Kansas City Royals
KANSAS CITY, MO – Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc., and ESPN2 announced tonight that three Kansas City Royals – left fielder Alex Gordon, first baseman Eric Hosmer and catcher Salvador Perez – have won American League Rawlings Gold Glove Awards for the second-straight season. The three Rawlings Gold Glove winners are tied for the most in team history after all three players were honored with the awards in 2013. The Royals’ three Rawlings Gold Glove winners were tied for the Major League lead with the Baltimore Orioles’ three selections.
The awards were voted on by American League managers and coaches and honor the best individual fielding performances at each position in the American and National Leagues. Shortstop Alcides Escobar was also named a finalist for the award.
Gordon picked up his fourth-straight Rawlings Gold Glove Award, which is the longest active streak in the American League and second-longest in the Majors behind St. Louis’ Yadier Molina, who earned his seventh-straight award tonight. He is the second Royals player to win a Gold Glove in four consecutive years, joining Frank White, who won six-straight (1977-82) and eight overall. Gordon tied for 11th in the American League with eight outfield assists this season, while his 62 assists since the start of 2011 are the most in the Major Leagues in that span. He led all A.L. outfielders in games (156) and innings (1372.2) for the second-straight year and finished sixth in putouts (341) and committed just two errors in 351 chances for a .994 fielding percentage. Gordon, a former third baseman, earned his first career Rawlings Gold Glove in 2011, his first full season in the outfield.
Hosmer earned his second-straight Rawlings Gold Glove and the first American League first sacker to win in back-to-back years since Mark Teixeira did it with the Yankees in 2009-10. He is the only Royals first baseman to be honored with a Gold Glove. The 25-year-old missed a month of the season with a broken hand, but still played the second-most games at first base (130) in the American League and also finished second in total chances (1141), putouts (1043), assists (88) and fourth in zone rating (.854).
Perez also earned back-to-back Rawlings Gold Glove honors, becoming the fourth-straight American League catcher to win the award in at least two consecutive years, joining Ivan Rodriguez (2006-07), Joe Mauer (2008-10) and Matt Wieters (2011-12). He and Bob Boone (1989) are the only Royals catchers to win the award. Salvy set a club record, playing 146 games behind the plate during the regular season, while his 161 games including the postseason were the most ever by a Major League catcher. He led the American League in catcher pickoffs (four) with his 13 career picks tied for fourth among active MLB backstops. An All-Star for the second-straight year, Perez also ranked second in the A.L. in putouts (1037), third in assists (72) and fifth in runners caught stealing (23) this season.
The trio of winners gives the Royals 26 Rawlings Gold Gloves honorees in franchise history, with 12 different players honored. Below is a list of the 26 Royals’ Rawlings Gold Glove winners:
1971 – Amos Otis (OF)
1973 – Amos Otis (OF)
1974 – Amos Otis (OF)
1977 – Al Cowens (OF), Frank White (2B)
1978 – Frank White (2B)
1979 – Frank White (2B)
1980 – Frank White (2B), Willie Wilson (OF)
1981 – Frank White (2B)
1982 – Frank White (2B)
1985 – George Brett (3B)
1986 – Frank White (2B)
1987 – Frank White (2B)
1989 – Bob Boone (C), Bret Saberhagen (P)
2000 – Jermaine Dye (OF)
2006 – Mark Grudzielanek (2B)
2011 – Alex Gordon (OF)
2012 – Alex Gordon (OF)
2013 – Alex Gordon (OF), Eric Hosmer (1B), Salvador Perez (C)
2014 – Alex Gordon (OF), Eric Hosmer (1B), Salvador Perez (C)