Beyond the Box Score - 2012 BtBWAA Awards: Our awards are better than yoursA Saber-Slanted Baseball Communityhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47305/boxscore-fv.png2012-11-30T14:30:02-05:00http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/rss/stream/33496772012-11-30T14:30:02-05:002012-11-30T14:30:02-05:002012 BtBWAA Awards: NL MVP: Buster Posey
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<figcaption>Ezra Shaw</figcaption>
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<p>In the final installment of Beyond the Box Score's 2012 awards, we offer our picks for the National League's best overall players.</p> <p>During the last week of the 2012 MLB season, 10 writers from Beyond the Box Score joined forces to create the greatest collaboration of baseball minds the world has ever known [<i>citation needed</i>]. This elite organization, known only as the BtBWAA, was formed for one and only one purpose: To conduct a player awards vote in which the truly meritorious take home the coveted hardware.</p>
<p>We've already announced our picks for <a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/16/3506330/2012-mlb-btbwaa-awards-executive-of-the-year-billy-beane">MLB Executive of the Year</a>, Silver Sluggers (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/23/3541486/2012-btbwaa-awards-american-league-silver-sluggers">AL</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/25/3551318/2012-btbwaa-awards-national-league-silver-sluggers">NL</a>), Gold Gloves (<a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/31/3574262/2012-btbwaa-awards-american-league-gold-gloves" target="_blank">AL</a>, <a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/1/3584140/2012-btbwaa-awards-national-league-gold-gloves" target="_blank">NL</a>), Rookies of the Year (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/6/3607388/2012-btbwaa-awards-al-rookie-of-the-year-mike-trout">AL</a>, <a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/8/3615472/2012-btbwaa-awards-nl-rookie-of-the-year-bryce-harper" target="_blank">NL</a>), Cy Youngs (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/13/3638856/2012-btbwaa-awards-al-cy-young-justin-verlander">AL</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/15/3647932/2012-btbwaa-awards-nl-cy-young-r-a-dickey">NL</a>), and <a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/28/3696218/2012-btbwaa-awards-al-mvp-mike-trout" target="_blank">the AL MVP</a>: the National League Most Valuable Player.</p>
<p>Before we get to the results, a few words on the process. Voting began on October 1 (after 159 games had been played) and continued until October 5, with the balloting closing before the first playoff games started. Each writer voted for three candidates, with voting scored Each writer voted for three candidates, with ballots scored on a 14-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.</p>
<p>Without further ado, here are the results: (click to embiggen)</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1810901/2012-MLB-MVP-BTBWAA-NL.png" target="_blank"><img alt="2012-mlb-mvp-btbwaa-nl" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1810901/2012-MLB-MVP-BTBWAA-NL.png" width="100%"></a> <br id="1354242762714"></p>
<p>Ladies and gentlemen, your 2012 NL MVP is <span>Buster Posey</span>! Of course, you already knew that because the BBWAA announced it two weeks ago. But now we've offered our affirmation, with nine out of our 10 voters putting him atop our ballots.</p>
<p>Moving down the list, it looks like the BBWAA got the next few spots right too. Reigning MVP Ryan Braun (the recipient of the other first-place vote) comes in second, followed by <span>Andrew McCutchen</span> taking home the bronze. We also agreed about <span>Yadier Molina</span> coming in fourth, though we have him tied with <span>David Wright</span> (who tied for sixth in real life).</p>
<p>In tabulating the results, I was fascinated by how quickly and dramatically our consensus falls apart after the first six or seven picks. Posey, Braun, McCutchen, Molina, and Wright each appeared on all 10 ballots, but we stopped agreeing shortly after. Players ranked as highly as eight-place finishers <span>Ian Desmond</span> and <span>Joey Votto</span> appeared on only four of our 10 ballots.</p>
<p>For those interested, my ballot went: Posey, McCutchen, Braun, <span>Chase Headley</span>, Wright, Molina, Votto, <span>Giancarlo Stanton</span>, <span>Carlos Ruiz</span>, and <span>Clayton Kershaw</span>, in that order.</p>
<div>As this series comes to a close, I'd like to thank and recognize our voters: Glenn DuPaul, James Gentile, Bryan Grosnick, Alex Keinholz, Julian Levine, Blake Murphy, Bill Petti, Lewie Pollis, <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Spencer Schneier, and </span>Nathaniel Stoltz. Thank you all for taking the time to vote for 11 different award categories. Feel free to harass everyone except me if you think we screwed up!</div>
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https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/30/3708804/2012-btbwaa-awards-nl-mvp-buster-poseyLewie Pollis2012-11-28T15:36:46-05:002012-11-28T15:36:46-05:002012 BtBWAA Awards: AL MVP: Mike Trout
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<figcaption>no no, i got this, brah | Jared Wickerham</figcaption>
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<p>In the tenth installment of Beyond the Box Score's 2012 awards, we offer our picks for the American League's best overall players.</p> <p>During the last week of the 2012 MLB season, 10 writers from Beyond the Box Score joined forces to create the greatest collaboration of baseball minds the world has ever known [<i>citation needed</i>]. This elite organization, known only as the BtBWAA, was formed for one and only one purpose: To conduct a player awards vote in which the truly meritorious take home the coveted hardware.</p>
<p>We've already announced our picks for <a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/16/3506330/2012-mlb-btbwaa-awards-executive-of-the-year-billy-beane">MLB Executive of the Year</a>, Silver Sluggers (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/23/3541486/2012-btbwaa-awards-american-league-silver-sluggers">AL</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/25/3551318/2012-btbwaa-awards-national-league-silver-sluggers">NL</a>), Gold Gloves (<a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/31/3574262/2012-btbwaa-awards-american-league-gold-gloves" target="_blank">AL</a>, <a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/1/3584140/2012-btbwaa-awards-national-league-gold-gloves" target="_blank">NL</a>), Rookies of the Year (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/6/3607388/2012-btbwaa-awards-al-rookie-of-the-year-mike-trout">AL</a>, <a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/8/3615472/2012-btbwaa-awards-nl-rookie-of-the-year-bryce-harper" target="_blank">NL</a>), and Cy Youngs (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/13/3638856/2012-btbwaa-awards-al-cy-young-justin-verlander">AL</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/15/3647932/2012-btbwaa-awards-nl-cy-young-r-a-dickey">NL</a>). This week, we conclude the results of our voting with the Most Valuable Player awards, starting today with the American League.</p>
<p>Before we get to the results, a few words on the process. Voting began on October 1 (after 159 games had been played) and continued until October 5, with the balloting closing before the first playoff games started. Each writer voted for three candidates, with voting scored Each writer voted for three candidates, with ballots scored on a 14-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.</p>
<p>Without further ado, here are the results: (click to embiggen)</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1803859/2012-MLB-MVP-BTBWAA-AL.png"><img width="100%" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1803859/2012-MLB-MVP-BTBWAA-AL.png" class="photo" alt="2012-mlb-mvp-btbwaa-al_medium"></a></p>
<p>Ladies and gentlemen, your unanimous pick for AL MVP is <span>Mike Trout</span>. So take that, real-life BBWAA.</p>
<p>Moving down the ballot, real-life MVP <span>Miguel Cabrera</span> comes in second—barely. <span>Robinson Cano</span> and <span>Adrian Beltre</span> round out the second tier (switching places from their real-life finishes). <span>Ben Zobrist</span>, who finished 18th in the BBWAA voting, comes in fifth. All five were named on every ballot.</p>
<p>For those interested, my ballot went: Trout, Cabrera, Cano, <span>Justin Verlander</span>, Beltre, <span>Felix Hernandez</span>, Zobrist, <span>David Price</span>, <span>Torii Hunter</span>, <span>Chris Sale</span>.</p>
https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/28/3696218/2012-btbwaa-awards-al-mvp-mike-troutLewie Pollis2012-11-15T15:00:24-05:002012-11-15T15:00:24-05:002012 BtBWAA Awards: NL Cy Young: R.A. Dickey
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<figcaption>Name: fl-marlins-a</figcaption>
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<p>In the ninth installment of Beyond the Box Score's 2012 awards, we offer our picks for the National League's best pitchers.
</p> <p>During the last week of the 2012 MLB season, 10 writers from Beyond the Box Score joined forces to create the greatest collaboration of baseball minds the world has ever known [<i>citation needed</i>]. This elite organization, known only as the BtBWAA, was formed for one and only one purpose: To conduct a player awards vote in which the truly meritorious take home the coveted hardware.</p>
<p>We've already announced our picks for <a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/16/3506330/2012-mlb-btbwaa-awards-executive-of-the-year-billy-beane" target="_blank">MLB Executive of the Year</a>, Silver Sluggers (<a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/23/3541486/2012-btbwaa-awards-american-league-silver-sluggers" target="_blank">AL</a>, <a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/25/3551318/2012-btbwaa-awards-national-league-silver-sluggers" target="_blank">NL</a>), Gold Gloves (<a style="background-color: #ffffff;" target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/31/3574262/2012-btbwaa-awards-american-league-gold-gloves">AL</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/1/3584140/2012-btbwaa-awards-national-league-gold-gloves">NL</a>), and Rookies of the Year (<a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/6/3607388/2012-btbwaa-awards-al-rookie-of-the-year-mike-trout" target="_blank">AL</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/8/3615472/2012-btbwaa-awards-nl-rookie-of-the-year-bryce-harper">NL</a>). On Tuesday, we revealed <a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/13/3638856/2012-btbwaa-awards-al-cy-young-justin-verlander" target="_blank">our pick for the AL Cy Young</a>, so today we'll look at the results for National League Cy Young.</p>
<p>Before we get to the results, a few words on the process. Voting began on October 1 (after 159 games had been played) and continued until October 5, with the balloting closing before the first playoff games started. Each writer voted for three candidates, with voting scored Each writer voted for three candidates, with ballots scored on a 9-7-5-3-1 basis.</p>
<p>Without further ado, here are the results:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Btbwaa_awards_cy_young_nl_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1738405/BTBWAA_AWARDS_CY_YOUNG_NL.png" width="100%"></p>
<p>Ladies and gentlemen, your 2012 NL Cy Young is <span>R.A. Dickey</span>, who narrowly edges out <span>Clayton Kershaw</span> for the honors in what was easily our closest vote. <span>Gio Gonzalez</span> takes home the bronze, followed by <span>Stephen Strasburg</span>, <span>Matt Cain</span>, <span>Craig Kimbrel</span>, and <span>Kris Medlen</span>. <span>Cole Hamels</span> and <span>Aroldis Chapman</span> also get a vote apiece.</p>
<p>Our dividedness was reflected in the distribution of first-place votes. Dickey got five, Kershaw got four, and Gonzalez got one (that's me!).</p>
<p>Based on these results, it looks like the BBWAA did a pretty good job. Dickey won the real Cy Young, followed by Kershaw, Gonzalez, and Cueto, in that order.</p>
<p>This was by far the hardest award for me. For those curious, my ballot went: Gonzalez, Medlen, Kershaw, Dickey, Kimbrel, in that order.</p>
https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/15/3647932/2012-btbwaa-awards-nl-cy-young-r-a-dickeyLewie Pollis2012-11-13T10:00:07-05:002012-11-13T10:00:07-05:002012 BtBWAA Awards: AL Cy Young
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<figcaption>Doug Pensinger</figcaption>
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<p>In the eighth installment of Beyond the Box Score's 2012 awards, we offer our picks for the American League's best pitchers.</p> <p>During the last week of the 2012 MLB season, 10 writers from Beyond the Box Score joined forces to create the greatest collaboration of baseball minds the world has ever known [<i>citation needed</i>]. This elite organization, known only as the BtBWAA, was formed for one and only one purpose: To conduct a player awards vote in which the truly meritorious take home the coveted hardware.</p>
<p>We've already announced our picks for <a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/16/3506330/2012-mlb-btbwaa-awards-executive-of-the-year-billy-beane">MLB Executive of the Year</a>, Silver Sluggers (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/23/3541486/2012-btbwaa-awards-american-league-silver-sluggers">AL</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/25/3551318/2012-btbwaa-awards-national-league-silver-sluggers">NL</a>), Gold Gloves (<a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/31/3574262/2012-btbwaa-awards-american-league-gold-gloves" target="_blank">AL</a>, <a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/1/3584140/2012-btbwaa-awards-national-league-gold-gloves" target="_blank">NL</a>), and Rookies of the Year (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/6/3607388/2012-btbwaa-awards-al-rookie-of-the-year-mike-trout">AL</a>, <a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/8/3615472/2012-btbwaa-awards-nl-rookie-of-the-year-bryce-harper" target="_blank">NL</a>). This week, we turn our attention to the Cy Youngs, starting today with the American League.</p>
<p>Before we get to the results, a few words on the process. Voting began on October 1 (after 159 games had been played) and continued until October 5, with the balloting closing before the first playoff games started. Each writer voted for three candidates, with voting scored Each writer voted for three candidates, with ballots scored on a 9-7-5-3-1 basis.</p>
<p>Without further ado, here are the results:</p>
<p><img alt="Btbwaa_awards_cy_young_al_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1728197/BTBWAA_AWARDS_CY_YOUNG_AL.png" width="100%"></p>
<p>Every major player award we've released so far has been unanimous, and <span>Justin Verlander</span> is keeping the streak alive with 10 first-place votes. Don't worry, devil's advocates—the NL results will be up on Thursday, and that one was quite close.</p>
<p><span>Felix Hernandez</span> barely edges out <span>David Price</span> for second place—both if them also appeared on every ballot. <span>Chris Sale</span> rounds out the top tier while <span>Yu Darvish</span>, <span>Max Scherzer</span>, <span>James Shields</span>, <span>CC Sabathia</span>, <span>Fernando Rodney</span>, and <span>Jered Weaver</span> all got some support.</p>
<p>Personally, I voted for Verlander, Hernandez, Price, Sale, and Rodney in that order. So I'm pretty happy with the results.</p>
https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/13/3638856/2012-btbwaa-awards-al-cy-young-justin-verlanderLewie Pollis2012-11-08T11:18:50-05:002012-11-08T11:18:50-05:00BtBWAA Awards: NL Rookie of the Year
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<figcaption>Justin Edmonds</figcaption>
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<p>In the seventh installment of Beyond the Box Score's 2012 awards, we offer our picks for the National League's best rookies.</p> <p>During the last week of the 2012 MLB season, 10 writers from Beyond the Box Score joined forces to create the greatest collaboration of baseball minds the world has ever known [<i>citation needed</i>]. This elite organization, known only as the BtBWAA, was formed for one and only one purpose: To conduct a player awards vote in which the truly meritorious take home the coveted hardware.</p>
<p>We've already announced our picks for <a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/16/3506330/2012-mlb-btbwaa-awards-executive-of-the-year-billy-beane" target="_blank">MLB Executive of the Year</a>, Silver Sluggers (<a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/23/3541486/2012-btbwaa-awards-american-league-silver-sluggers" target="_blank">AL</a>, <a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/25/3551318/2012-btbwaa-awards-national-league-silver-sluggers" target="_blank">NL</a>), and Gold Gloves (<a style="background-color: #ffffff;" target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/31/3574262/2012-btbwaa-awards-american-league-gold-gloves">AL</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/1/3584140/2012-btbwaa-awards-national-league-gold-gloves">NL</a>). This week, we turned our attention to the Rookies of the Year. <a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/6/3607388/2012-btbwaa-awards-al-rookie-of-the-year-mike-trout" target="_blank">We've already covered the AL</a>, so it's time to turn our attention to the National League.</p>
<p>Before we get to the results, a few words on the process. Voting began on October 1 (after 159 games had been played) and continued until October 5, with the balloting closing before the first playoff games started. Each writer voted for three candidates, with voting scored Each writer voted for three candidates, with ballots scored on a 5-3-1 basis.</p>
<p>Without further ado, here are the results:</p>
<p><img alt="Mlb-rookie-of-the-year-btbwaa-nl_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1706597/MLB-ROOKIE-OF-THE-YEAR-BTBWAA-NL.png" width="100%"></p>
<p>The unanimity continues! <span>Bryce Harper</span> pulls a <span>Mike Trout</span> and goes 10-for-10 with the BtBWAA. <span>Wade Miley</span> gets the silver, getting eight second-place votes and third-place nods from the rest. Mike Fiers barely edges out <span>Norichika Aoki</span> for the bronze, while <span>Todd Frazier</span> and <span>Matt Harvey</span> get a single vote each.</p>
<p>Full disclosure: I voted for Harper, Miley, Aoki, in that order.</p>
https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/8/3615472/2012-btbwaa-awards-nl-rookie-of-the-year-bryce-harperLewie Pollis2012-11-06T16:00:15-05:002012-11-06T16:00:15-05:00BtBWAA Awards: AL Rookie of the Year: Mike Trout
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/aFdILFXilM5qHy9Y5FBvu9eTRgQ=/0x34:498x366/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/2735557/20120703_jel_aq4_110.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Eric P. Mull-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>In the sixth installment of Beyond the Box Score's 2012 awards, we offer our picks for the American League's best rookies.</p> <p>During the last week of the 2012 MLB season, 10 writers from Beyond the Box Score joined forces to create the greatest collaboration of baseball minds the world has ever known [<i>citation needed</i>]. This elite organization, known only as the BtBWAA, was formed for one and only one purpose: To conduct a player awards vote in which the truly meritorious take home the coveted hardware.</p>
<p>We've already announced our picks for <a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/16/3506330/2012-mlb-btbwaa-awards-executive-of-the-year-billy-beane" target="_blank">MLB Executive of the Year</a>, Silver Sluggers (<a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/23/3541486/2012-btbwaa-awards-american-league-silver-sluggers" target="_blank">AL</a>, <a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/25/3551318/2012-btbwaa-awards-national-league-silver-sluggers" target="_blank">NL</a>), and Gold Gloves (<a style="background-color: #ffffff;" target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/31/3574262/2012-btbwaa-awards-american-league-gold-gloves">AL</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/1/3584140/2012-btbwaa-awards-national-league-gold-gloves">NL</a>). This week, we turn our attention to the Rookies of the Year, starting today with the American League.</p>
<p>Before we get to the results, a few words on the process. Voting began on October 1 (after 159 games had been played) and continued until October 5, with the balloting closing before the first playoff games started. Each writer voted for three candidates, with voting scored Each writer voted for three candidates, with ballots scored on a 5-3-1 basis.</p>
<p>Without further ado, here are the results:</p>
<p><img width="100%" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1696355/MLB-ROOKIE-OF-THE-YEAR-BTBWAA.png" class="photo" alt="Mlb-rookie-of-the-year-btbwaa_medium"></p>
<p>In what might be the single biggest upset of the entire BtBWAA awards series, <span>Mike Trout</span> is our unanimous choice for AL Rookie of the Year. Give yourself a minute to digest that, folks. I know that probably blew your mind.</p>
<p><span>Yu Darvish</span> comes in second with exactly half as many points as Trout, followed by <span>Yoenis Cespedes</span> in third. <span>Jarrod Parker</span> gets two last-place votes, and...that's it.</p>
<p>This is usually the part where I offer some analysis of the vote, but there isn't a whole lot to say here. So in step were we on this that seven of us (myself included) wrote in the exact same ballot: Trout, Darvish, Cespedes.</p>
https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/6/3607388/2012-btbwaa-awards-al-rookie-of-the-year-mike-troutLewie Pollis2012-11-01T10:08:14-04:002012-11-01T10:08:14-04:002012 BtBWAA Awards: National League Gold Gloves
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lrVUEUcBgBDzt0WFXu3GpjJwWME=/0x4:1000x671/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/2430021/20120326_ajw_bb1_044.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Brad Barr-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>In the fifth installment of Beyond the Box Score's 2012 awards, we offer our picks for the National League's best fielders at each position.</p> <p>During the last week of the 2012 MLB season, 10 writers from Beyond the Box Score joined forces to create the greatest collaboration of baseball minds the world has ever known [<i>citation needed</i>]. This elite organization, known only as the BtBWAA, was formed for one and only one purpose: To conduct a player awards vote in which the truly meritorious take home the coveted hardware.</p>
<p>Two weeks ago, we kicked off our awards announcements by revealing our pick for <a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/16/3506330/2012-mlb-btbwaa-awards-executive-of-the-year-billy-beane">MLB Executive of the Year</a>, and last week we followed up with our Silver Slugger picks (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/23/3541486/2012-btbwaa-awards-american-league-silver-sluggers">AL</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/25/3551318/2012-btbwaa-awards-national-league-silver-sluggers">NL</a>). On Wednesday, we turned our attention to the best fielders in baseball with the <a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/31/3574262/2012-btbwaa-awards-american-league-gold-gloves" target="_blank">AL Gold Glove awards</a>, which means today we award gilded hand-covers for the National League.</p>
<p>Before we get to the results, a few words on the process. Voting began on October 1 (after 159 games had been played) and continued until October 5, with the balloting closing before the first playoff games started. Each writer voted for one candidate at each position, with the award simply going to whomever received a majority or plurality of votes. Writers were allowed to pair players with positions at their own discretion.</p>
<p>Here are the results: (asterisks denote official real-life winners)</p>
<p><img width="100%" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1666929/btbwaa_national_league_gold_gloves.jpg" class="photo" alt="Btbwaa_national_league_gold_gloves_medium"></p>
<p>First off, let's note the absence of any unanimous winners. <span>David Wright's</span> victory at third base was the most commanding victory anyone got here, though <span>Mark Buehrle</span> and <span>Yadier Molina</span> have a pretty strong mandate to make up our NL battery. There's also a pretty clear consensus for the right side of the infield with <span>Joey Votto</span> and <span>Darwin Barney</span> at first and second base, respectively.</p>
<p>Outfield is where it gets interesting (note that we used the pre-2011 Gold Gloves system, in which all three positions are grouped together). <span>Michael Bourn</span> gets near-unanimous support, with <span>Jason Heyward</span> also earning a supermajority of votes. Yet there's a tie for third place between <span>Bryce Harper</span> and <span>Martin Prado</span> (so the <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Braves</a> still sweep) and six other candidates receiving votes.</p>
<p>But NL shortstop was the most intriguing position in either league. <span>Zack Cozart</span> wins with only three votes, while six different candidates—Cozart, <span>Brandon Crawford</span>, <span>Clint Barmes</span>, <span>Andrelton Simmons</span>, <span>Jimmy Rollins</span>, and <span>Ian Desmond</span>—got at least one of the 10 available votes. It's safe to say this was a close one.</p>
<p>The real-life voters hit under .500 on this one, going 4-for-9 compared to our picks. We agreed on Molina, Barney, Heyward, and Buehrle. Three of the other winners—<span>Chase Headley</span>, <span>Adam LaRoche</span>, and Jimmy Rollins—got at least marginal support from us. But the other two outfielders, <span>Andrew McCutchen</span> and <span>Carlos Gonzalez</span>, weren't named on a single one of our ballots. Not cool, Rawlings.</p>
<p>Full disclosure, my ballot went: Molina, Votto, Barney, Simmons, Wright, Bourn, Heyward, Prado, Buehrle.</p>
https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/11/1/3584140/2012-btbwaa-awards-national-league-gold-glovesLewie Pollis2012-10-31T10:01:23-04:002012-10-31T10:01:23-04:002012 BtBWAA Awards: American League Gold Gloves
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RikCrXp7fLsEvTsc0TxD3TDx3zM=/0x17:998x682/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/2358721/118572673.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Victor Decolongon</figcaption>
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<p>In the fourth installment of Beyond the Box Score's 2012 awards, we offer our picks for the American League's best fielders at each position.
</p> <p>During the last week of the 2012 MLB season, 10 writers from Beyond the Box Score joined forces to create the greatest collaboration of baseball minds the world has ever known [<i>citation needed</i>]. This elite organization, known only as the BtBWAA, was formed for one and only one purpose: To conduct a player awards vote in which the truly meritorious take home the coveted hardware.</p>
<p>Two weeks ago, we kicked off our awards announcements by revealing our pick for <a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/16/3506330/2012-mlb-btbwaa-awards-executive-of-the-year-billy-beane" target="_blank">MLB Executive of the Year</a>, and last week we followed up with our Silver Slugger picks (<a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/23/3541486/2012-btbwaa-awards-american-league-silver-sluggers" target="_blank">AL</a>, <a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/25/3551318/2012-btbwaa-awards-national-league-silver-sluggers" target="_blank">NL</a>). This week, we turn our attention to the best fielders in baseball with our Gold Glove awards, starting with the American League (NL to come on Thursday).</p>
<p>Before we get to the results, a few words on the process. Voting began on October 1 (after 159 games had been played) and continued until October 5, with the balloting closing before the first playoff games started. Each writer voted for one candidate at each position, with the award simply going to whomever received a majority or plurality of votes. Writers were allowed to pair players with positions at their own discretion.</p>
<p>Here are the results: (asterisks denote official real-life winners)</p>
<p><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1660533/btbwaa_american_league_gold_gloves.jpg" class="photo" alt="Btbwaa_american_league_gold_gloves_medium" width="100%"></p>
<p>Let's start with the outfield (note that we used the pre-2011 Gold Gloves system, in which all three positions are grouped together). <span>Mike Trout</span> is our only unanimous Gold Glover winner in either league, just as (spoiler alert) he was for at least one other forthcoming award (okay, that probably wasn't much of a spoiler). <span>Josh Reddick</span> and <span>Alex Gordon</span> comprise the second tier and earn the other two honors, meaning we actually ended up with a player from each discrete position.</p>
<p>Going around the horn, <span>Matt Wieters</span> captures the Gold Glove behind the plate, with <span>Salvador Perez</span> as the only other candidate to earn multiple votes. <span>Mark Teixeira</span> barely edges out <span>Adrian Gonzalez</span> and <span>Albert Pujols</span> at first base in the closest race. Up the middle, <span>Dustin Pedroia</span> and <span>Brendan Ryan</span> coast to victory at second base and shortstop, respectively. <span>Adrian Beltre</span> beats out Mike Moustaka and <span>Brett Lawrie</span> at the hot corner, and <span>David Price</span> finishes ahead of <span>Ricky Romero</span> for the title of the AL's best-fielding pitching.</p>
<p>How did our vote compare with the official Rawlings-sponsored hardware? Well, we agreed with the real voters on Wieters, Teixeira, Beltre, Reddick, and Gordon, though we disagreed with their picks of Cano, <span>J.J. Hardy</span>, <span>Adam Jones</span>, and <span>Jeremy Hellickson</span>. Five-for-nine ain't bad for a group that gave <span>Rafael Palmeiro</span> the hardware in 1999 after he played only 28 games in the field.</p>
<p>What's fascinating to me is that our divergences were at the positions where we had the strongest consensuses. Pitcher wasn't exactly a blowout, but second base and shortstop were. But the worst was that Mike Trout—our only unanimous pick in either league—lost to Adam Jones, who didn't get a single vote from the BtBWAA. That's just whack.</p>
<p>Full disclosure, my ballot went: Perez, Gonzalez, <span>Alexi Casilla</span>, Ryan, Moustakas, Trout, <span>Craig Gentry</span>, Reddick, and Romero.</p>
https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/10/31/3574262/2012-btbwaa-awards-american-league-gold-glovesLewie Pollis