Jeter, Teixeira win Gold Gloves; Mauer honored
New York Yankees' Derek Jeter makes the play at second base to tag out Philadelphia Phillies' Shane Victorino (8) on a ground out by Chase Utley during the first inning of Game 6 of the Major League Baseball World Series Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009, in New York. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
(Julie Jacobson - AP)
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Tuesday, November 10, 2009; 7:05 PM
NEW YORK -- Derek Jeter sure is stuffing his trophy case this year. The steady Yankees shortstop won his fourth Gold Glove on Tuesday, joining New York first baseman Mark Teixeira among the American League players rewarded for fantastic fielding.
"I've always taken a great deal of pride in my defense, and being honored with a Gold Glove is an accomplishment I will never overlook," Jeter said in a statement.
Los Angeles Angels center fielder Torii Hunter and Seattle right fielder Ichiro Suzuki both won for the ninth straight season. First-time winners included Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria, Baltimore outfielder Adam Jones and Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle.
Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer and Detroit second baseman Placido Polanco each earned their second award.
Rawlings has presented Gold Gloves annually since 1957. Managers and coaches vote on players in their own leagues before the regular season ends, but they may not select members of their own teams.
National League winners will be announced Wednesday.
It's been a banner year for Jeter, who combined with Teixeira to help lead the Yankees past Philadelphia last week for the franchise's 27th World Series title.
In addition to his fifth championship ring, Jeter also took home baseball's Roberto Clemente Award for excellence on the field and in the community, and his second Hank Aaron Award as the AL's top hitter. In September, he broke Lou Gehrig's club record for hits.
The Gold Glove is perhaps his most surprising piece of hardware, however. Jeter, who turned 35 in June, enjoyed one of his best defensive seasons after years of criticism for a lack of range.
A 10-time All-Star, Jeter won three consecutive Gold Gloves from 2004-06. But detractors pointed to modern fielding stats that indicated his defense didn't warrant such accolades. They said it was his bat that brought on the attention - and the New York spotlight.
This season, Jeter made a career-low eight errors and matched his personal best with a .986 fielding percentage, both ranking at the top of the AL charts. He anchored an outstanding Yankees infield as New York set a major league record by going 18 games without an error from May 14 to June 1.
"Playing championship-caliber baseball starts with pitching and defense, and I think those two components were certainly the foundation for our success in 2009," said Jeter, who made 56 errors as a 19-year-old at Class-A Greensboro in 1993.
