The Gold Glove Awards hath been awarded yesterday-evening, gentlepersons -- it's just a lil thing that's been done since 1957. These days it marks the first-day of a many-day unfurlment of year-end baseball congratulatory hardwares. This means, of course, that Spring Training is forever and ever away and that I'm layering up my thermals and sweats like layering up thermals and sweats is going (even further) outta style. I mean Snack Tray is hitting me up for mittens already, epis! Ruby Vondella no-longer whines to follow me onto the porch with my cigar. This Sabbath I'll light the candles within the 5 o'clock hour, methinks.
Where was I? Ah, yes. Gold Glove Awards. Here's some stuff'a interest, I sure doth hope.
Winning for the fifth-time were three-players: Nolan Arenado, Jason Heyward and Alex Gordon. Colorado Rockies All-Star third-baseman N.Arenado became the second player after Ichiro Suzuki to begin their careers winning five-straight. Although I.Suzuki was far from a green rook whenst his string began, as he were already a star from back in Japan. Arenado also became the first hot-corner denizen to rattle off five-in-a-row such honorifics since Scott Rolen in 2000-04. J.Heyward won his fourth consecutive of five via getting over-on a couple heavy-hitters named Giancarlo Stanton and Yasiel Puig. I'm quite glad as to have side-stepped another Y.Puig montage here. According to Lee Judge at the KC Star and from what little I've seen, A.Gordon is two full ticks of a show-man. Ne'er slowing-down whilst nosing toward a wall, and catching the ball as slamming into said wall. Then laying there for dramatic effect before holding the juiced-to-theatrical-heck ball up for applause.
Transversely to the old-guard mentioned, there was new blood honored, as well. The 2017 Gold Glove Awards saw six first-time honorees. Herein the Junior Circuit was represented by Marcus Stroman, Martin Maldonado, Brian Dozier, and Byron Buxton. Whilst its Senior alternative was doth done-so via Tucker Barnhart and Marcell Ozuna. Salvador Perez's four-year winning streak for AL catchers was halted by the M.Maldonado nod. Staying with the theme of catcher, T.Barnhart became the first Red with glove a' gold since Johnny Bench in '77.
Of note Paul Goldschmidt of the Dbacks won his third GG for his first-base play, getting the mention there-over fellow MVP finalist Joey Votto. We do all know Giancarlo "Future Asterisk" Stanton is a dead-lock for the biggie trophy, no? Also and of further note, Brandon Crawford became the first NL SS to win consecutively thrice since Jimmy Rollins. It was a tight race there, twixt he, Corey Seager, and Freddy Galvis. Hey, something else: The Houston Astros and LA Dodgers each won zilch. That's good, I can use a break from them both to be quite honest. I love spaghetti but can only ingest so much before I must walk away groaning under the weighty-weight of a severe case of vapors.
In further ceremonies of both pomp and circumstance, Reggie Jackson will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. As with any award of such ilk, look for Mr. October's name to be on the rise in Doug Stanhope's Death Pool. Ivan Rodriguez and Omar Vizquel will also see induction into the Rawlings Gold Glove Award Hall of Fame.
But how are these award recipients arrived upon, you may-be asking yerself. I know I once-did. Here, let me Google that for ya. It would seem that the newest piece of the equation is 2013's addition of a Sabermetric element, aptly if not boringly entitled the "SABR Defensive Index." It counts for 25 percent of the voting. According to ESPN, "According to the Society for American Baseball Research website, the "SDI" is made up of two types of defensive metrics; "batted ball location-based data" and "play-by-play records of games."" Impressive, huh? I'm not a basher of them Sabermetrics as so-many of my old-school co-horts tend to-be. It's information. Baseball is a game of information. It's a game of compiling information into statistics. We, as fans, have had stats stuck up our collective wazoos for generations. Coaches and managers live on info and intel and a sad amount of fast-food from what I hear. We all adore numbers. Numbers are the anchor in a 162-game storm.
Plus as a Jew, I like to know things. Science-y things. Informative things. But is this good science to be informed of? SABR's own website does not provide many metrics as-to how their metrics are handled, how accurate they are, or why "batted ball location-based metrics" equal 70 percent of the SDI whilst "play-by-play metrics" equal 30 percent. For the record, I can only guess at just 'bout everything I typed twixt quotes.
When do the robot umps report for Spring Oiling?
Take heart, fellow non-Futurists. These awards are still refreshingly-perhaps very subjective. 75 percent-so, to be exact. Them three-quarters consist entirely of human coaches and managers voting. The rules are they can only cast ballots for within their league, and never for players on their own team. If that seems to fall-flat against yer bias preference minimum, I suggest to you the "Best of the Best" honorific. It's fan-voted and due to be announced Friday. There'll be an AL and NL winner. Ya lousy buncha home-cookin' dummies. Here's a full roll-call of this year's Gold Glove Award winners.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
P Marcus Stroman, Toronto Blue Jays
C Martin Maldonado, Los Angeles Angels
1B Eric Hosmer, Kansas City Royals
2B Brian Dozier, Minnesota Twins
3B Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
SS Andrelton Simmons, Los Angeles Angels
LF Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals
CF Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins
RF Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox
NATIONAL LEAGUE
P Zack Greinke, Arizona Diamondbacks
C Tucker Barnhart, Cincinnati Reds
1B Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
2B DJ LeMahieu, Colorado Rockies
3B Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies
SS Brandon Crawford, San Francisco Giants
LF Marcell Ozuna, Miami Marlins
CF Ender Inciarte, Atlanta Braves
RF Jason Heyward, Chicago Cubs
Ya like lists? Me neither. Have another. This just-so-happens to be the tenth anniversary of a very important 50th anniversary. Back in 2007, MLB and Rawlings (not a sponsor of this blog) put forth an all-time Gold Glove Team in celebration of the then 50th anniversary of these gala festivities. At their joint bequest 70 baseball reporters, former players and former managers voted from a pool of 50 all-time greats. Here are the results:
1B Wes Parker
2B Joe Morgan
3B Brooks Robinson
SS Ozzie Smith
OF Willie Mays
OF Roberto Clemente
OF Ken Griffey, Jr.
C Johnny Bench
P Greg Maddux
Gentlepersons, I glove yous all for reading.
Report a typo, win a No-prize.
"Here Kitty Kitty"
