I have always broken in my gloves with oil and practice. I decided to hurry this one along by using the suggested oven tip I have heard about in the past. “Oh, just put your glove in the oven!” I never believed them, because I feared it would catch fire. I thought I was wrong. My Easter was ruined today.
Edit: Here is the link that says 15 minutes at 350F: https://ecosports.com/blogs/vegan-athletes/how-to-break-in-a-baseball-glove
What even is the thought process behind why this would ever work anyway? Would heat make the leather a bit more pliable or something?
It softens it. I put olive oil on it first, as many sites suggested, and other players have suggested. I used to break in my gloves with throwing after oiling them. I would also leave my gloves in a hot car to soften in the heat, with a ball inside of them. I am so mad right now. Today was ruined. I didn’t get to watch Easter mass online because of time zones, I missed watching (in person) my kids open Easter baskets I made, and then my damn glove caught fire. God, why?
Your glove caught fire because you put it in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, when leather will readily burn at 210 degrees. I don’t know how other people are pulling it off, as googling around pulls up the same instructions you apparently followed.
Seems like you knew better, which must make this more frustrating. Nothing stings quite like a self-inflicted wound.
As for the Easter stuff, that’s really all about your personal situation and your belief system.