Here’s the story behind the ‘oven mitt’ worn by Royals’ Whit Merrifield

You may have noticed something a little out of the ordinary during Kansas City Royals games the last month or so.

When second baseman/outfielder Whit Merrifield reaches base, he puts on something that resembles a blue oven mitt. Fans have made jokes on social media and Rex Hudler has mentioned it during broadcasts. So what’s the deal?

“I asked for a mitt to cover my hand,” Merrifield said, “because I go (slide) head-first and I’ve had a couple times when I’ve almost been landed on or hit the base funny. I’m just trying to avoid an injury that might come about.”

Merrifield, a former South Carolina College World Series star, said there are small metal rods that rest on the palm and top of the hand, and there is a bit more protection in the mitt.

“Just the other day we were playing in LA, I stole and (Dodgers shortstop Corey) Seager landed right beside my hand,” Merrifield said. “With those metal spikes, all it takes is one time coming down and it would be bad news.”

That’s true.

When Merrifield slides into a base the mitt helps guard against thumb injuries. In May, Angels superstar Mike Trout tore a ligament in his thumb with a slide into second. He missed 38 games.

The mitt does resemble the oven variety, but Merrifield’s version has a Velcro strap at the base that keeps the glove on his hand. The earliest iteration of the mitt appears to date to 2013 when Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner had one created for him.

When Scott Podsednik was with the Royals, he had a special glove that he told Paul Lukas in 2010 was a made of fiberglass. Podsednik said at the time it was basically a removable cast.

“I was watching games and seeing guys wear them,” Merrifield said simply. “I thought this is a good idea.”

Praise from JBJ

In 2010, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Merrifield led USC to a College World Series championship.

The Gamecocks outfielders combined for 26 home runs, 14 stolen bases and 102 RBIs over the course of the championship season.

Bradley, who was a year behind Merrifield in school, said Merrifield was capable of doing it all on the baseball field.

“His ability to adapt to any given situation was great because he could be whatever you needed him to be,” said Bradley, who is now the Boston Red Sox’s center fielder. “He was the leadoff hitter, he could bat second, he could hit for power if he wanted to, he could drive in runs and he could steal you bases.

“(Whit) was always a guy who could do it all.”

Bradley, who broke into the majors in 2013, said Merrifield’s intangibles will help him see continued success as a Royal.

“He’s very athletic and he’s very talented, but he’s also very smart and knows the game extremely well,” Bradley said. “I expect him to continuously succeed … that’s what he has done his whole life and I don’t see anything deviating from that.”

This story was originally published July 28, 2017 at 2:15 PM with the headline "Here’s the story behind the ‘oven mitt’ worn by Royals’ Whit Merrifield."