Baseball mitt

A baseball mitt, comprising:

• a front shell having an edge;
• a back shell having an edge, and being substantially joined to said front shell along select portions of said edges;
• a web-type panel extending -from said front and back shells, and being joined to said front and back shells along select portions of said panel and said shells, wherein said web-type panel and a substantially central portion of said front shell define a baseball receiving pocket of said mitt;
• at least one padding member disposed between said front and back shells, wherein said at least one padding member and said joined front and back shells, form four substantially peripheral padding zones of said mitt, each one extending outwardly from said pocket toward said edges of said shells, wherein two of said peripheral padding zones closest to, and on either side of, said web-type panel are greater in thickness then a thickness of said mitt at said pocket, but are lesser in thickness then a thickness of either of two other of said peripheral padding zones;
• a substantially central padding zone for said pocket, formed by said at least one padding member and said joined front and back shells;
• a heel portion of said mitt having a padding zone, defined by said substantially central padding zone and said two other of said peripheral padding zones;
• and
• first and second hinge assemblies, and joint means for facilitating a separation between said first and second hinge assemblies, at said heel portion, for facilitating easier folding of said mitt around said baseball when said baseball is in said pocket of said mitt.

A baseball mitt, comprising:

• a front shell having an edge;
• a back shell having an edge, and being substantially joined to said front shell along select portions of said edges;
• a web-type panel extending from said front and back shells, and being joined to said front and back shells along select portions of said panel and said shells, wherein said web-type panel and a substantially central portion of said front shell define a baseball receiving pocket of said mitt;
• at least one padding member disposed between said front and back shells, wherein said at least one padding member and said joined front and back shells, form four substantially peripheral padding zones of said mitt, each one extending outwardly from said pocket toward said edges of said shells, wherein two of said peripheral padding zones closest to, and on either side of, said web-type panel are greater in thickness then a thickness of said mitt at said pocket, but are lesser in thickness then a thickness of either of two other of said peripheral padding zones;
• and
• finger stall means attached to an outer surface of said back shell for receiving a hand of a user of said mitt, comprising at least one finger stall and one thumb stall, said at least one finger stall having at least two finger hammocks for receipt therein of at least two fingers of said hand of said user and said thumb stall having another finger hammock for receipt of a thumb of said hand of said user.

A baseball mitt, comprising:

• a front shell having an edge;
• a back shell having an edge, and being substantially joined to said front shell along select portions of said edges;
• a web-type panel extending from said front and back shells, and being joined to said front and back shells along select portions of said panel and said shells, wherein said web-type panel and a substantially central portion of said front shell define a baseball receiving pocket of said mitt;
• at least one padding member disposed between said front and back shells, wherein said at least one padding member and said joined front and back shells, form four substantially peripheral padding zones of said mitt, each one extending outwardly from said pocket toward said edges of said shells, wherein two of said peripheral padding zones closest to, and on either side of, said web-type panel are greater in thickness then a thickness of said mitt at said pocket, but are lesser in thickness then a thickness of either of two other of said peripheral padding zones;
• finger stall means attached to an outer surface of said back shell for receiving a hand of a user of said mitt, comprising at least one finger stall and one thumb stall, said at least one finger stall having at least two finger hammocks for receipt therein of at least two fingers of said hand of said user and said thumb stall having another finger hammock for receipt of a thumb of said hand of said user;
• and
• stress wedge means for cushioning the impact of said baseball against said hand of said user, said stress wedge means attached to said mitt between said at least one finger stall and said thumb stall for receipt thereagainst of a portion of said hand of said user between an index finger and a thumb of said hand.

A baseball mitt, comprising:

• a front shell having an edge;
• a back shell having an edge, and being substantially joined to said front shell along select portions of said edges;
• a web-type panel extending from said front and back shells, and being joined to said front and back shells along select portions of said panel and said shells;
• at least one padding member disposed between said front and back shells;
• finger stall means for receiving a hand of a user of said mitt, comprising at least one finger stall and one thumb stall;
• and
• stress wedge means for cushioning the impact of a baseball against said hand of said user, located within said finger stall means between said at least one finger stall and said thumb stall, comprising a first substantially bulbous padding member for receipt thereagainst of a portion of said hand of said user between an index finger and a thumb of said hand and a second flange member for receipt thereagainst of the remainder of a palm of said hand of said user, wherein said bulbous padding member has a greater pad thickness then said flange member.

A baseball mitt, comprising:

• a front shell having an edge;
• a back shell having an edge, and being substantially joined to said front shell along select portions of said edges;
• a web-type panel extending from said front and back shells, and being joined to said front and back shells along select portions of said panel and said shells;
• finger stall means for receiving a hand of a user of said mitt, comprising at least one finger stall and one thumb stall;
• and
• stress wedge means for cushioning the impact of a baseball against said hand of said user, located within said finger stall means between said at least one finger stall and said thumb stall, comprising a first, substantially bulbous padding, member for receipt thereagainst of a first portion of said hand of said user between an index finger and a thumb of said hand and a second, flange, member extending from said bulbous padding member for receipt thereagainst of a second, palm, portion of said hand of said user, wherein said bulbous padding member has a greater pad thickness then said flange member.