Alex Gordon Awarded Seventh Rawlings Gold Glove
KANSAS CITY, MO (November 3, 2019) – Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc., and ESPN announced tonight that Royals left fielder Alex Gordon has earned his seventh career Rawlings Gold Glove Award, receiving the award for the third time in as many seasons. Gordon was also honored as the top left fielder in the American League by Rawlings from 2011-14 and 2017-18.Dating back to 2011, Kansas City has won a Major League-best 17 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards and are the only American League team with at least one winner in each of the last nine seasons (since 2011), trailing only Colorado’s streak of 10-straight seasons among Major League teams.
The awards were voted on by managers and coaches from the American and National Leagues, and honor the best individual fielding performances at each position in both leagues.
Kansas City now has 35 Rawlings Gold Gloves by 13 different players in its 50-year history. Gordon’s seven awards are second most in franchise history, trailing Frank White’s eight (1977-82, ’86-87).
Gordon, who was named the Rawlings Platinum Glove winner in 2014, has 98 outfield assists since 2010, tied with Gerardo Parra for most in the Majors during that time. His seven outfield assists – including three in his first 17 games – tied for third-most among Major League left fielders, two shy of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. for the lead. He was charged with just one error in 276 chances in left field, the fewest by a left fielder with as many chances since his 2013 campaign, when he committed just one error in 341 chances. Gordon’s only error came on May 18 at Angel Stadium as he ended the season with 105-straight games (104 starts) and 214 total chances without an error. Since moving to the outfield in 2010, only one other outfielder has more total chances that Gordon (2,788) and fewer errors (18): Nick Markakis (14 E in 2,918 TC).
Alex’s seven Rawlings Gold Gloves are second most among outfielders active in 2019, trailing Ichiro Suzuki’s 10. Gordon was one of three finalists among American League left fielders, beating out Boston’s Andrew Benintendi and Oakland’s Robbie Grossman.
Voting for the Rawlings Platinum Gold Glove Award presented by SABR began at the conclusion of the awards show at www.rawlings.com, allowing the public to weigh in as to who is “The Finest in the Field ®” in both the American League and National League. A combination of the international fan vote and the SABR Defensive Index will determine who takes home the honor of each League’s top defensive player. The Rawlings Platinum Glove Award winners will be unveiled during the 2019 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Ceremony presented by Gold Sport Collectibles on Friday, November 8.
Below is a list of Kansas City’s 35 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners by 13 different players:
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 (LF)
2012 – Alex Gordon (LF)
2013 – Alex Gordon (LF), Eric Hosmer (1B), Salvador Perez (C)
2014 – Alex Gordon (LF), Eric Hosmer (1B), Salvador Perez (C)
2015 – Alcides Escobar (SS), Eric Hosmer (1B), Salvador Perez (C)
2016 – Salvador Perez (C)
2017 – Alex Gordon (LF), Eric Hosmer (1B)
2018 – Alex Gordon (LF), Salvador Perez (C)
2019 – Alex Gordon (LF)
Each manager and up to six coaches on his staff vote from a pool of qualified players in their League and cannot vote for players on their own team. In 2013, Rawlings added a sabermetric component to the Rawlings Gold Glove Award selection process, as part of its new collaboration with the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). The SABR Defensive Index comprises approximately 25 percent of the overall selection total, while the managers’ and coaches’ vote continues to carry the majority.