Here's an excerpt from the story of
Coach found on Coach.com. Your friend was actually recognizing the very thing that the founder of Coach felt:
"The founder of Coach was first inspired by a baseball glove when he saw its distinctive markings and how supple it became with use. After refining it, making it softer and stronger, he created Coach's first handbag. Since then, innovations in leather finishes, new grains and colors, and modern materials continue to fascinate us. But this glove-tanned leather remains a Coach tradition. And it still burnishes as beautifully as it did back when Babe Ruth played baseball."