Tigers Shortstop Jordy Mercer Has Used The Same Glove For The Last 10 Years And Has It Held Together With a Freaking Band-Aid

Baseball is so weird and so great at the same time. Superstitions run amok all over the place from weird routines, to using other players’ bats, to wearing a thong to snap out of a slump. Well here is Jordy Mercer, shortstop for the Tigers, using the same glove for the last 10 years. TEN YEARS!?!? I mean how is that possible? It’s so fragile that he doesn’t use it outside of real games. It’s held together by a freaking band-aid. Imagine being the pitcher knowing your shortstop’s glove is held together by a band-aid. At any given moment a 120 mph rocket from Aaron Judge could obliterate that thing. There’s no way that glove could withstand that kind of rocket, it would turn to dust instantly. On another note, I don’t think I’ve ever held onto something for more than five years without completely losing it. Not losing it might be more impressive than the glove remaining intact.

So how is he as a fielder? Last year he finished with less errors at short than Manny Machado, Trea Turner, Elvis Andrus, Frankie Lindor, and Brandon Crawford. He was tied with Andrelton Simmons, with 10 errors, who is widely considered one of the best fielding shortstops of our generation. If I were him I don’t think I’d change a thing either.