Gold Glove finalists

[ashbury]

I didn't spot any mention of this elsewhere on TD, but MLB posted the finalists for the Gold Glove awards last week:

 

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/99380188/gold-glove-awards-finalists-revealed

 

As with last year, the awards are done 75% by a vote from managers / coaches, and 25% using some experimental but SABR-sactioned numbers.  The SABR part of it, through games in early September, is published here:

 

http://sabr.org/sdi/2014-09-07

 

No Twins made the list of finalists, but the SABR list shows several Twins who could be considered average or above, specifically the entire infield.  Mauer could have been a finalist by the numbers, but apparently the managers weren't impressed.  Suzuki was below average, and the outfield didn't have anyone put in enough innings at one position to register at all (except for Fuld who shows up well in his time split MIN/OAK).

 

Aside from any Twins perspective, there are various nuggets.  For instance the stats somehow favor NL shortstops over their AL brethren, to a greater degree than I see for any other position on the field.  Just the luck of the draw as far as being in a golden age of NL SS?

[biggentleben]

I didn't spot any mention of this elsewhere on TD, but MLB posted the finalists for the Gold Glove awards last week:

 

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/99380188/gold-glove-awards-finalists-revealed

 

As with last year, the awards are done 75% by a vote from managers / coaches, and 25% using some experimental but SABR-sactioned numbers.  The SABR part of it, through games in early September, is published here:

 

http://sabr.org/sdi/2014-09-07

 

No Twins made the list of finalists, but the SABR list shows several Twins who could be considered average or above, specifically the entire infield.  Mauer could have been a finalist by the numbers, but apparently the managers weren't impressed.  Suzuki was below average, and the outfield didn't have anyone put in enough innings at one position to register at all (except for Fuld who shows up well in his time split MIN/OAK).

 

Aside from any Twins perspective, there are various nuggets.  For instance the stats somehow favor NL shortstops over their AL brethren, to a greater degree than I see for any other position on the field.  Just the luck of the draw as far as being in a golden age of NL SS?

 

Defensively, yes.  If you asked for the best defensive shortstops in the league to most national writers, I'd wager at least 4 of the first 5 mentioned and 7 or 8 of the top ten mentioned would be NL guys.  The stats don't necessarily agree with that, but I'd wager most people surveyed would list Andrelton Simmons, Brandon Crawford, Adeiny Hechevarria, and Jhonny Peralta high, and Jimmy Rollins had a very good defensive season.  Jody Mercer is moving up the list, and Zack Cozart is considered to be very good as well.  The common thread among all those guys - very little bat/offense provided.