Nuggets on MLB’s 2019 Gold Glove winners
Cody Bellinger says it’s really special to win the National League Gold Glove Award in his first year at right field. (0:33)
MLB’s reward season kicked off Sunday night with the announcement of the Gold Glove awards. (Finalists for the other major awards will be announced Monday, with rookies of the year winners named Nov. 11, followed by managers of the year on Nov. 12, Cy Young winners on Nov. 13 and MVPs on Nov. 14.)
Here are some nuggets about this year’s Gold Glove winners:
• Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado has won a Gold Glove in each of the first seven seasons of his career. That’s the second-longest streak to begin a career in MLB history, according to Elias Sports Bureau research (Ichiro Suzuki, 10).
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• Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Lorenzo Cain won his first career Gold Glove. Cain had 112 career defensive runs saved before this season, the most of any active outfielder to have never won a Gold Glove.
• The Houston Astros‘ Zack Greinke won his sixth career Gold Glove, although it was the National League award from his time with the Arizona Diamondbacks. All of those have come in the past six seasons. The only pitchers with longer streaks are Jim Kaat (16 straight), Greg Maddux (13), Bob Gibson (nine) and Bobby Shantz (eight).
• Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts won his fourth straight Gold Glove. He joins right fielder Dwight Evans (1981-85) as the only players in Red Sox history to win at least four straight.
• Left fielder Alex Gordon, whose contract option was not picked up by the Kansas City Royals, won his seventh career Gold Glove. The only player in Royals history with more is second baseman Frank White (eight).
Cleveland Indians catcher Roberto Perez says he takes great pride in his defense and it is great to have his efforts recognized with the 2019 AL Gold Glove Award.
• Cleveland Indians catcher Roberto Perez, who won the first Gold Glove of his career, had no passed balls this season in 993⅔ innings caught. That’s the most innings caught without a passed ball since Johnny Bench in 1975 (1,002⅔ innings).
• In addition to Perez, seven other players won their first Gold Glove: Seattle Mariners pitcher Mike Leake, Chicago White Sox second baseman Yolmer Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto, St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong, Diamondbacks left fielder David Peralta, Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Cody Bellinger and center fielder Cain of the Brewers.