The death watch is on for Troy Tulowitzki’s poor, battered glove. During the Blue Jays’ first series of the season in Tampa, the veteran shortstop swapped out his floppy, ailing mitt — derided by play-by-play announcers last post-season as a “buttermilk pancake” — in the middle of an inning and has been using his “backup” almost exclusively since.

But despite the visible tears and stressed webbing, Tulowitzki says he’s not yet ready to officially let go of the glove he has used for more than eight years. Back in spring training, however, he started to get his affairs in order in anticipation of the inevitable.

He enlisted the help of reliever Drew Storen — who in his first year with the Jays has already become the team’s resident glovesmith — to make his backup look and feel just like his well-worn “gamer.”

“It started with Go-Go (Ryan Goins),” Storen said. “He saw my game glove and he was like, ‘Can you do my glove just like that?’ Then Tulo was like, ‘You want to do mine?’ Then everybody was asking.”

Josh Donaldson may be next after watching a ball squeeze through the pocket of his glove in Thursday’s game against the Orioles.

Back in spring training, Tulowitzki showed Storen his old glove and asked that he make his new one look just like it.

Storen, who affixed a baseball to a small hammer specifically for the purpose of glove-forming, says Tulowitzki’s mitt is “completely different from a normal glove.” It’s almost totally flat with the thumb folded over, he said. “So it’s pretty much a paddle with a thumb.” A paddle or a pancake?

With Tulowitzki in mind, we spoke to a handful of Jays players about their glove preferences.

Darwin Barney, infielder

Glove make: Wilson

Years in use: 2

The 2012 Gold Glove winner said he knows he needs to get a new glove when the ball pops out on a backhand play. That specific play is a sign to him that it’s “too broken in” and it’s time to get a new one.

“I think everyone’s different, but for me I judge it on that certain play. You want to stay with what’s comfortable. It’s almost scary to bring a new glove into a game when you’ve been using one for so long and that’s probably why (Tulowitzki) is so persistent to use that same glove.”

Drew Storen, reliever

Glove make: Mizuno

Years in use: 1

Storen used the team’s hydroculator heating unit — a machine that heats therapy pads — to break in his new glove in spring training, blanketing his new mitt with towels before putting it in. “It makes a little mini steam room, loosens the glove up right away.” Then he used his custom, glove-forming hammer to pound an unusually deep pocket. “So I can hide the ball a little better and they can’t see my pitches.”

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Chris Colabello, 1B

Glove make: Rawlings

Years in use: 2

Colabello says he can relate to Tulowitzki’s stubborn loyalty to his glove. “I’m pretty attached to mine at this point. It’s probably going to be it for a long time.” As a first baseman who needs to be able to scoop short hops, Colabello said what’s most important to him is that the edges of his glove funnel everything inward, so he tries to make his glove as wide as possible. “I want every ball to funnel into the web.”

Michael Saunders, outfielder

Glove make: Mizuno

Years in use: 8

Saunders has used his current glove longer than Tulowitzki, but it’s “not even close” to being as worn out. “It’s getting there, but it’s holding true.” Saunders said he doesn’t know his glove’s specifications. “Honestly, I don’t. My agent just got me the glove in 2005, right when I turned pro, and I didn’t care. I was just happy to get a free glove.” He has used the same model his entire career and the same glove since 2008. “My glove is part of my hand at this point.”

Kevin Pillar, centre-fielder

Glove make: Rawlings

Years in use: 1

“Everyone’s glove has kind of a special place in their heart,” says Pillar, who last season was a runner-up for the AL’s Gold Glove award in centre field. “Your glove has got to kind of be an extension of your hand.” Pillar switched to Rawlings this season after using the lesser-known Akadema last year. “I want to win a Gold Glove, so I switched to the company that gives out Gold Gloves,” he said, tongue firmly in cheek.

Pillar’s preference is for his glove’s pinky finger and thumb to be “extremely hard” with the rest of the glove “kind of floppy.” That ensures his glove is flexible, but also that when he makes a diving catch or crashes into a wall, the ball stays secure. “It’s not the ball that’s hit right at you or the ball that’s hit right up that you worry about,” he said. “Any glove is going to catch that. It’s that ball that when you’re fully extended you want to know that if you put yourself in the right position, the ball’s going to be where you want it to be. If I get leather on the ball I want to know the ball is going to go to the pocket.”

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