Toronto Blue Jays centre-fielder Vernon Wells was honoured Thursday with his third consecutive Gold Glove Award for fielding excellence in the American League.
Wells, 27, posted four outfield assists and committed only four errors in 154 games for the Blue Jays this season, his eighth in the major leagues.
Vernon Wells won his third Gold Glove Award for fielding on Thursday.
(Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)
Jesse Barfield, Shawn Green and Devon White are the other Blue Jays outfielders to win Gold Gloves.
"Wells is the ultimate player," said Lloyd Moseby, the former Blue Jays centre-fielder who was flanked by Barfield and George Bell in the 1980s.
"I was lucky enough to coach that kid in 1997 and I knew he'd do this. I'm not shocked at all."
"If he is not the best, he is one of the best defensive outfielders in the league," noted Blue Jays third baseman Troy Glaus.
Not that it figured in balloting for the Gold Glove, but he averaged .303 at the plate with 32 home runs, 106 runs batted in, 91 runs scored and 17 stolen bases.
"Playing centre field, hitting is almost a plus," Moseby said. "It is like catching.
"If you can get a good catcher who can call a good ball game and throw guys out, you've got a diamond."
The other two American League outfielders to merit Gold Gloves were Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners and Torii Hunter of the Minnesota Twins, the sixth straight for both.
Suzuki, who played 121 games in right field and 39 in centre field, totalled nine assists and three errors in 160 game, while Hunter had eight assists and four errors in 355 chances over 147 games.
Prior to joining the Mariners, Suzuki earned seven consecutive Gold Gloves with the Orix Blue Wave of the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan.
"He is amazing," Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said. "He is a tremendous athlete.
"You could probably put him at shortstop or second base and he would do good there, too. He is that kind of athlete."
An even dozen for Ivan
Detroit Tigers pitcher Kenny Rogers and catcher Ivan (Pudge) Rodriguez earned their fifth and 12th Gold Gloves, respectively.
Rodriguez's dozen trophies is a record for catchers, and deservedly so.
He committed only two errors in 801 chances, led the majors by throwing out 45.7 per cent (21-46) of potential base stealers.
Rodriguez proved so efficient this season that, at one point, he went nearly two months without conceding a stolen base.
Also winning Gold Gloves were Texas Rangers first baseman Mark Teixeira, Kansas City Royals second baseman Mark Grudzielanek, Oakland Athletics third baseman Eric Chavez and New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.
"The Gold Glove Award means a great deal to me," Jeter said in a statement.
"Fielding does not get many headlines, but it is a big part of the game of baseball. I take great pride in my defence, and to be recognized with a Gold Glove for three straight seasons is a great honour that I'll always cherish."
For Grudzielanek, it represented his first Gold Glove Award, while Teixeira earned his second in a row and Chavez claimed his sixth straight.
"This was the best year I have played defensively," Chavez said. "That is why I felt comfortable.
"I knew I could impact the game defensively. I knew I had to because, offensively, I wasn't able to produce."
The National League winners will be announced Friday.
With files from the Associated Press
