NewsCrawford honored for defensive prowess
Rays star near-unanimous selection as top left fielder
By Bill Chastain / MLB.com
10/30/09 4:50 PM ET
ST. PETERSBURG -- Carl Crawford's fielding is finally getting some recognition.The talented Rays left fielder won the Most Valuable Player Award for the 2009 All-Star Game after making a game-saving catch, now he has won the 2009 Fielding Bible Award for left field in The Bill James Handbook 2010. This is Crawford's third Fielding Bible Award.
A panel of 10 experts, including James, Peter Gammons, Joe Posnanski, and John Dewan, author of the new Fielding Bible Volume II, chose Crawford with a near unanimous vote.
In granting the award to Crawford, Dewan wrote: "This was no contest. No player has ever won with a perfect record [10 first-place votes from 10 panelists], but Carl came as close as possible with nine first-place votes and one second. That's 99 points. [The best previously was 98 points by Adam Everett at shortstop in 2006.] If Crawford doesn't win his first Gold Glove this year, I'm going to throw up."
Officially announced annually on Nov. 1, the Fielding Bible Awards attempt to name the single best fielder at each of the nine positions in the Major Leagues.
National League players were chosen at three positions, American League players at five, and Jack Wilson, who played in both leagues, was the selection at shortstop.
The 2009 Fielding Bible Award winners are Crawford, Wilson, Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, Blue Jays second baseman Aaron Hill, Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, Mariners center fielder Franklin Gutierrez and right fielder Ichiro Suzuki, Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina and White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle.
Bill Chastain is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
