| BASEBALL PLAY AMERICA |
| NEW YORK – The 2009 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Winners for the American League have been announced by Rawlings Sporting Goods. Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki and Los Angeles Angels center fielder Torii Hunter received Gold Gloves for the ninth straight year in the American League this year. Hunter and Suzuki are one shy of the AL record for outfielders, shared by Ken Griffey Jr. and Hall of Famer Al Kaline.
Derek Jeter won his fourth Gold Glove at shortstop, joining New York Yankees teammate and first baseman Mark Teixeira among the AL players honored for fielding excellence. First-time winners included Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria, Baltimore outfielder Adam Jones and Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle. Longoria, last year’s AL Rookie of the Year, unseated Seattle’s Adrian Beltre at third base. Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer, a top contender for AL MVP, and Detroit second baseman Placido Polanco earned their second award. “Defense is a cornerstone of the Rawlings brand,” said Mike Thompson, Rawlings Senior Vice-President for Sports Marketing. “Since its creation in 1957, the Rawlings Gold Glove Award has been bestowed on some of the greatest defensive players the game has ever seen.” Managers and coaches vote on players in their own leagues before the regular season ends, but they may not select members of their own teams. The complete American League Rawlings Gold Glove lineup includes:
 In addition to his fifth championship, Jeter also took home the Roberto Clemente Award for excellence on the field and in the community, and his second Hank Aaron Award as the AL’s top hitter. A 10-time All-Star, Jeter won three consecutive Gold Gloves from 2004-06. This season, Jeter made a career-low eight errors and matched his personal best with a .986 fielding percentage, both ranking at the top of the AL charts. He anchored an outstanding Yankees infield as New York set a major league record by going 18 games without an error from May 14 to June 1.
Mauer, a top contender for AL MVP, played Gold Glove-caliber defense, and at a tougher position, he committed a mere three errors. In winning his third batting title with a .365 average, the highest ever for a catcher, Mauer lifted his game from its previous lofty level. "While his defense earned him this award, his offense is also a big reason why he might rank among the best in history by the time his career is complete," wrote Kelly Thesier, MLB.com. Twins manager Ron Gardenshire said, "When Joe is not in the lineup and not in the field handling the running game and everything, you miss those things."
Longoria, Tampa Bays’ brilliant third baseman, said, “It’s the one award I wanted to win since I started pro ball. I take a lot of pride in my defense, so this award is very special to me. It’s humbling to have your name associated with some of the great players who have won a Gold Glove, especially the third basemen.” In adddition to the voters, Longoria thanked teammate Carlos Pena, last season's Gold Glove winner at first base. "We all know how good he is. He probably saved me at least five errors this year, so without him the award might not have been possible," Longoria said. In his first season with the Yankees, Teixeira impressed with his reliable glove as well as his powerful bat. He saved runs with diving stops, nimble stretches and tough scoops. Pictured at right, Teixeira reaches for the ball to complete a double play as Phillies’ Jimmy Rollins approaches first base during the fifth inning of Game 6 of the World Series. Teammates and opponents alike pointed to his substantial effect on the club’s overall defense. A Gold Glove winner in 2005 and ’06 with Texas, Teixeira committed just four errors this year and had a .997 fielding percentage. Polanco committed two errors all season. The Tigers’ second baseman also won in 2007 – without making an error, before losing out last year to Boston’s Dustin Pedroia. On the mound, Buehrle pitched a perfect game against Tampa Bay on July 23. When he allows runners, he’s particularly effective at holding them on. The left-hander yielded only four stolen bases in eight tries this season and picked off eight runners. Photographs by The Associated Press, Al Tielemans, Sports Illustrated, and Eric Gay, AP |
| NEW YORK – Shortstop Jimmy Rollins won his third consecutive National League Gold Glove and Philadelphia Phillies teammate Shane Victorino won for the second straight time in the outfield, as announced by Rawlings Sporting Goods. Rollins became the Phillies fifth three-time winner, joining Mike Schmidt (10), Gary Maddox (eight), Manny Trillo and Scott Rolen (three each). St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina and San Diego first baseman Adrian Gonzalez also were second-time winners.
Adam Wainwright became the first St. Louis pitcher to win since Joaquin Andujar in 1984 and succeeded Greg Maddux, who won his record 18th Gold Glove last year. Wainwright also was a favorite for the NL Cy Young Award after going 19-8 with a 2.63 ERA. Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Orlano Hudson overcame a broken left wrist sustained in August 2008 and won for the fourth time, taking over from Cincinnati’s Brandon Phillips even though Hudson lost playing time by September to teammate Ronnie Belliard. Hudson didn’t make a single playoffs start for Los Angeles, then became a free agent. “I had a good season,” he said. “I would be interested in coming back.” The complete American League Rawlings Gold Glove lineup includes:
 Rollins, the Phillies’ catalyst of their offense and defense, pictured above, had a .990 fielding percentage, the best at his position in the Major Leagues. “When Jimmy is right offensively,” said Phillies’ manager Charlie Manuel, “with the way he plays defense, that’s what makes him one of the best players in the game.” Victorino rode the wave of momentum from another sterling defensive campaign that saw him make his first All-Star team. He made only one error in 345 chances a year after making two in 323 chances. That was good for a fielding percentage of .997.
One of the least surprising honorees was Molina, who won his second straight Gold Glove after making only five errors in 971 total chances (.995), throwing out 40.7 percent of would-be base stealers, leading the majors with eight pickoffs and compiling a 3.48 catcher’s ERA. Wainwright threw a league-best 233 innings, didn’t make a single error in 56 chances and nabbed the first Gold Glove in this A.G.M. (After Greg Maddux era) era. Pictured here is Molina talking with Wainwright during a game in September. Gonzalez appeared in 156 games at first base this season, committing seven errors in 1,367 total chances for a .995 fielding percentage. His 136 assists ranked second among all Major League first basemen. Hudson won his fourth Gold Glove. Known as “O-Dog,” he was stingy in the field again in 2009, making eight errors in 692 chances for the highest fielding percentage (.988) of his career.
Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman replaced the New York Mets’ David Wright, a boyhood friend, and became only the second Washington Nationals player to win the award. Zimmerman made his first All-Star team and batted .292 with 33 home runs and 106 RBIs. He led all NL third basemen in total chances (459), assists (325), range factor per game (2.97), and games started (153). “Our team as a whole needs to realize that if we want to win, we’ve got to play defense,” said Zimmerman. “We need to take more responsibility on the defensive side of the ball and realize that if we want to start winning, fielding is just as much a part of winning as hitting and scoring runs.” Houston outfielder Michael Bourn, 26, excited the Houston crowd all season with diving plays, had 11 assists, and a .992 fielding percentage. “Michael is a difference-maker in center field,” Astros general manager Ed Wade said. “His range, routes and instincts are unbelievable. It’s tough to quantify how many runs he saves with his defense.” Bourn, Zimmerman and Dodgers Matt Kemp were all first-time winners. Kemp received the ultimate defensive recognition for his 14 outfield assists, and for making only two errors in 393 chances (.995). Photographs by Matt Slocum, Tom Gannan, and Evan Vucci, Associated Press |
| There is nobody in baseball more respected than Derek Jeter. He plays the game extraordinarily well, as evidenced by his breaking Lou Gehrig’s all-time Yankees’ hit record. But he also plays it right. Jeter tied the Iron Horse on Wednesday, Sept. 9, against the Tampa Bay Rays. After an off-day, the Yanks began their series against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday, September 11. In the bottom of the third inning, Jeter singled to right off of Orioles’ pitcher Chris Tillman for hit number 2,722 of his career, putting him atop the Yankees’ career hit list.
When the All-Star Game lasted 15 innings in July 2008 at Yankee Stadium, who stayed until the end, hugging Justin Morneau and Michael Young and all his other teammates-for-a-day? Other players left the ballpark; Jeter stayed. When Major League Baseball needed one player to show up for a World Baseball Classic news conference at the winter meetings last December, representing the United States, whom did they ask? Derek Jeter. There are countless other examples, including one Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. After tying Gehrig’s record, Jeter wanted to respond to the fans’ standing ovation. But he was acutely aware that the Rays, not the Yankees, were winning the game. He took his cue from the opposing bench.
“I did not want to disrespect them when I was at first base,” Jeter said. “I appreciated what the fans did and I wanted to acknowledge them. I still felt kind of awkward because I didn’t want to do anything that would upset them. When I saw them giving me an ovation, that is something I will definitely appreciate for a long time.” An article about Jeter’s feat on mlb.com closes with an anecdote from the Angels’ Howie Kendrick, reflecting on an encounter with Jeter early in Kendrick’s career: “I remember facing Mike Mussina in New York. I stayed on a cutter and hit it to right field for a base hit. He said: ‘Nice swing. Not a lot of hitters would have stayed that long on that one.’ Coming from him, something like that means a lot to a guy." “I can’t tell you how much I admire Derek Jeter, everything about him. He’s a symbol of everything that’s right about the game, as far as I’m concerned. He’s a great role model for other players. When I tell my kids or grandkids about the great players from my time, I’ll be proud to say I was on the same field with Derek Jeter.” Photographs by Richard Perry, The New York Times and Julie Jacobson, AP |
| Robert G. “Buddy” Blattner, a former major leaguer and longtime baseball broadcaster, died September 4 at his home in the St. Louis suburb of Chesterfield, Missouri. He was 89. His career as a broadcaster included seven years on “Baseball’s Game of the Week” with co-host Dizzy Dean. Later he paired with Don Wells on the Angels’ KMPC radio broadcasts from 1962 to 1968.
Blattner began his broadcasting career in 1950 in St. Louis, calling games for the Browns, the city’s American League team, alongside Hall of Fame pitcher Dizzy Dean. The pair also were heard nationwide on the Liberty and Mutual radio networks’ “Game of the Day” and then on television when ABC and CBS broadcast the “Game of the Week” in the ‘50s. Blattner was the straight man and translator for Dean’s extremely colorful commentary. “People liked Dizzy giving everything but the score but wanted me to restore sanity,” Blattner told author Curt Smith for his 2005 book “Voices of Summer.” He spent two seasons in the booth for the St. Louis Cardinals before coming west to work for the Angels. After the 1968 season, Blattner left for the Kansas City Royals. He retired after the 1975 season and returned to his native Missouri. The former big league player and longtime sportscaster was born Robert Garnett Blattner on February 8, 1920, and learned to play table tennis at a neighborhood pool hall where he and other boys covered billiard tables with wooden boards. In 1936 and 1937, he traveled to Europe for the table tennis world championship and came home with trophies. Blattner began his pro career in 1938 at the age of 18 and reached the Pacific Coast League in only his third year as a pro, when he batted .278 for the Sacramento Solons in 1940. In 1941, he hit .294 while slugging 17 homers and driving in 100 runs for the Solons.
Buddy made his major league baseball debut in 1942 with the St. Louis Cardinals. Following the ’42 season, he joined the Navy and was stationed in Guam during World War II. When he got back to the majors in 1946 with the New York Giants, he hit .255 with 11 homers in 420 at bats. He spent three seasons with the Giants and one with the Phillies before retiring in 1949. A shortstop and second baseman, Blattner finished his major league career with a .247 batting average and a .971 fielding average in 272 games over five seasons. “I was already 26 after the war,” Buddy told Smith. “My skills were gone. So I looked elsewhere.” At the end of his broadcasting career, Blattner created the Buddy Fund, a charity that provides athletic equipment to disadvantaged youth in St. Louis. Memorial contributions may be made to the Buddy Fund, 16017 Hunters Way Drive, Chesterfield, Mo. 63017. Besides his wife Barbara of 68 years, Blattner is survived by three daughters, Barbara, Debbie, and Donna; seven grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. A moment of silence was held the evening of September 5 before the Angels-Royals game at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City to honor Blattner. Contributing to this article is Claire Noland, latimes.com, Tom Timmermann, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Bill Carle, Baseball America. Photographs by Don Weiskopf and New York Giants |
| SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Chula Vista, California came up big late in the championship game to win the Little League World Series. Rallying from a three-run deficit, Bulla Graft’s sharp single scored the go ahead run in the fourth inning, and Kiko Garcia pitched three and a third scoreless innings of relief to lead California to a 6-3 victory over Taoyuan, Taiwan Sunday, August 30. Garcia closed out the victory by striking out Yu Chieh Koa.
Chula Vista’s victory, the fifth straight Little League championship for the United States, looked in doubt early. Wen Hua Sung and Chin Ou hit back-to-back homers in the third inning to give Taiwan a 3-0 lead. California scored a run in the third before surging ahead in the fourth. Seth Godfrey drove in a run on a sacrifice fly, and Nick Conlin, pictured here, scored on a wild pitch. With two outs, Taiwan walked the slugger Luke Ramirez to bring up Graft. He hit a 1-1 pitch to right, scoring Andy Rios from third, and Chula Vista added two runs in the fifth. The boys threw their gloves high in the air after Kao struck out, then gathered near the mound and fell into a pile on the ground. After a wild celebration around Garcia, the Californians invited Taiwan to accompany them on the customary victory lap around Lamade Stadium on a sun-splashed afternoon. Even Vice President Joe Biden, who attended the game, was impressed, standing and clapping as his three granddaughters looked on. Chin Ou, who started for Taiwan, baffled California early with breaking balls before the team rallied in the fourth inning. California hit no home runs Sunday, though the club followed through on Manager Oscar Castro’s philosophy of hitting line drives, not the long ball. Castro said it took his boys one time through the order to figure out Ou. Garcia, who led the team by hitting .667 with three homers and eight RBIs for the tournament, said the team never lost confidence. “We knew we could hit any kind of pitching,” he said. Castro sought to shield his team from the pressure of the tournament as they advanced, forbidding them to surf the internet for the last three weeks to prevent them from seeing the media exposure back home. Taiwan’s coaches declined to speak with reporters afterward, instead choosing to lead their players across the field back to their dorms, with equipment bags in hand. They walked past giddy California boys on their hands and knees, scooping up bags of infield dirt as mementos. The streak of five championships is the United States’ longest since it won eight in a row from 1959-66. A California team now has claimed six Little League World Series titles. Photographs by Carolyn Kaster, Associated Press |
| Midland, Michigan, Post 165 beat Medford, Oregon, Post 15 on August 18 to capture The American Legion Baseball World Series in Fargo, North Dakota. The only undefeated team in the 14-game series, Midland won its final game 11-4. Pictured below are Midland players celebrating after winning the tournament.
Besides Midland, seven other regional champions competed in the five-day, double-elimination tournament: Medford, Ore., Post 15; Las Vegas Post 76; Festus, Mo., Post 253; Mount Airy, Md., Post 191; Rowan County, N.C., Post 342; Berlin, Conn., Post 68; and Texarkana, Texas, Post 25.
Midland scored early and often in the championship game, building an 8-0 lead by the fourth inning. Medford struck back with three runs in the bottom of the sixth, but Midland erupted again in the eighth for another three runs to win the 83rd edition of the annual series. Shown here is a Midland player taking a throw to second base at Newman Outdoor Field in Fargo. For the first time, The American Legion Baseball World Series was webcast via live video stream. By the end of the series, more than 18,000 people had tuned into the Legion’s Web site to watch the games. They visited the games 73,000 times during the five-day event, logging nearly 2.5 million viewing minutes. “The American Legion should be extremely proud of these numbers,” said John Servizzi, president of WebStream Productions, the Indianapolis, Indiana company that produced the webcast. Photographs by Becky Burch |
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