NEW YORK — Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and third baseman Adrian Beltre, and Cascade High School grad Grady Sizemore were among the American League players awarded Gold Gloves on Thursday.
The outfield was a repeat from last season, with Los Angeles’ Torii Hunter and Suzuki each each winning for the eighth straight year, and Sizemore, who plays for the Cleveland Indians, earning his second award.
Beltre won for the second straight year.
Texas shortstop Michael Young became the first infielder to win a Gold Glove from a team with the worst fielding percentage in the majors. Young, first baseman Carlos Pena of Tampa Bay, Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia and Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer were first-time winners.
New York Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina, coming off his first 20-win season, added to his accolades with his seventh Gold Glove.
Pena became the first player in Tampa Bay history to win a Gold Glove.
“I think this is the first of many for the Tampa Bay Rays,” he said on a conference call. “I feel like we all won the Gold Glove as a team. I think we all make each other better.”
Rawlings has presented Gold Gloves to the major leagues’ top fielders since 1957. Managers and coaches pick players in their own leagues near the end of the regular season. They can’t vote for someone on their team.
Hunter has not made an error since Aug. 31, 2007. The AL outfield record for Gold Gloves is 10, shared by Ken Griffey Jr. and Al Kaline.
Pedroia, the AL Rookie of the Year last season, joined Kevin Youkilis (2007) and Jason Varitek (2005) as the only Red Sox players to win a Gold Glove in the past 17 seasons.
Young led AL shortstops in fielding percentage. This was his fifth season at the spot since switching over from second base.
Mussina won for the first time since 2003. At 39, he was the oldest AL winner this year. Pitcher Greg Maddux won an NL Gold Glove this week at 42.
Hunter and Sizemore earned $100,000 bonuses in their contracts for winning Gold Gloves. Beltre and Suzuki got $50,000 each and Pena, Mauer and Young won $25,000 apiece. Mussina and Pedroia did not have Gold Glove clauses.
The NL Gold Gloves were announced Wednesday. Along with Maddux, winners were catcher Yadier Molina, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, second baseman Brandon Phillips, shortstop Jimmy Rollins, third baseman David Wright and outfielders Nate McLouth, Carlos Beltran and Shane Victorino.
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