Mark Buehrle wins third consecutive Gold Glove
by Jim Margalus on Nov 1, 2011 9:57 PM CDT
in White Sox News
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PrintWhen Mark Buehrle won his first Gold Glove in 2009, he was well aware that the recipients tend to benefit from the power of inertia:
"Hopefully, I earned it and it wasn't about, 'They retired, so let's give it to him,'" Buehrle said. "I don't like that. I don't want to win it this year, and then they just hand it to me because I won it for the first time. You should earn it every year."
Well, Buehrle still hasn't lost it since he won it. Tonight, he took home a Gold Glove for the third straight year, and it's the third straight year he deserved it.
Unlike last year, Buehrle didn't have that one signature play that locked up the award. This time, it was his entire season's body of work -- starring his ability to control the running game, reaction time and range off the mound -- that kept the hardware coming.
The Fielding Bible, which also named Buehrle as the game's best defensive pitcher, summed up his case succinctly:
It’s a third consecutive Fielding Bible Award for Mark Buehrle. It is remarkable how Buehrle puts up excellent Defensive Runs Saved numbers year after year. He saved an estimated nine runs defensively for the White Sox in 2011, tops among all pitchers in baseball. He had eight saved runs in 2010, 11 in 2009, and has averaged about eight per year going back to 2004. His control of the running game is uncanny. Only three baserunners were successful stealing bases in 2011 with Buehrle on the mound, while nine of them were caught stealing or picked off by Buehrle. He covers his position as well, with 15 of his Runs Saved guarding the territory around the mound over the last three years.
Buehrle finished the year with the lowest stolen-base success rate allowed by any American League starter (30 percent, or 3-for-10) -- and A.J. Pierzynski caught most of his starts. He can credit his great move to first, as he finished with six pickoffs in 2011...
...and zero balks. In fact, he managed to avoid Joe West's crew all season.
Buehrle's top play of the season doesn't involve tumbling, but it's still hard for any current pitcher to match:
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I was waiting to be inspired by actually hearing and seeing it for myself.
It probably would’ve been a wild ride.
Whales! Squids! Sharks! They're everywhere! Hello, I am Poseidon! Now, when people told me I was crazy that thinly sliced roast beef would be a delicious fast-food option, I knew it was the greatest idea, and you can thank me later for Arby's.
by Jim Margalus on Nov 1, 2011 10:02 PM CDT up reply actions
With catcher defense being a lot murkier than most positions, I thought he had a shot.
This is not to say I think he deserved to have that shot, but I could see enough about him calling a good game and handling wild pitches and catching all those innings and so on for him to squeak one out.
by mechanical turk on Nov 1, 2011 10:07 PM CDT up reply actions
I love this guy.
Sign this man.
The sun on the balcony is almost unbearable, worse than the booing fans in Chicago shedding miserable light on his failures at work.
by winningugly on Nov 1, 2011 10:01 PM CDT via mobile reply actions 1 recs
I second your statement
I’m going to be really, really sad if he isn’t back. Happiest White Sox moment that didn’t involve World Series was the day that it was announced Buehrle signed his extension.
It was then I realized vegans can’t be trusted
by Scotty Ballgame on Nov 1, 2011 10:57 PM CDT up reply actions
I second that statement as well. Nothing to add.
Warning: Read my posts at your own risk!
by JofpGallagher on Nov 2, 2011 6:39 AM CDT up reply actions
sahweet
A lady who loves sports: hockey is number one though. BLACKHAWKS, WHITE SOX AND BEARS
by pierzynskirules on Nov 1, 2011 10:01 PM CDT reply actions
you should probably save the template for this post.
Some people get so rich they lose all respect for humanity. That's how rich I want to be.
congrats to buehrle.
i hope its not his last one with the sox.
Kenwo4life=ratings. Just call me Mr. USA Today.
hey omar blow me! mentioned cabrera and andrus but not alexei!
jealous bastard.
and gordon beckham got screwed. as bad as he was with the bat he was fascinating with the glove.
Kenwo4life=ratings. Just call me Mr. USA Today.
This
I can’t believe he didn’t bring up alexei…his protegee…because well, you know, alwxei would have been nothing without omar’s mentoring. Maybe not mentioning him was alexei’s final test of fortitude?
It came from afar and traveled sedately on, a shrug of eternity
Pedroia UZR was far far far better than Ramirez (17.9 vs 4.9...phew...huge gap there)
Can’t believe I said that.
Warning: Read my posts at your own risk!
by JofpGallagher on Nov 2, 2011 6:42 AM CDT up reply actions
By Ramirez I meant Gordon.......Gordon Ramirez Beckham
Warning: Read my posts at your own risk!
by JofpGallagher on Nov 2, 2011 6:43 AM CDT up reply actions 4 recs
Why does everyone think Beckham can field so well?
Admittedly, it’s the only thing he can do a little since his torrid doubles hitting of two yesteryears ago. But as stated, his UZR was only 4.9 this year. It was -.8 last year (data not available for his first season). If he’s so good at fielding, when will it start showing up in the data?
Brent Morel, also with an unimpressive UZR to hype ratio. Hawk thinks he’s Brooks Robinson or something. Maybe everyone thinks these guys can field because they can’t do shit with the bat (Morel’s end of season excepted). In actuality, these guys can’t do much of anything, and their biggest positives are fielding competently but not spectacularly or even better than ‘good.’
LeBron James: Which of His Blessings would you deny?
by ProfessorEmmer on Nov 2, 2011 11:04 AM CDT up reply actions
if you watched the games the old eye test will tell you beckham is pretty damn good with the glove.
and his arm. turns a lot of double plays that i don’t feel would be turned by other guys.
Kenwo4life=ratings. Just call me Mr. USA Today.
The eye test
is what leads to Jeter winning the award. When the data contradicts the eye test, in most cases, one’s preconceived notions are in error.
Of course he’s good with the glove. He plays 2B in the majors. What we’re (and UZR is) interested in is how many runs better than replacement he is. Turns out, not that much, certainly not the praise you’re heaping on him.
How many more double plays did he turn than the average 2B? Which other guys? How many other games did you watch in order to come to this conclusion?
You watched a lot of Sox games, sure. Significantly less fewer other games. This is why we collect data and not feelings, because data is accumulated, scientific evidence, and feelings are you sitting on your couch watching him make a great play, but not realizing that many other 2B make that play as well, because you can only really watch Sox games (maybe a few Cubbie ones and the Yanks-Sawx ESPN games) and so you have no idea if that play is made by other guys or not.
This is why we have the data. If my understanding of UZR is correct, it is compiled from people watching every play of every game, charting the position of the ball on the field and the result.
Buehrleman charts his data. He doesn’t use ‘eye test’ to determine Quentin’s stats. He doesn’t say, “I feel like Quentin has swung at 44% of first pitch strikes.” He knows it.
LeBron James: Which of His Blessings would you deny?
by ProfessorEmmer on Nov 2, 2011 11:31 AM CDT up reply actions
thats interesting because in my eye test
jeter sucks.
Kenwo4life=ratings. Just call me Mr. USA Today.
by KenWo4LiFe on Nov 2, 2011 11:37 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
"What we’re (and UZR is) interested in is how many runs better than replacement he is."
that is really wrong.
and, you know, it could be that the average 2B in 2011 is actually a pretty good defender. because, you know, the comparison is to all of them in a given season. also, there is certainly reason to believe that, given the added emphasis placed on defense in recent seasons, the overall quality of defense has improved.
i'd agree that infield defense is better in general lately.
Some people get so rich they lose all respect for humanity. That's how rich I want to be.
I have to agree with the Professor on Beckham
He makes plays that seem outstanding because he has to dive or go the extra mile to make them. Some of the plays he makes might be a little more routine for other secondbasemen. He certainly didn’t deserve the gold glove but I think he is above average and that is just from the old eyetest. He gets heaped with praise on his defense because of the grindy nature of it.
It came from afar and traveled sedately on, a shrug of eternity
nah. i'm not a grindy kind of guy.
i’m more impressed with his range up the middle and being able to make a strong throw to beat a runner by a half step at first. happens quite often for beckham. doesn’t happen on other teams.
its kind of like alexei’s range towards third base. he makes some unbelievable plays in the hole because of his arm.
Kenwo4life=ratings. Just call me Mr. USA Today.
to just pound the point in the ground
what do these attributes say about how these players will position themselves and how it will affect the positioning of others.
i’m more impressed with his range up the middle and being able to make a strong throw to beat a runner by a half step
The issue with this is a good fielder might end up with fewer of these than a bad fielder because the good fielder gets more of these runners out by a full step. Not as exciting but better.
i'll just refer you to my post below.
beckham covers for the lack of range of konerko, at the particular expense of balls hit up the middle. this is ameliorated some by ramirez. but is further harmed by the generally crappy defending by white sox pitchers. i mean, unless the ball hits humber, he’s not stopping anything. jackson was the same way.
humber is remarkably terrible at fielding his position.
i don’t think i’ve ever seen a guy with reflexes as slow as him.
Kenwo4life=ratings. Just call me Mr. USA Today.
also
whether an umpire determines if a hitter swings at a pitch is not something open to debate. whether a play is in a certain zone or a batted ball is of a certain type? someone has to use their eyes for that.
that reminds me,
i haven’t looked at the information in a while but i’m still not sure if jeff kellogg called the first pitch to quentin in his second plate appearance on may 17th a callled strike or a strike swinging (because of a check swing). baseball-reference and mlb have it as a called strike but i really thought he swung at it.
it’s been kind of bothering me.
"michael gilhaney is an example of a man that is nearly banjaxed from the principal of the atomic theory. would it astonish you to hear that he is nearly half a bicycle?" ~~ sergeant pluck
It's a called strike.
Just watched it and had pitch f/x up.
"Many people need desperately to receive this message: 'I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone.'"
thanks dude!
i feel more comfortable going with called strike now.
"michael gilhaney is an example of a man that is nearly banjaxed from the principal of the atomic theory. would it astonish you to hear that he is nearly half a bicycle?" ~~ sergeant pluck
fielding bible wasn't so high on alexei this year
his point tally ranked 3rd last year, but 7th this year
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Highly underrated, Mark Kotsay became the best defensive designated hitter in American League history in 2010.
by onlysoxfaninbasel on Nov 2, 2011 2:01 AM CDT reply actions
However
Akexei was first in UZR for all MLB shortstops
by ObsidianXIII on Nov 2, 2011 6:48 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
i wouldn't rely on a 1-year sample of UZR
Jim Thome sponsor(s) this page.
Highly underrated, Mark Kotsay became the best defensive designated hitter in American League history in 2010.
by onlysoxfaninbasel on Nov 2, 2011 8:12 AM CDT up reply actions
Over the last two years
Alexei is first in SS UZR with 22.7. Tulo is a distant second with 14.4. Yes, I know that three years of UZR is equivalent to one year of batting average. But last year he was second, this year he was first. He deserved the gold glove in one year if not both.
LeBron James: Which of His Blessings would you deny?
by ProfessorEmmer on Nov 2, 2011 11:09 AM CDT up reply actions
save this template for Morel
Give the kid two years and he’ll be GG caliber. As long as his bat doesn’t drive down his votes.
"Good teams win games. Bad teams have meetings."
by BobbySouthSide on Nov 2, 2011 6:18 AM CDT via iPhone app reply actions
Your face drives down votes.
The sun on the balcony is almost unbearable, worse than the booing fans in Chicago shedding miserable light on his failures at work.
by winningugly on Nov 2, 2011 6:55 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
I'm sure this is the same logic you used when you voted in your third presidential election
For JFK, you OPOS.
"Good teams win games. Bad teams have meetings."
by BobbySouthSide on Nov 2, 2011 6:32 PM CDT via iPhone app up reply actions
Again, why does everyone think Morel is so good with the glove?
He makes some great plays. That is expected when you play 3rd, when you get the opportunity to dive a lot and grab hot smashes. People on this blog (representative of other Sox fans) think Beckham and Morel are amazing with the glove, but when compared with their peers, aren’t actually that great. 3Bmen with 300 PA with a higher UZR last year (again, three years needed so there is some error): Polanco, Sandoval, Beltre, A-Rod, Longoria, Hannahan, Callaspo, McGehee, Prado, Murphy, R Roberts, Tejada, Freese, Inge, Izturis, Figgins.
Crede posted UZRs of 17, 5, 6, and 7. That dude could field. Morel? It remains to be seen.
LeBron James: Which of His Blessings would you deny?
by ProfessorEmmer on Nov 2, 2011 11:15 AM CDT up reply actions
Again, why do you keep citing one year of UZR as gospel?
Whales! Squids! Sharks! They're everywhere! Hello, I am Poseidon! Now, when people told me I was crazy that thinly sliced roast beef would be a delicious fast-food option, I knew it was the greatest idea, and you can thank me later for Arby's.
by Jim Margalus on Nov 2, 2011 11:16 AM CDT up reply actions
selective.
as the full time third baseman for the white sox, he really posted UZRs of 7.6, 2.2, 5.5, 17.1, 6.7 and 7.1. interesting spread there.
and one reason his single season UZR
to complete the thought
morel and beckham have an out of zone plays superstar in alexei ramirez playing next to them. for which we have strong reason to believe, particularly in a single year sample size, affects the UZR of the players around him. beckham also has a horseshit range player next to him. for which we have strong reason to believe, particularly in a single year sample size, affects the UZR of the players around him.
i know you don’t like the eye test, but maybe take a look at the positioning of the white sox infield and then take a look at the positioning of another team playing the same team with a similar pitcher on the mound. and then let me know what differences you see.
I'd love to see a full post on this
Some pictures showing where Beckham lines up compared to the second basemen on teams with rangy 1B or shitty SS would give me special feelings in my SABR.
i'd take the other side of that bet.
3B isn’t an easy position to defend your way into a gold glove.
just ask joe crede.
Some people get so rich they lose all respect for humanity. That's how rich I want to be.
Maybe...
I think Buehrle won the Gold Glove because he wants to move on from pitching and become a manager… Just kidding, Larry, Go White Sox!!!
GET TO THE CHOPPA!!!
larry.
"michael gilhaney is an example of a man that is nearly banjaxed from the principal of the atomic theory. would it astonish you to hear that he is nearly half a bicycle?" ~~ sergeant pluck
by BuehrleMan on Nov 2, 2011 10:22 AM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
buehrle should have eleven gold gloves.
screw mussina, he’s a robot. screw kenny rogers, he’s a lantern-jawed jackass. and screw johan santana, just because.
"michael gilhaney is an example of a man that is nearly banjaxed from the principal of the atomic theory. would it astonish you to hear that he is nearly half a bicycle?" ~~ sergeant pluck
by BuehrleMan on Nov 2, 2011 10:22 AM CDT reply actions 3 recs
kenny rogers is the worst. FKR.
Some people get so rich they lose all respect for humanity. That's how rich I want to be.
white sox spring training starts in 4 1/2 months
got football and march madness to get you through that
The realist keepin it real amongst the surrealists
R.I.P. Big Homey Nate Dogg: "Cuz Iiiiiiiiii have ne-evv-ver met a giiiiiiiiiirrrrrrllllllllllllllllllll tha-at I loved in the whole wide wooorrrlllllddddddd"
by starbury_to_s-jaxci2000 on Nov 3, 2011 1:14 AM CDT up reply actions
that's like saying i have inflatable dolls and CD-ROM porn to help me get over my wife walking out on me
SHOW GREG WALKER THE NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION VIDEO!
by billyok on Nov 3, 2011 11:37 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
well either you stock up on the vaseline and keep fooling yourself that this is suitable
or you pony up some money and go find some hookers that you want to make your girlfriend
or damnit you go get your wife back at any means necessary because there is no alternate universe where you two are apart. you two being an item is meant to be everlasting until you both go to the grave
The realist keepin it real amongst the surrealists
R.I.P. Big Homey Nate Dogg: "Cuz Iiiiiiiiii have ne-evv-ver met a giiiiiiiiiirrrrrrllllllllllllllllllll tha-at I loved in the whole wide wooorrrlllllddddddd"
by starbury_to_s-jaxci2000 on Nov 3, 2011 8:19 PM CDT up reply actions
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