ABOUT US
Kachi Sports was started by Carlos Castillo following an 18-year career as a professional baseball player. In 1994, Carlos was drafted in the third round by the Chicago White Sox. He played for the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox over four seasons spanning 1997 to 2001. Over his Major League Baseball career, he had 111 appearances with 130 strikeouts and a 5.04 ERA. During his playing career, he pitched for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks in the Japanese Professional Baseball Leagues and the Macoto Cobras and the Brothers Elephants in the Chinese Professional Baseball League.
After retiring as a professional baseball player in 2011, Carlos came back to South Florida and recognized the need for a baseball and softball academy that emphasized modern training techniques and methods. He started Kachi Sports to provide the local and regional community a place to train and learn using his considerable expertise and experience as a professional baseball player and more importantly as a modern baseball coach. Over 60 of his students have gotten college baseball and softball scholarships, and he has sent 20+ of his trainees to join professional baseball teams.
As Carlos worked with players and parents, he noted a significant gap in knowledge and experience regarding the type and quality of the baseball and softball equipment to purchase. Often, he was asked to buy the equipment for his trainees. Most of his players were buying items based upon marketing, not with the understanding that the right equipment can provide a distinct advantage on the field.
Given his extensive knowledge of the game and experience of an 18-year career, Carlos when directly to the best manufacturers of baseball and softball equipment to find the highest quality materials along with the master craftsmen that produce it. In doing so, he was able to give his players Professional-Level, hand-crafted equipment normally reserved only for Professional Baseball and Softball players at a reasonable price. Given the demand, Carlos is now providing the same Professional-Level to the general public.
.
About Our Gloves
We sell three levels of baseball gloves: a standard Steerhide Leather glove, a premium Kip Leather glove and a Custom Japanese Kip Leather glove. All of our gloves use American Cowhide laces for maximum strength and use a sheepskin lining on the inside for comfort. Our Standard and Premium gloves have a regular welt and our Custom gloves feature a rolled welt.
Steerhide is traditional material for baseball gloves since the beginning of the game. Steerhide is heavier material that requires a longer “breaking in” period to make the glove flexible enough to use. We use the highest quality American Steerhide in our handcrafted gloves.
Kip leather is lighter and thinner than Steerhide but maintains its strength. Kip leather is both light and strong for three reasons. First, Kip leather is made from the hides of younger cows which by its nature is thinner than Steerhide. Second, manufacturers are much more selective about the quality of the starting leathers that go into Kip. Third, leather selected to produce Kip leather goes through an additional refinement process that gives the leather its smooth and supple feel. Kip leather gloves are strong and lighter in weight. Because the leather is smoother and thinner, players say that Kip leather gloves have a better “feel” when they are catching balls. Kip leather gloves need a much shorter break in period while still holding their shape better.
Where the leather refinement process takes place determines whether the leather is designated as Japanese, European or North American Kip leather. While all Kip leather gloves are highly valued, the most coveted gloves by professional baseball players are made from Japanese Kip leather. For different reasons, it can be difficult to get a baseball glove made from Japanese Kip leather, but our Custom gloves are Japanese Kip.
Outfield gloves are larger with deeper pockets than most other glove types to aid in catching balls while on the run. The webbing is usually open to help outfielders see the ball through the sun or stadium lights. Outfield gloves typically range in size from 11 to 13 inches.
Infield gloves are usually smaller and lighter for speed and flexibility when fielding balls in the infield. The feel of the glove is important as infielders often must transition from catching to throwing the ball very quickly. Third base often has a closed web because of the velocity of the balls they have to handle. Infield gloves typically range in size from 9-11 inches.
First Base gloves look like a catcher’s mitt with less padding. They are larger in size to provide a bigger target and have a rounded edge to aid in scooping balls off the ground or off the bounce. They generally have an open web to allow for faster transition from catching to throwing. First Base gloves typically range in size from 10 to 12.5 inches.
Pitchers gloves are often Infield gloves but with a closed pocket to hide the ball and the pitcher’s grip from the hitter.