Royals' Gordon, Hosmer and Perez capture Gold Glove awards -- again

By foxsports
Published

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- For the second straight year, the Royals' defensive trio of left fielder Alex Gordon, first baseman Eric Hosmer and catcher Sal Perez captured Rawlings Gold Glove awards. 

For Gordon, it was his fourth straight Gold Glove, a franchise record for outfielders. Perez and Hosmer each won their second consecutive awards.

"It's really special," general manager Dayton Moore said via conference call Tuesday night. "... It really started with Alex's work ethic (in 2010 when Gordon switched from third base to left field).

"I've seen his pregame workout ritual and I actually videotaped it for my son."

Gordon is the second Royals player to win a Gold Glove in four consecutive years. Frank White won six straight (1977-82) and eight overall.

"It never gets old," Gordon said.

Gordon also praised the entire defense of the Royals, a key element to their run to the World Series.

"I feel like we don't have any weaknesses," Gordon said.

Gordon's 62 assists since the start of 2011 are the most in Major League Baseball for outfielders.

"I feel like every ball hit out there to the outfield or infield is an out," Perez said.

Shortstop Alcides Escobar was nominated but lost to Baltimore's J.J. Hardy, who won for the third straight season.

"I've said all along that we have five or six potential Gold Glove winners," manager Ned Yost said, "and that includes Esky and (third baseman) Mike Moustakas and (center fielder Lorenzo) Cain."

Cain, who showed the country his defensive excellence in the postseason, was not nominated because of a technicality.

A player must play 75 percent of his innings at a specific position to be nominated. Because Cain was often a replacement for Nori Aoki in right field during the final three innings and because he started several games in right, he came up with just 65 percent of his innings played in center field.

"In my mind, though, Lorenzo is a Gold Glover," Yost said.

Added Gordon: "I think everyone got to see Lorenzo in the playoffs and they got to see the guy we've seen all season long."

The voting on finalists consists of 75 percent from managers and coaches, and 25 percent from statistical data.

You can follow Jeffrey Flanagan on Twitter at @jflanagankc or email him at jeffreyflanagan6@gmail.com.