Baseball players partake in all sorts of rituals to maintain their gloves, pounding the hardened spots with customized tools or using a variety of oils to soften their mitts. Although it seems easy, closing a glove around a baseball is sometimes harder than it looks.
Case in hand: Thursday afternoon’s game at Yankee Stadium. On three occasions Yankees infielders failed to secure a ball, and each time the defensive miscue led to a run. As a result, the Yankees were unable to finish a four-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles, and they fell by 4-1.