Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
RONALD BLUM
Associated Press
NEW YORK - After all those errors in the World Series, a Detroit Tigers pitcher won a Gold Glove. Kenny Rogers, whose smudged left hand created a lot of suspicion during the World Series, won his fourth straight Gold Glove on Thursday and fifth overall.
Detroit pitchers made five errors during the Tigers' five-game loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, four on bad throws and another on a botched comebacker. No other pitching staff had made more than three errors during a Series.
Rogers did not have any fielding fumbles, but he did have a brownish smudge on his pitching hand in the first inning of Game 2. Whether it was dirt, pine tar or something else may never be known - St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa never urged umpires to check Rogers' hand and instead merely asked them to make sure whatever it was went away.
The hand was clean when he came out for the second, Rogers went on to pitch shutout ball through the eighth and Detroit won 3-1 - its only victory of the Series. Rogers, who pitched 23 scoreless innings in the postseason, was poised to start Game 6 but Detroit lost to the Cardinals in five games.
Tigers teammate Ivan Rodriguez won his 12th Gold Glove, extending his record for catchers. Seattle right fielder Ichiro Suzuki, Minnesota center fielder Torii Hunter and Oakland third baseman Eric Chavez won the awards for the sixth straight season.
"This was the best year I've played defensively. That's why I felt comfortable," said Chavez, who played through injuries and hit just .241 with 22 homers and 72 RBIs. "I knew I could impact the game defensively. I knew I had to because offensively I was not able to produce."
Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and Toronto center fielder Vernon Wells won for the third time in a row, Texas first baseman Mark Teixeira won for the second consecutive season and Kansas City second baseman Mark Grudzielanek was a first-time winner.
"The Gold Glove Award means a great deal to me," Jeter said in a statement. "Fielding doesn't get many headlines, but it's a big part of the game of baseball. I take great pride in my defense."
Yankees owner George Steinbrenner praised his captain and campaigned for him to get another award.
"I hope he wins the MVP," Steinbrenner said. "He should."
Chavez and Rodriguez each earned $100,000 bonuses for winning Gold Gloves, while Rogers gets $75,000. Grudzielanek, Suzuki and Wells get $50,000 apiece and Hunter receives $25,000.
Gold Gloves have been presented since 1957 by Rawlings and are voted on by managers and coaches before the end of the regular season. They may not select players on their own teams, and they vote only for players in their own league.
NL Gold Glove winners will be announced Friday.