“If you want to be viewed as the best—bar none—then you want to win The Fielding Bible Award at your position.” says John Dewan, co-author of The Fielding Bible III and owner of Baseball Info Solutions. “The Bill James Handbook, which hits the bookstores on November 1, announces six new players and three returning players as worthy of the honor for their fielding par excellence during the 2013 season.”
“Andrelton Simmons set a single-season record (since we started tracking Defensive Runs Saved in 2003) by saving 41 runs at shortstop for the Atlanta Braves,” Dewan points out. “And Simmons had company breaking the record. Gerardo Parra saved 36 runs in right field for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2013. But with four more runs saved in center field and one run saved in left, Parra also had 41total Defensive Runs Saved and joined Simmons with the highest runs saved performances on record. They were, without a doubt, the best fielders last year at their position, regardless of league. On top of those two, Carlos Gomez saved 38 runs for the Milwaukee Brewers playing center field. And Manny Machado had 35 runs saved for the Baltimore Orioles at third base. They, too, deserved singular recognition.”
“So, four players set or tied the previous record for most Defensive Runs Saved in a season at their position,” notes Dewan. “Four players who had never received a Fielding Bible Award or Gold Glove in their careers. Until now. All four players were rewarded with their first Fielding Bible Awards. In addition, we chose Paul Goldschmidt of the Arizona Diamondbacks at first base and R.A. Dickey of the Toronto Blue Jays at pitcher—both for the first time as well.”
“The twelve expert panelists on the Fielding Bible Awards panel, including Peter Gammons, Bill James, Brian Kenny, and Joe Posnanski,” Dewan concludes, “also gave Fielding Bible Awards to Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox for second base, Alex Gordon of the Kansas City Royals for left field, and Yadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals for catcher—Pedroia for the second time in three years, Gordon for the second time in a row, and Molina for an amazing sixth time. Does anyone really doubt that Yadier has been the best-fielding catcher in either league for the last decade?”
There were five winners this year from National League teams and four from American League teams. In 2012 it was a 5-4 advantage to the AL, in 2011 it was 5-4 in favor of the NL, and in 2010 it was s 5-3-1 split for the AL (with Jack Wilson splitting his time at shortstop between leagues with Pittsburgh and Seattle).
The 2013 Fielding Bible Award winners are:
First Base – Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
Second Base – Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
Third Base – Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles
Shortstop – Andrelton Simmons, Atlanta Braves
Left Field – Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals
Center Field – Carlos Gomez, Milwaukee Brewers
Right Field – Gerardo Parra, Arizona Diamondbacks
Catcher – Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals
Pitcher – R.A. Dickey, Toronto Blue Jays
A complete record of the voting can be found in
The Bill James Handbook 2014.
