is the gold glove overrated?

Question

Here are my reasons
1. Derek jeter sucks in the field as much as I hate the yankees i'll admit jeter is an above avrige batter
2.I'm a jays fan... and jonny mac (John McDonald) is so amazing in the field... he does hit 9th and is usealy an easy out.
3. Here is a story, i'm playing my mvp baseball 2005 i have played many games with wells in centre and i decide to give him a day off and i put joey gathright in (gathwright is one of the fastest players in the biggs, he currently plays for KC) Justin Morneau hits a hard ball to the warning track i'm thinking i won't catch it but gathwright makes an easy catch. (i'd rather have gathright in center that wells)


Do You think i'm right, rong, or do you hate the gold glove award also?

Answer 1

In my opinion the Glod Glove seems to take the players bat too much into play. It seems like unless you have a good year at the plate you dont get much consideration for the Gold Glove. Would be nice if it was only based on the players ability in the field as there are already awards for batting only, The Silver Slugger, given to each position.

Answer 2

I believe the award is not overrated. However, as many have already stated, since it is awarded through a subjective voting process, the individual players who are honored may be overrated. As one previous answer stated, Jim Kaat won the award one season when he didn't play half the season. Also, in 1999, back with the Rangers, Rafael Palmeiro won his third consecutive award at first base playing only 30 games at that position all season.

With that said, I don't believe that an objective process can fully be implemented. Errors are recorded by the official scorekeeper of each MLB game. Since there is not an official range that each position is responsible to field a ball, and players will often shift their positions to better field certain batters (the Ortiz shift when Big Papi is at the plate, among others), it is difficult (maybe impossible) to implicitly define an objective system to determine a fielders ability. Therefore, a voting process among those who most often watch the game (managers, etc.) are the best equipped to vote on such an award. Since managers are required to not vote for their own players, this may limit some of the popularity vote.

Like all-star voting (where fans can stuff the ballot box 30? times each online), the process may be flawed. However, like all-star honors, I believe that the gold glove is somewhat a popularity contest; but, I believe the best fielding players have been honored more often than undeserving players.

Answer 3

The GOLD GLOVE awards are overrated because they are based on votes and not stats.

The managers and coaches vote, and they can't vote for their own players, so it's already restricted to whom they can vote for.

It is also given to a player that "excels at his position" or "superior at his position" but it's not based on physical stats.

The only way, to me anyway, that the Gold Glove would mean anything is if it was based on fielding percentage. That takes in to account plays and errors. THen it's not subjective, but rather objective.

Of course, others would argue that if you base it on fielding percentage it's not fair because some players get to more balls and run a risk of making more errors. For this I say, then have a minimum amount of plays that must be made. Each position must field X amount of ground/fly balls to qualify. Kind of like a batting average....you must have X amount of AT BATS to qualify.

Answer 4

Jeter is very overrated in the field. McDonald is a great defensive player, I was able to see that when he played with the Indians. I don't think the gold glove is overrated. However, I think it is sometimes voted to the most popular player, not the best.

Answer 5

Yes, alas, it is. Jim Kaat was a great fielding pitcher who won 16 gold gloves. He even won one in an injury-year when he played in fewer than 10 games! Once you get a rep with the players (who do the voting) you win all the time.
Still, it's better that the writers DON'T get to vote for this one. They are no better than old women at voting.

Answer 6

I agree it seems watered down when you watch a game and you hear announcers mention so many players with gold gloves like they're giving them away to anyone who shows up to the award ceremony. I'm sure it's a nice accomplishment but there're so many given out (yes, I understand there are a lot of positions to give them to), it just doesn't sound as impressive as, say, MVP or RofTY.

Answer 7

Gold gloves only show that someone has the reputation for catching balls. If you win it once, you usually win it at least 2 more times. Maybe wellsmade more good catches in 2004 and that's why he won the award then.

Answer 8

Gold gloves are based more on reputation than anything. Rafael Palmeiro won the 1B gold glove one year when he was the DH for more than 120 games.

Answer 9

yes it is just another popularity award. the best players have not been getting the award. Jeter is an average fielder at best but he is popular, so they keep picking him.

Answer 10

your basing it off a video game?
also being fast has nothing to do with it
there are things like range factor and fielding %