A Fairfield High School graduate is behind one of the most eye-catching new landmarks in the St. Louis area.
J.R. Gain, a Web/UX Designer and Senior Art Director for Rawlings Sporting Goods, designed the massive gold glove sculpture now perched atop the company’s headquarters at Westport Plaza in Maryland Heights, Missouri. The 30-foot-tall glove was installed by crane on November 19, 2025, marking a major milestone for Rawlings following its relocation to the St. Louis area in 2024.
Gain, a 1992 graduate of Fairfield Community High School and a Southern Illinois University Carbondale alumnus, said the project began as a personal creative opportunity. After spending nearly a decade developing skills in digital sculpting, he proposed the idea internally when Rawlings leadership discussed creating a bold visual statement for the new headquarters.
“I whipped something up, they liked it, and it was sent off to be fabricated,” Gain said, noting the design process began several years ago and officially left his desk in January 2023. Engineers then spent nearly three years addressing structural challenges.
The glove weighs approximately 17.5 tons and measures 30 feet tall, 25 feet wide, and 25 feet deep. The sculpture is made of fiberglass, armature and hardware, and required 15 gallons of architectural grade paint and about another 24 gallons of clear coat to adhere the gold coloring.
The building underwent inspections to ensure it could support the enormous structure before installation. Gain has worked at Rawlings for about seven years and currently lives in south St. Louis County. In addition to the glove project, he continues to contribute to Major League Baseball, designing custom bats for players, including Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, as part of MLB’s annual specialty bat programs.
Gain has also met baseball legends through his work, including Hall of Famer Ted Simmons during a recent Rawlings event.
The towering gold glove now serves as a highly visible symbol of Rawlings’ legacy—and a point of pride for Southern Illinois. J.R’s parents are Ron & Thea Gain of Fairfield.