2008 NL Gold Gloves

by philkid3 on Nov 5, 2008 4:04 PM CST

C: Yadier Molina, STL
1B: Adrian Gonzalez, SD
2B: Brandon Phillips, CIN
3B: David Wright, NYM
SS: Jimmy Rollins, PHI
OF: Nate McLouth, PIT
OF: Carlos Beltran, NYM
OF: Shane Victorino, PHI
P: Greg Maddux, LAD

This is the worst batch of Gold Gloves I can ever remember seeing.

Molina is fine, though I'd go with Kendall. Wright is fine. Rollins is very deserving and Beltran is obvious. I wouldn't go with Victorino, but at least he was good.

Maddux I don't know. Pitchers are hard to judge, it just bothers me that he's probably only winning on reputation.

Phillips was good, but that's just ridiculous. Chase Utley was HISTORICALLY great this year. He was a +50 fielder by BIS, +47 at second. He was GREAT. That's just stupid. Though Rollins robbed Tulowitzki last year in a similar comparison, so maybe it's karma.

Adrian Gonzalez was mediocre at best (though I think he's been better in the past). Pujols was, as usual, awesome. I dont' know why people don't seem to want to give Pujols his due. Why on earth does he not win more Gold Gloves and MVPs and other such stuff? Why do people hate him?!

The worst, though, is Nate McClouth. He was a -40 fielder this year. That's around 32 runs cost in the field. That's good for 35th among MLB center fielders.

And he just won an award for being a great fielder. Awesome. That makes the Jeter Gold Gloves look reasonable.

That's just awful. This award is a sham. At least it's a sham that benifited Rafael Palmeiro once.

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Also, for those who like RZR

He ranked dead last among ML center fielders in that statistic as well.

Dreadful selection.

Baseball Time in Arlington

by Joey Matschulat on Nov 5, 2008 4:16 PM CST reply actions

Wow.

Just… WOW.

The 40 Trumps All!!!

Rule 5? No…talk to the hand.

by thedirkatron on Nov 5, 2008 4:17 PM CST reply actions

Almost as funny as the year Raffy won it playing mostly DH..

by fds on Nov 5, 2008 4:21 PM CST reply actions

But

at least he wasn’t a -40 fielder.

by chrisR on Nov 5, 2008 5:52 PM CST up reply actions

Gold gloves

are a fielding popularity contest. To pretend otherwise is merely setting yourself up for disappointment.

At first, Gonzalez has been a great fielder to watch – though I don’t know if the statistics show it and I’m not sure he was as good this year as in past seasons (the Padres uniformly got worse in 2008). Pujols probably deserves the award, but for some reason his hitting is so good it causes people to forget that he dominates with the glove (those of you who thought Teixeira was the best first baseman in baseball obviously never watched the NL).

by JBImaknee on Nov 5, 2008 4:30 PM CST reply actions

FWIW. . .

I agree that Pujols is the best fielder in baseball.

BUT Tex had a better +/- this year with 24 to Pujols’s 20. I think they’re both historically great fielders.

. . . for first basemen. . .

by philkid3 on Nov 5, 2008 4:34 PM CST up reply actions

As an Indication

Here is how each player performed in plus/minus this year (just at the position they played primarily), along with their MLB ranks in the position.

Adrian Gonzalez: -6 (25th)
Brandon Phillips: +17 (4th)
David Wright: +3 (13th)
Jimmy Rollins: +23 (1st)
Carlos Beltran: +24 (2nd)
Shane Victorino: +10 (7th)
Nate McLouth: -40 (35th)

And for reference, here were the NL leaders at each position (note: these are not necessarily who I would endorse for the GG):

1B: Albert Pujols +20 (2nd)
2B: Chase Utley +47 (1st)
3B: Blake DeWitt +11 (7th)
SS: Jimmy Rollins +23 (1st)
CF: Carlos Beltran +24 (1st)
RF: Brian Giles +20 (2nd)
LF: Willie Harris +22 (2nd)*

Chris Young (23), Cody Ross (15) and Jody Gerut (+12) were all centerfielders with a higher contribution than Victorino.

*Harris was a +25 playing six different positions.

by philkid3 on Nov 5, 2008 4:34 PM CST reply actions