The Gold Glove Award is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), as voted by the managers and coaches in each league. [1] Managers are not permitted to vote for their own players. [1] Eighteen Gold Gloves are awarded each year (with the exception of 1957, 1985, 2007 and 2018), one at each of the nine positions in each league. In 1957, the baseball glove manufacturer Rawlings created the Gold Glove Award to commemorate the best fielding performance at each position. [2] The award was created from a glove made from gold lamé-tanned leather and affixed to a walnut base. [3] Initially, only one Gold Glove per position was awarded to the top fielder at each position in the entire league; [2] however, separate awards were given for the National and American Leagues beginning in 1958. [4] [5]
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Brooks Robinson won 16 Gold Gloves with the Baltimore Orioles, leading both the American League and all third basemen in awards won. [6] Mike Schmidt is tied with Nolan Arenado for second in wins at third base; Schmidt won 10 with the Philadelphia Phillies and is tied for National League third basemen in Gold Gloves. Arenado also has 10, 8 with the Rockies and 2 with the Cardinals. [7] [8] Scott Rolen owns the fourth-highest total, winning eight awards. Rolen won with the Phillies, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Cincinnati Reds. [9] Six-time winners at third base are Buddy Bell, Eric Chavez, and Robin Ventura. [10] [11] [12] Adrián Beltré, Ken Boyer, Doug Rader, and Ron Santo have each won five Gold Gloves at third base, [13] [14] [15] [16] and four-time winners include Matt Chapman, Gary Gaetti, and Matt Williams. [17] [18] [19] Hall of Famers who have won a Gold Glove at the position include Robinson, Rolen, Schmidt, Santo, Wade Boggs, and George Brett. [6] [7] [16] [20] [21]
The fewest errors committed in a third baseman's winning season is zero, achieved by Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Kiner-Falefa also leads all winners with a 1.000 fielding percentage. [22] Arenado led all National League winners with three errors, also in the 2020 season, while also leading the league among winners in double plays turned with 44 in 2018. [8] Ke'Bryan Hayes leads National League winners in fielding percentage with .984 in 2023. [23] Robinson leads all winners with 410 assists in 1974, and made the most putouts in the American League (174 in 1966). [6] The most putouts by a winner was 187, made by Santo in 1967. [16] Schmidt leads the National League in assists, with 396 in 1977. [7] The most double plays turned in a season was 46 by Evan Longoria in 2010. [24]
Ken Boyer and Clete Boyer are the only pair of brothers to have won Gold Glove Awards at third base. Older brother Ken won five Gold Gloves in six years with the Cardinals (1958–1961, 1963), [14] and Clete won in 1969 with the Atlanta Braves. [25]
