▁the ▁earliest ▁known ▁player ▁to ▁have ▁used ▁a ▁glo ve , ▁when ▁he ▁don ned ▁bu ck sk in ▁mitt ens ▁to ▁protect ▁his ▁hands ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 0 . ▁His ▁brother ▁Art ▁All ison ▁also ▁played ▁in ▁the ▁Major ▁Le agues . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁C inc inn ati ▁Red ▁Stock ings ▁Not ▁quite ▁ 2 2 ▁years ▁old , ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁C inc inn ati ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 8 ▁season ▁and ▁played ▁for ▁the ▁C inc inn ati ▁Red ▁Stock ings ▁managed ▁by ▁Harry ▁Wright . ▁Open ▁professional ism ▁was ▁one ▁year ▁away ▁but ▁the ▁long ▁move ▁from ▁Philadelphia , ▁where ▁he ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁brick layer , ▁suggests ▁that ▁All ison ▁was ▁somehow ▁compens ated ▁by ▁club ▁members , ▁if ▁not ▁by ▁the ▁club . ▁C inc inn ati ▁field ed ▁a ▁strong ▁team ▁that ▁year , ▁with ▁five ▁of ▁the ▁famous ▁team ▁already ▁in ▁place . ▁All ison ▁was ▁a ▁def ensive ▁special ist , ▁his ▁job ▁was ▁simply ▁to ▁catch ▁the ▁ball . ▁First , ▁he ▁caught ▁for ▁As a ▁Bra in ard ▁plus ▁he ▁had ▁to ▁cont end ▁with ▁pop ▁ups ▁and ▁tips ▁off ▁the ▁bat , ▁a ▁fiel der ▁could ▁put ▁the ▁batter ▁out ▁by ▁a ▁catch ▁on ▁the ▁first ▁b ounce ▁at ▁that ▁time . ▁Most ▁catch ers ▁of ▁his ▁era ▁stood ▁twenty ▁to ▁twenty - five ▁feet ▁behind ▁the ▁batter . ▁His ▁technique ▁of ▁moving ▁closer ▁to ▁the ▁batter ▁proved ▁effective ▁in ▁cur tail ing ▁bas er unn