The American League Gold Glove Awards came out today, and as you can see by the title, there was at least one glaring mistake. The Gold Glove for shortstop went to Derek Jeter, with Elvis Andrus having to wait another year for this joker to get out of the way.
Yankee fans will point out that Jeter had the fewest errors in the league at the position for 2010. To that I will point out that you make fewer errors when you have less range and make it to less grounders. Also, when you have Mark Teixeira, a deserved Gold Glover, at first base picking all of your junk out of the dirt, then that'll save you some E-6's, too.
Oh, but what about the great jump throws from the hole that Jeter has been making for his whole career, Yankee fans will ask. First of all, the award is supposed to be a year to year thing, not a lifetime achievement award. Secondly, the plays Jeter has to make acrobatically are ones that Elvis Andrus makes flat-footed more often than not because of his superior range.
Elvis will win his share of awards, but that doesn't excuse those who voted (American League coaches and managers) from picking a guy based on past success. Rangers fans know that the Gold Glove can be given out haphazardly. Remember when Rafael Palmeiro won the award about a decade ago when he was primarily a DH that season? I think he played less than 20 games at first, and a lot of those were in interleague games.
Elvis deserved it. Jeter doesn't. End of rant.
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