Gold Glove announcement tonight...scouts perspective ( Update - All 3 Orioles win)

[russ snyder]

I know this was tongue-in-cheek, but I wanted to see just how the numbers shook out.

Brooks was a regular or semi-regular from 1958 through 1976. By retroactive total zone ratings (converted to fielding WAR) among AL third basemen Brooks ranked:

1st 8 times

2nd 7 times

4th twice

5th once

and 12th once (in 1976 as a 39-year-old)

He was clearly a spectacular fielder by almost any measure. In 1959 he led the league in fielding runs at third despite only playing 88 games. But nobody is the best in the world every year for 16 years. In 1970, ironically when he probably cemented his reputation as the human vacuum cleaner in the World Series, Brooks finished 25 runs behind ARod (Aurelio Rodriguez) in fielding runs during the regular season.

Absolutely. Brooks is argueably the best defensive third baseman of all time. ( Sorry Cal, but your Adrian Beltre comparison is a joke. Please stick to making instructional videos with your brother.) That said, both Aurelio Rodriguez and Graig Nettles probalby deseved a gold glove or two in the early 70's. Brooks just was not going to lose after his performance the 1970 World Series.

[exist10z]

Fangraphs has an article about the GG selections, saying the selections are reasonable, showing defensive metrics, etc. However, Jones is the obvious outlier, and it's not really even that close. Love Jones, really do, but his selection is embarrassing.

[Nigel Tufnel]

Here's Posnanski on AJ. Coincidentally, Posnanski had just taped a podcast with Keith Law.

OK, I know this will tick off some Baltimore people -- and I don't like doing that because I love Baltimore and love the Orioles and really enjoy watching Adam Jones play -- but I don't get the Adam Jones defense thing. Do … not … get … it. The numbers consistently and across the board suggest he's, at best -- AT BEST -- an average defensive center fielder. He's had a minus defensive WAR each of the last three seasons. He's had a substantially negative Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) the last three seasons too. It's POSSIBLE these numbers are all wrong, but even if they are wrong, it's very hard to imagine them being SO wrong that Jones is not only better than the numbers but actually the best defensive center fielder around.

One quick story: I was watching an Orioles game last year with a huge Orioles fan and he was ranting about how good a center fielder Adam Jones is, how stupid the defensive numbers are, how stupid I was for saying he wasn't that good and so on. And that game -- THAT VERY GAME -- a fly ball was hit to the gap, and Jones could not run it down. "Yeah, I'll bet you will use that to say he's not a good fielder," the guy grumbled.

YES! I will use that! Adam Jones does not get to fly balls that other center fielders reach. He just doesn't. It happened that day. It happened in the playoffs this year. It happens pretty often when I watch the Orioles play. He's a good power hitter. He will steal you a base. He will create runs. He will make nice plays in the outfield. But all in all, throughout the year, he's not a good center fielder. Giving him the Gold Glove over Mike Trout is mind-boggling.

http://joeposnanski.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-gold-gloves.html

[Il BuonO]

Here's Posnanski on AJ. Coincidentally, Posnanski had just taped a podcast with Keith Law.

http://joeposnanski.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-gold-gloves.html

Pretty hard to disagree with anything that's said there.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Pretty hard to disagree with anything that's said there.

Yeah, the only thing that could have been added was that he shouldn't have even been nominated.

[WEAVERMAN]

I am thrilled AJ won the GG and I am even more delighted that creatures like this Law are not happy about it.

[exist10z]

I am thrilled AJ won the GG and I am even more delighted that creatures like this Law are not happy about it.

Because others take a rational position that diverges from your own they're 'creatures'? Interesting perspective. I am guessing that makes life frustrating at times, at least it would for me.

[Annie]

Because others take a rational position that diverges from your own they're 'creatures'? Interesting perspective. I am guessing that makes life frustrating at times, at least it would for me.

there is a difference between taking a rational approach and taking the approach that Kieth Law takes 90% of the time. Kieth Law makes baseball un-fun. also, law saying that Perez should have won gold glove over Wieters? guy didn't even play a full season and with Matt's defensive stats? joke.

[Loophole]

I really don't get the fuss over the fuss over Jones winning it.

I mean, Jones has been one of my favorites for the past few years. He's the only current player whose autograph I have. I actually love the bubble thing and I don't think it hurts his game.

But 90% here probably complained about Jeter winning for years, or at least used it as an example of the uselessness of an award where the incumbent winner is always at a huge advantage. Not all of us are gonna do an about-face just cause it benefited one of our own.