Volkswagen brought back the Beetle. Ford reissued the Thunderbird. And Corgi toys have reissued its Batmobile model, as my Facebook and Instagram feeds remind me nearly every day.
As a baseball fan, I’ve long wished that sporting goods companies would offer us reissued versions of the mitts we had in our younger days. Several years ago, I wrote to the Wilson sporting goods company, asking if they could create a copy of the Al Kaline signature mitt I got in 7th grade.
In my email, I suggested that the company could possibly find a new line of revenue in offering reissues. I for one would pay a couple of hundred bucks to get a new version of my Kaline mitt, Wilson model A2334, a number I’ve had in memory longer than my Social Security number.
I was banking on the company having records of the patterns used to create my mitt, which I still have. The mitt has the wear and tear of being the prized possession of a teenager who used it almost daily, spring through fall. (Winter ball and Cleveland don’t jibe.) I also used it playing softball in my 20s and 30s, and I still use it playing catch with friends or family.
I never heard from Wilson, alas, and figured my idea likely isn’t practical. I’ve since discovered that Wilson and Rawlings offer “build your own” new custom gloves, so maybe they could do the reissues after all.
I saw another Corgi Batmobile ad on Facebook this morning. That got me thinking that I might also start a blog on the Corgi, Matchbox and Hot Wheels Cars I have collected over the years. Heaven help us all! 🧢
The Ball Caps Blog 
Awesome Dan. It’s not often I read about a wish for a reissue of a mitt from childhood and beyond. I kept all my old mitts. The first one is a Pete Rose model, too small to use again. I also have a Ron Cey, Carlton Fisk, Derek Jeter, and Andy Van Slyke. Talk of mitts has me wanting to take infield practice, shag flies, and get into the batting cages!
That is an awesome collection! I have all mine, too: the Kaline, a Koufax and a Woodie Held.