Derek Jeter

[molta02]

well, most of these defensive stats are laughable. i remember a few years back when one of bill james computers spit out robbie alomar as the worst range in baseball. ya right.

[mavskidd02]

Most of the time the stats are spot on. The range and zone stats are just simple formuals of how many balls you can make plays on vs how many balls you do make plays on. Pretty basic stuff.

I wouldn't call them laughable, some of the more intricate systems are a joke, but these are pretty basic stuff. And if you compare the other GG winners with these stats they will pretty much be in agreement.

[ctt8410]

The problem with Jeter is that he can no longer get to balls that most major league shortstops can get a glove on. Since he can't even come close then he's never charged with an error and his fielding percentage never drops.

In my opinion, Elvis Andrus was the best fielding shortstop in the AL, but they aren't going to give it to a rookie and he was charged with way too many errors. The Rangers defense as a whole played a huge role in the numbers that Feldman and Millwood put up this year.

[ctt8410]

This year's GG for Jeter was WAY more deserving than the one he got in 2006. He was arguably the worst fielding shortstop in the AL that year. This year he was above average and noone else really stood out.

[wayne1218]

More Gold Gloves, more head-scratching

ESPN Rob Neyer

Straight from the source, we've got your 2009 American League Gold Glovers.

Shockingly, the voters selected MVP candidates Joe Mauer, Mark Teixeira, and Derek Jeter, all of whom were probably solid defensively but might not have been the best fielders in the league (my choices at those positions were Gerald Laird, Kevin Youkilis, and Elvis Andrus). At second base, the voters chose Placido Polanco because he made only two errors all season. Polanco is a pretty good second baseman, but nowhere near as good as Dustin Pedroia, who won the award last year (and, coincidentally enough, was also the American League's MVP).

In the outfield, the voters had to choose both Torii Hunter and Ichiro Suzuki, because both had won eight straight Gold Gloves and everybody knows that if you've won eight you automatically deserve to win nine. Fortunately, the voters were wise enough to make room for an exciting young outfielder who burst upon the scene in 2009 with some of the most brilliant defense we've seen in center field since the heyday of Andruw Jones.

I am referring, of course, to the stupendously amazing Franklin Gutierrez, who ... Wait, what? They didn't vote for Franklin Gutierrez, who spent the entire season catching everything in sight and racking up phenomenal numbers?

Nope. They didn't. The voters instead went with Adam Jones, who played well in center field in 2008 but was (at best) average in 2009.

The voters made two excellent choices: Evan Longoria and Mark Buehrle. They made some defensible (pun intended) choices. And with Jeter and Hunter and Polanco and especially Jones, they just flat blew it, overlooking true excellence in favor of gaudy hitting stats or superficially impressive defensive performances. Well played, sirs. Again.

[wayne1218]

I'm a homer but i do think Youkilis and Pedroia are the best defensive 1B/2B Combo in baseball.

Ellsbury made 2 errors all year in CF and he was a human highlight reel out there. He made 3 less errors than Jones and had a higher Fielding % too (.994 to .986) in 300 more innings played.

[SPLIT SALAD]

I'm a homer but i do think Youkilis and Pedroia are the best defensive 1B/2B Combo in baseball.

Ellsbury made 2 errors all year in CF and he was a human highlight reel out there. He made 3 less errors than Jones and had a higher Fielding % too (.994 to .986) in 300 more innings played.

if he was a star...he would of got it....but hes not an all-star

[flarendep1]

I'm a homer but i do think Youkilis and Pedroia are the best defensive 1B/2B Combo in baseball.

Ellsbury made 2 errors all year in CF and he was a human highlight reel out there. He made 3 less errors than Jones and had a higher Fielding % too (.994 to .986) in 300 more innings played.

You a homer...nah


I wonder if Tex's play in the playoffs and series made a difference. He made some great plays. Playoffs are not supposed to count though right?

[wayne1218]

if he was a star...he would of got it....but hes not an all-star

He has a WS Ring though!

[wayne1218]

You a homer...nah


I wonder if Tex's play in the playoffs and series made a difference. He made some great plays. Playoffs are not supposed to count though right?

Votes are placed before the postseason. Youkilis holds the ML Record for most consecutive games at 1B without an error. Homer or not, he's no slouch! He also had a better fielding % than Tex at 1st.

[SPLIT SALAD]

He has a WS Ring though!

what does that have to do with a gold glove ?

[wayne1218]

what does that have to do with a gold glove ?

The same thing all star selections do ... nothing.

[SPLIT SALAD]

The same thing all star selections do ... nothing.

right..if he was a star-he would of won

[wayne1218]

right..if he was a star-he would of won

So i guess Pedroia should have won the Gold Glove at 2nd since he was an all star this year and Polanco was not? I'll take it!

[flarendep1]

Votes are placed before the postseason. Youkilis holds the ML Record for most consecutive games at 1B without an error. Homer or not, he's no slouch! He also had a better fielding % than Tex at 1st.

My guess is Tex may have more range. They both could be on my team anytime.