Gold Gloves for Tex and Jeter
November 10, 2009, 3:20 pm by iYankees · 3 Comments
Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira have been awarded Gold Gloves for their “defensive excellence” in 2009.
From Tom Singer (MLB):
The dive-and-spin, dirty-uniform parade began with Mark Teixeira, who earned his third Gold Glove — but first since 2006 — for an often-overlooked aspect of his game that was every bit as vital to the Yankees’ drive to a World Series title as his 39 home runs and 122 RBIs. Teixeira made only four errors in 1,275 chances, to say nothing of the errors by other infielders he prevented with his wide-ranging scoops of errant throws.
[snip]
Derek Jeter is back in familiar company. The Yankees’ captain was awarded his fourth Gold Glove and the first since the last of his three consecutive honors, in 2006. This is no small accomplishment for a 35-year-old, but Jeter rededicated himself to defensive improvement after some criticism last year, and the work obviously paid off — and was noticed.
Photos by AP
For all the crap there is about Jeter’s declining range and Tex’s lack of range, I think these went to the right people. Getting to the ball is important, but once you’re there you have to make the play. It’s called a Golden Glove award, not the Golden Legs award. Range should factor into defensive measurements, to be sure. However, at least in Texeira’s case, the most important part of playing first base is bailing out your infield when they make off-balance or simply bad throws. He did that exceptionally well this year. If you need further evidence, go back in the archives and watch some of Giambi’s attempts to scoop and then tell me that Tex’s ability to dig is less important than the extra 6″ of range he’s missing versus first basemen with superior defensive metrics.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Tex scoops ‘em like no other. He is, as McCarver called him, a Hoover. UZR actually rated him an average fielder—or maybe a tick below average—this season, so this isn’t a poor choice by any means (especially since there has been some controversy regarding UZR’s accuracy in relation to Teixeira). I think Teixeira’s defense in the postseason serves as further confirmation for just how good he can be with his glove.
With regards to Jeter, he’s an amazing player. He worked on improving his defense after 2007 and this award is a culmination of that effort. UZR liked Jeter this season, which was a surprising development, so while some can argue that guys like Erick Aybar and Elvis Andrus were better fielders, you really can’t be against Jeter’s GG award since his defense was still excellent throughout the ‘09 season.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0