TENDER, LOVING CARE

Noah Liberman got his first baseball glove by sending in some Gold Bond Stamps in 1970, when he was just nine years old. “I still remember its nice smell,” recalls Liberman, who, incidentally, left the glove on an airplane later that summer. “It was heartbreaking. Moral of the story: Don’t take your glove for granted.” To make sure no one else takes his for granted, Liberman penned the seminal Glove Affairs: The Romance, Tradition and History of the Baseball Glove (Triumph Books, $20). Here he shares some tips on how to maintain your mitt. Just don’t leave it in the overhead bin.

CLEAN IT INSIDE AND OUT: Murphy’s Oil Soap mixed with water is a great, safe cleaner. Remember, the outside of your glove gets dirty, but the inside gets dirty and sweaty with the harsh, oily, salty compounds from your hands. Don’t get the glove too wet when you clean it.

LUBE IT UP: Let it dry, and oil all the places where the glove moves -- the hinge, pocket, the entire web, and especially all the laces that wind their way around the hinge, pocket, and web. Do this two or three times a season, along with cleaning it.

WHICH OIL? Neatsfoot oil can petrify leather if it’s kept in a stuffy environment, so go easy on Neatsfoot -- and don’t store your glove in the basement or the attic. Better lubricating oils are Lexol, which has lanolin, and Glove Loogie, which gets good reviews from serious players, although its ingredients are something of a mystery. Glovesmith also makes a nice treatment called Glove Honey.

TIGHTEN LACES REGULARLY: This is the most overlooked part of glove care. The laces are the glove’s skeleton. They give it shape and strength. If your glove seems old and flaccid, then tighten the laces or put in new ones (about $15 to $30). It will spring back to life firmer and tougher but already molded to your hand!

BREAK IT IN: Oil the thick, tight spots where leather and laces come together tightly, such as the hinge and the web. Then knead the glove until your hands are sore. To hasten the process of molding a new glove to your hand, wet it slightly before your first few games of catch using a spray bottle or a wet washcloth. Afterward, let the glove dry in an open area.