AL Gold Glove

[ARod2212]

C- Varitek

1B- Teixiera

2B- O-Hudson

3B- Chavez

SS- Jeter

OF- Hunter

OF- Ichiro

OF- V. Wells

P- Kenny Rogers

[riverside sluggers]

Oh Captain my Captain-- first gold glove award in his career, well deserved Cap

 

Varitek catches first Gold Glove

Sox captain lauded for his stellar defense behind home plate

By Ian Browne / MLB.com

 

BOSTON -- For years now, the defense of Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek has been equally marveled at teammates, opponents, fans and media members. Finally, Varitek has a Gold Glove to go along with all the accolades. When this year's Rawlings Gold Glove winners were unveiled on Tuesday, Varitek was named the top defensive catcher in the American League. Not only was it a personal milestone for Varitek, but it marked the first time the Red Sox have had a Gold Glove winner since 1991, when Tony Pena -- also a catcher -- received the award.

 

Varitek's defense is unique in that his success does not hinge entirely on his glove work or his throwing arm. Instead, Varitek has long been lauded for the way he calls a game. He also puts in countless hours of preparation with his pitchers, and by himself, scouring through the scouting reports for every hitter on the opposing team. Of course, Varitek's signature move behind the plate is the way he masterfully blocks the dish. It seems there are countless times during the course of a season where there is a base hit and it is all but certain that a run will score, but Varitek finds a way to stop that baserunner in his tracks.

 

Often times, the runner will beat the throw but is unable to touch home plate, and Varitek swiftly moves in for the tag. Who can forget Eric Byrnes with the A's in Game 3 of the 2003 Division Series? Byrnes, who tweaked his leg in his ill-fated pursuit of scoring, was so annoyed that he shoved Varitek instead of touching home plate. Instead of retaliating at Byrnes, Varitek raced to the backstop, tracked down the errant throw and tagged out a positively perplexed Byrnes.

 

It was a key play in Boston's comeback from a 2-0 series deficit. Aside from what Varitek does by himself, perhaps even more important is the way he elevates the performance of his pitchers. "He doesn't let you slack off your game," Red Sox reliever Mike Timlin said back in Spring Training. "He knows what you can do. He's seen you. If he's not played with you, he's played against you. He's played against you at your peak. He remembers your game. He remembers your 'A' game.

 

"When you go out on the field, he doesn't give his 'B' game out there, so he expects you to do the same. What he expects from himself, he expects from you. If you don't, he'll come over and say something to you. And that's what makes him a good leader. He leads by example, but he also leads by helping others." In short, Varitek is a manager's dream, which Jimy Williams, Joe Kerrigan, Grady Little and Terry Francona, the team's current skipper, all expressed at one time or another.

 

"I think you like to get to the point where you view your catcher as almost being indispensable," said Francona. "He's everything you want in your catcher, whether it's Game 7 of the playoffs or Field 4 in Spring Training. He goes about everything just like you're supposed to. I could talk about 'Tek for as long as you want and it would all be positive things, and that's the way we view him." Barring an injury, Varitek will break the all-time Red Sox record for most games caught in a career during the 2006 season. He is currently third with 918 games, trailing only Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk (990) and Sammy White (967).

 

Varitek, the captain of the Red Sox, is never one to talk much about his own success. Now he can let his Gold Glove speak for itself.

[Soxfan1]

Best year in his career. Another great signing by theo.

[Cityofchampions33]

Finally he gets noticed, he's been pretty damn good thoughout his career.

[ksushi]

It wasn't really theo's signing. Tek is a duqette guy who theo re-signed. Theo doesn't really get the credit there.

[stocker323]

Good for him. With Pudge not playing as much this year he deserved it. By the way, would someone please explain to me how Jeter deserved it over Cabrera?

[26 to 6]

Good for him. With Pudge not playing as much this year he deserved it. By the way, would someone please explain to me how Jeter deserved it over Cabrera?

Because Jeter is better

 

...Also, im kind of surprised A-Rod didnt get it, but you cant go wrong with Eric Chavez

 

 

Congrats Tek

[riverside sluggers]

i think Jeter's star presence and the fact that he played 159 games opposed to Orlando's 141 had helped him

 

but still...

Jeter- 15 errors (.979 fielding %)

Cabrera- 7 errors (.988 fielding %)

[AlexanderTheGreat13]

i think Jeter's star presence and the fact that he played 159 games opposed to Orlando's 141 had helped him

 

but still...

Jeter- 15 errors (.979 fielding %)

Cabrera- 7 errors (.988 fielding %)

I dont like to go by errors because alot of them could be "range errors"(I'm not sure who has the better range between them). I remeber people would compare Jeter to Nomar and they would use that same arguemnt. "Nomar gets to more balls thus more off a chance to make errors".

[yankeessuck013]

Oh Captain, My Captain!

[yankeessuck013]

He is the first Red Sox since Tony Pena to win a gold glove since 1992, wow.

[26 to 6]

He is the first Red Sox since Tony Pena to win a gold glove since 1992, wow.

first Red Sox catcher to win a Gold Glove or first Red Sox player in general?

 

If it is the latter then...wow

[ORS]

I dont like to go by errors because alot of them could be "range errors"(I'm not sure who has the better range between them). I remeber people would compare Jeter to Nomar and they would use that same arguemnt. "Nomar gets to more balls thus more off a chance to make errors".

AL ShortStops @ espn.com

 

Zone Ratings

 

Cabrera 0.844

Jeter 0.830

 

Cabrera wins this award if he plays in about 10-12 more games. He beat Jeter in every rate category other than media exposure.

[User Name]

I think Edgar Renteria should have won the SS Gold Glove.

[AlexanderTheGreat13]

AL ShortStops @ espn.com

 

Zone Ratings

 

Cabrera 0.844

Jeter 0.830

 

Cabrera wins this award if he plays in about 10-12 more games. He beat Jeter in every rate category other than media exposure.

Oh well no biggy IMO. There has been worse cases then this like Raffy Palmiero winning the gold glove at 1B but only playing something like 20 games there.

[ORS]

Oh well no biggy IMO. There has been worse cases then this like Raffy Palmiero winning the gold glove at 1B but only playing something like 20 games there.

I agree, it's not like Jeter was handed this award. He played well enough to win it, and he did play in 18 more games, which is very valuable when you figure you have replacement level waiting on the bench.

[Moose]

If ChiTownSox was still here, he'd be whining about Rowand not getting a GG.

[Optimist]

If ChiTownSox was still here, he'd be whining about Rowand not getting a GG.

 

It's an East Coast conspiracy!1!!!one!1!!

[BoSox84]

Well Rowand could have a case, Hunter went down after what 98 games and Rowand finished the season.

 

Good to see Tek win it.

[ARod2212]

I personally thought Rowand should win. I saw him put on a hell of a display in the Bronx in center. Still, Hunter is the best CF defensively in the AL, so that goes a long way.

 

Not a bad job with the picks, can't say I have much of an argument against them.

[riverside sluggers]

about chavez, i think this decision of his could backfire on him.

 

Chavez has shelved plans to undergo shoulder surgery this offseason, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. "I didn't have the surgery," he said. "For me, it's so unclear what is wrong with it, and I want to put it off as long as possible. From Day 1 of spring training, we'll limit the throws. No doubt in the next five years, I've got to get a surgery." It's nothing that the A's feel will impact Chavez at the plate, so the only roto impact figures to be Chavez missing a couple of games a year to rest the shoulder.

[26 to 6]

I personally thought Rowand should win. I saw him put on a hell of a display in the Bronx in center. Still, Hunter is the best CF defensively in the AL, so that goes a long way.

 

Not a bad job with the picks, can't say I have much of an argument against them.

yea, the defensive performance of Aaron Rowand during that set here in NY was AMAZING

[Ray10]

Nice to see V-Tek on there. Finally the captain wins a gold glove.

[whereisnomar]

Best year in his career. Another great signing by theo.

 

Theo :clap: