NewsZimmerman honored as Web Gem champ
Nationals third baseman becomes first recipient of the award
By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com
10/27/09 3:00 PM ET
It would be easy to overlook the work of Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman at the hot corner. But game in and game out, Zimmerman has consistently put on a show for Washington, making highlight-reel plays commonplace in the nation's capital.Zimmerman's defensive gems have also become a constant part of nightly recap shows. On Monday, the Web Gem Champion award was handed out for the first time by ESPN, which made the Nationals third baseman the first recipient of the honor. This season, Zimmerman was featured more than any other player during the Web Gems segment on the network.
Zimmerman is also among 10 candidates in the running for the Defensive Player of the Year accolade as part of the This Year in Baseball Awards. This past season, Zimmerman finished with a .963 fielding percentage and ranked first among third basemen with 325 assists and fourth with a 2.97 range factor.
Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
