Throwback Thursday: June 25, 2026

Throwing It Back to 1972

In 1972 Rawlings offered what may be the most beautiful baseball glove in the game’s history. Featuring red, white and blue leather, and the autographs of the previous two World Series MVPs, the World Series Special was a true sight to behold. And as the preeminent trade publication for the sporting goods field at the time, The Sporting Goods Dealer featured a gorgeous full-color shot of the back of the glove, as well as the box, along with some ad copy on the cover of a ‘72 issue.

Sadly, time has not been kind to these gloves as the dyed leather is prone to extreme color fading, especially the blue leather which is often seen today as more of a muted turquoise.