The Los Angeles Angels have four finalists for the 2012 American League Gold Glove Awards, which will be announced Tuesday night on ESPN. The finalists are a new wrinkle to the awards this year, as is that they are televised. In the previous 54 years of the Gold Glove Awards, only the winners were announced.
The outfield is split up into three separate positions for the first time, and the Angels have a pair of finalists. Peter Bourjos is up for the award in center field, and the man whose position he took, Torii Hunter, is in line for an award in right field. Hunter won nine consecutive Gold Gloves from 2001-2009, and his nine awards are the seventh-most by an outfielder in Major League Baseball history.
Hunter won two of his Gold Gloves as an Angel, in 2008 and 2009, one of seven Halos outfielders to win Gold Glove Awards. Ken Berry (1972) was the first, and was followed by Rick Miller (1978), Gary Pettis (1985-1986), Devon White (1988-1989), Jim Edmonds (1997-1998), Darin Erstad (2000, 2002), and Hunter.
Eric Aybar is a finalist at shortstop, looking to become just the third Angels shortstop to win a Gold Glove. The others were Jim Fregosi (1967) and Orlando Cabrera (2007). Dan Haren is looking to join Mark Langston (1991--1995) as the only Angels pitchers to win the award.
In all, the Angels have won 33 Gold Glove Awards, from first baseman Vic Power in 1964 to Hunter in 2009. Langston has the most Gold Gloves with five, while catcher Bob Boone has four and second baseman Bobby Knoop and Erstad each have three. Erstad is the only player in baseball history to win Gold Gloves at different positions, winning in the outfield in 2000 and 2002, and at first base in 2004.
The most the team has won in any one year is two, which has happened five times: 1967, 1986, 1988, 1995, and 2002.
Be sure to read Halos Heaven for Angels fans reaction to the Gold Glove Awards.