11/21/24
August 22, 2007
Rawlings Announces All-Time Gold Glove Team: Previously discussed (in the voting stage) here.
I was probably most surprised by the inclusion of Wes Parker, who I hadn't really heard much about; considering this was a fan vote, it's pretty amazing he won over more "household names." Seems like a very good defensive 1B (from a time when you could get away with putting an offensive liability at 1B) and a great guy. Great quote from him in this story: "I'm out of my mind with joy," Parker says. "I'm the only one of the nine who will not be in the Hall of Fame, so this is the equivalent of the Hall of Fame for me." Looking at the prior SpoFi thread, interesting that Morgan was the winner at 2B (albeit in a highly fragmented vote), considering most of the debate here was Alomar vs. Maz.
posted by holden at 12:35 PM on August 22, 2007
Brooks Robinson the greatest glove I ever saw period.
posted by thatch at 03:25 PM on August 22, 2007
Joe Morgan at second is, well, just wrong. I would've gone with Alomar and (based on several coherent arguments from you fellas) accepted Maz. Don't know much about Wes Parker, but his reaction is priceless. Greg Maddux was a wise choice. For a bunch of reasons... Including self-preservation.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 03:50 PM on August 22, 2007
I would just like to make it clear that I was among the 50% that voted for Maddux. Just wanted to make that known in case a certain someone were to check.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 04:55 PM on August 22, 2007
I can't understand how anyone would be baffled by Jeter being one of the best defensive shortstops of all time. His fielding percentage is right up there with Aparicio's, Belanger's, and Concepcion's with only Belanger having a higer one. Plus on top of the fielding percentage the guy is willing to go out there and kill himself to make a play and has some of the best defensive awareness any one will ever see.
posted by dj sko at 05:41 PM on August 22, 2007
dj - he can't get to half the balls that others can. Range factor, baby. Range factor. What do you call a 4 hopper to Jeter's left?... A base hit!
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 06:51 PM on August 22, 2007
The Wes Parker vote got a lot of help from the Inside the Dodgers blog.
posted by jasonspaceman at 07:44 PM on August 22, 2007
Haha, Jeter the second best shortstop of all time. I'm sure nobody will have a negative opinion on that.
posted by vito90 at 08:59 PM on August 22, 2007
dj - he can't get to half the balls that others can. Range factor, baby. Range factor. I can't believe you fell for this one, weedy. dj sko = Derek Jeter, Sexy Kalamazoo Overlord
posted by holden at 10:04 PM on August 22, 2007
These lists always get picked apart on here, and probably everywhere alse too. The biggest problem I had with it was 2B, and judging by some of the above comments I am not alone. Morgan over Alomar?? Come on, thats just goofy. Good one Holden, but Kalamanzoo? Where did that come from?
posted by jojomfd1 at 03:29 AM on August 23, 2007
Good one Holden, but Kalamanzoo? Where did that come from? Jeter moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan when he was four and lived there his entire childhood.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 06:21 AM on August 23, 2007
What YYM said. I will always remember Jeter as a product of Kalamazoo Central High School (easily the school's most famous alum).
posted by holden at 07:47 AM on August 23, 2007
I may be just being a homer, but Frank White was no slouch.
posted by kcfan4life at 11:44 AM on August 23, 2007
"Don't sell yourself short, Frank, your a tremendous slouch." Sorry, first thing that came to mind, and I agree with you, having grown up watching George, Frank, Williw Wilson, Freedy Patek, and later U.L. Washington. (How's that for the run-on sentence of the day?) Tremendous, both infield and outfield. I still have the life-sized George Brett heighth chart poster on the back of my bedroom door, and the ladies love it! Will I never grow up?
posted by hawkguy at 12:06 PM on August 23, 2007
dj sko = Derek Jeter, Sexy Kalamazoo Overlord Haha. Damn you got me. Talking range factor though, I've seen Jeter snag balls from the outfield and make the play at first many times, as I'm sure many of you have as well. As a matter of fact on pretty much every highlight reel I see nowadays there is always a play of Jeter doing his jump, twist, and throw out the runner at first from shallow left field.
posted by dj sko at 08:06 PM on August 27, 2007
Thank you yym and Holden for the explaination on the kalamanzoo thing. Dj sko, Jeter throwing someone out from shallow left is an example of him playing deep. When they were speaking of his limited range, that meant his ability to get the balls hit to his left and right.
posted by jojomfd1 at 04:41 AM on August 28, 2007
You might also find more than one person who questions the Jeter Jump 'n' Throw Maneuver.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 08:39 AM on August 28, 2007
I'm beginning to wonder if I'm the only one who actually watches Jeter play. When he makes a play behind second base what is that a result of? I think that would be reffered to as range. And I'm definitely not saying the jump 'n' throw move is called for everytime, I am saying that when it is necessary it is almost always successful. And even if you're playing deep in the hole, if you end up in left field you had to run a fairly long way, farther than you would for most balls hit to the short stop.
posted by dj sko at 12:11 PM on August 30, 2007
Derek Jeter isn't even the best defensive shortstop in the American League East right now (John McDonald), never mind the absurdity of considering him as one of the all-time greats.
posted by tommybiden at 04:17 PM on August 30, 2007
I'm beginning to wonder if I'm the only one who actually watches Jeter play. When he makes a play behind second base... obviously you're not watching close enough because Jeter never makes a play behind second base. ok maybe not never. but hardly ever, which is close enough to never that it shouldn't even come into play when trying to defend Jeter as one of the top defensive shortstops of all-time.
posted by goddam at 06:20 PM on August 30, 2007
Well, thank heaven for all the hoboes in America that Greg Maddux was chosen. They may have all voted for him just to save their own hides. These lists are never right, I know, but how Derek Jeter is considered the second-best fielding shortstop of all time baffles me. I mean, he's fine and all, but Aparicio, Belanger & Concepcion (ABC!) all belong ahead of him on that list for sure.