Alrighty then, we all know that pitching and defense wins pennants and championships. We’ve covered the 2 best arms so with that let’s skip the Silver Sluggers and get to the men with the golden touch. No, not Midas or Austin Powers, but rather the Gold Glovemen. There’s nothing like flashing the leather and playing defense like there’s no tomorrow. I don’t know about you, but hitting is always fun no doubt. And chicks definitely dig the long ball. Defense, however, is where a ballplayer shows how baseball is all about the all-around athlete. The instincts. The great range. The big arm. The soft hands. That’s what we’re talkin’ ’bout here people!! A homer should NEVER be on a great plays countdown. Even if it wins the Classic. A PLAY can only be in the field. Clearly. O.K. sorry, I was just looking for the glove oil and ready for a catch. A soft mitt is a happy mitt ya know! Anyway, here’s your Gold Glovers (listed as AL, NL):
P Mark Buerhle, Clayton Kershaw (both lefties), C Matt Wieters (Oriole #1), Yadier Molina, 1B Adrian Glonzalez, Joey Votto, 2B Dustin Pedroia, Brandon Phillips, 3B Adrian Bletre, Placido Polanco, SS Erick Aybar, Troy Tulowitzki, LF Alex Gordon, Gerardo Parra (look him up if ya don’t know him, should be more well known), CF Jacoby Ellsbury, Matt Kemp, RF Nick Markakis (that’s 2 O’s), Andre Ethier).
Buerhle still has one of the sickest plays I’ve ever seen and perhaps the most memorable. You know the one, a grounder in front of first and he flipped it back with his glove. Unreal. That was 2010 Openning Day, but still is worthy of mention here. Wieters can throw out anyone (so can Molina) and you DON’T want to take him out at home. He’ll take YOU out! A-Gon and Votto are as smooth as vanilla yogurt on the pick or the batted ball. The P’s at 2B get it done with talent, speed, and guts. Guts takes them to the next level, but those two smaller guys have BIG talent first. Beltre makes the great play look too easy. It’s the easy ones I’ve seen him miss. Polanco-perhaps the best hands. Aybar has great range (has to beat out Andrus from Texas) and Tulo is the prime big SS of the 10s. Gordon came up a 3B, OF is easier than the hot corner and he makes it look that way. Parra had 12 assists and is just 24. Ellsbury can flat out go get it like nobody else. Kemp can bring ’em back in at the wall and owns the big OF of Dodger Stadium. Markakis had 14 assists and made zero errors. Ethier also played error free with 8 assists.
Well, there’s 3 Red Sox, 3 Dodgers, 2 O’s, and 2 Reds on the list (no Yanks by the way). What does that mean? Perhaps nothing, but basically, it takes a lot more than two great defenders to make the playoffs as only 4 of the 18 Gold Glovers went to the tourney this year. That stat could’ve been more startling had Beltre stayed in Boston. Although if he did, surely FOUR gold gloves would qualify you for the playoffs, right? Well, maybe.
Later Fans.