mitts have the potential to work for players aged between 4-9 years old (and maybe even older). The youth build of the series is excellent as it prevents parents from having their budding ballplayers try to use gloves with roomy hand stalls. Oftentimes, the result of a player using a glove with too big of a hand stall is the frustration that comes with not being able to close it securely around a ball.

To help players even more, Marucci crafts the Caddo with their S Type fit. The S Type design displays a normal hand stall pattern that encourages each finger to fit in its corresponding finger stall (i.e. index finger goes in the index finger stall). As well, S Type models will have thumb loops plus pinky loops and look like your typical glove or mitt. This basic design of the Caddo should help simplify the process of learning how to use a glove for the first time.

Key Feature

Marucci has taken an additional step to ensure that the Caddos are able to close easily. Every Caddo model features an EZ Flex notch near its heel. On most other gloves, that section near the heel can prove troublesome for a young player as they go about trying to close a glove effectively. The simple incision in the heel leather of a Caddo removes a possible obstruction that could get in the way of a young player closing the glove. See the EZ flex notch below:

ABOUT JUSTGLOVES

The Glove Experts at JustGloves are available and ready to help guide you to the glove of your dreams. They offer free, fast shipping, free returns, and a lowest price guarantee on all baseball gloves and softball gloves. They are a proud vendor of Marucci baseball and softball gloves!

They’re a great team, and they’re with you from Click to Catch!