Darwin Barney earns Chicago Cubs’ top defensive player award – MLB News
After winning the Gold Glove Award as the top second baseman in the National League in 2012 Major League Baseball, Darwin Barney has now been named as the top second baseman of the Chicago Cubs in the first Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Awards.
Among others who won the same Award for being the top defensive players of their respective teams were Brandon Phillips of the Cincinnati Reds, along with New York's Robinson Cano, Boston's Dustin Pedroia, Cleveland Indians’ Jason Kipnis and Arizona Diamondbacks’ Aaron Hill.
It was through statistical analysis of MLB Network’s “shredder system” that Awards are determined, used by Clubhouse Confidential, plus input from MLB Network analysts. Recognition of the player as top defensive player is a manifestation of the talent that Barney possesses.
In the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, it was the experienced Brandon Phillips that Barney outshone with .997 fielding percentage, committing only two errors and making a record 141-game errorless streak for the Chicago Cubs.
While Barney could not break the record of Placido Polanco, missing only by three outs, his streak at second base that spanned just over 1,154 innings will remain one of the best in the history of baseball.
With 293 put-outs, he outdid all other contemporary and former players in that illustrious streak, and 676 chances got closer to Arizona Diamondbacks’ Aaron Hill who had 687.
Even though things did not go the Cubs’ way this year, as the club lost over 100 games in the season, manager Dale Sveum was all praise for them.
“They have been put in a situation where they have had to come up here and perform, and they have done a nice job,” Sveum said. “The bottom line with guys like that is they have to learn to get through a lineup the second time a team faces them and to make the adjustments after major-league hitters have seen you a couple of times."
With Darwin Barney being one of the accomplished second basemen in baseball, upcoming years may see him as one of the most prolific players for the Chicago Cubs, contributing to their rise as a successful team.
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