A quick look at the Rawlings’ Gold Glove Award - MLB Feature
Pitching and batting are two major aspects of baseball. If either of the two is not strong, the team will suffer. However, if both batting and pitching are strong, yet the fielding unit is weak, then success is most unlikely.
Rawlings’ Gold Glove Award has been recognising the excellence in fielding skills for over 50 years now. It is considered to be one of the most important awards in the Major League. The award was first presented in 1957 when it was presented to nine top
defensive men in the MLB. From 1958 onwards, the number of trophies was raised to 18, nine awards each in the American and National Leagues.
The award was created by the baseball manufacturers Rawlings as a tribute to the player who perform supremely in the field. The award’s trophy has a walnut base with a gold tanned leather glove on top.
In 2007, the 50th anniversary of the award, the recognition was expanded to athletes at high school and collegiate level. Awards are now given to the best defensive players in NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA and to high school players from all around the country.
The Gold Glove between 1958 and 1960 was given on the basis of right field, centre field and left field. From 1961 to 2010, the pattern changed and three outfielders, irrespective of their position were eligible to win the award. The awards in the inner
field were based on the positions. Often the centre fielders bagged all three outfield awards. This was a cause of criticism.
This was changed in 2011 when a single award was given for each of the nine positions including the three positions in outfield. On certain occasions, more than the 18 stipulated awards were also given out after there was a tie amongst the nominees.
The voting system is quite simple. The voting is done by coaches and managers of the Major League teams who are not allowed to vote for a player that represents their own team and a vote can be cast for anyone the voters has seen on six or more occasions
during the season.
Some critics believe that the award is actually a popularity contest and those more popular with the masses are likely going to land the award, irrespective of fielding numbers backing them or not. Some say that the voters only look for minimum errors and
that cannot be the criteria. Others cite past reputations as a more important factor to win.
There have been many players who have won the award on multiple occasions. The person who has the most wins is Greg Maddux. The 46-year-old was an extremely successful pitcher during his 23-year Major League career and in this period, he bagged a staggering
18 Gold Gloves as a pitcher. He won 13 of them in consecutive years from 1990 to 2002, all in the National League.
A total of 14 players have won more than 10 Gold Gloves and the list boasts some legendary names such as Ken Griffey Jr., Willie Mays and Brooks Robinson. Jim Kaat and Brooks Robinson are joint second with 16 awards each. Brooks won his 16 awards consecutively.
Anaheim Angels’ Darin Erstad is the only player to win the award both in infield as well as outfield.
The award has become a symbol of defensive excellence in the Major League. Even though it may not be perfect, it still goes a long way to recognise those who put themselves on the line to do the very best for their teams. For this, the Rawlings’ Gold Glove
deserves to be applauded.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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