Jeter wins Gold Glove Award.
Jeter hauls in Gold Glove Award
By Mark Feinsand / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Derek Jeter added another line to his already impressive resume on Tuesday, winning his first Gold Glove Award.
Jeter becomes the first Yankees shortstop to win the award, giving New York a Gold Glover at every position in its history.
"It's a great honor. I take pride in my defense and I work hard each year to improve in the field," Jeter said in a statement released by the club. "There are a number of fantastic defensive shortstops in the American League -- too many to count -- and to be recognized with the Gold Glove makes it that much more of a special accomplishment."
The Yankees have now had 20 players win a total of 55 Gold Glove awards, led by Don Mattingly's 10 at first base.
"Derek Jeter is a great, inspired leader and captain," said George Steinbrenner through his publicist, Howard Rubenstein. "He certainly deserves this honor."
"I know he's particularly proud of his defense and I know he was pretty thrilled to be recognized with this honor. It means a lot to him," said Casey Close, Jeter's agent. "This is an award that I know he'll cherish. For him, I know he's very proud."
Jeter overcame an early-season slump to post solid numbers at the plate, but his lasting memory from the 2004 season will be one he made with his glove.
In the 12th inning of the Yankees' July 1 game against the Red Sox, Jeter made a diving catch on a popup by Trot Nixon, flying into the stands after recording the third out. He emerged from the stands with a bruise on his right cheek, a cut on his chin, and a new highlight to be seen for years to come.
"If you ask for three things that stand out about him or plays that you'll remember, it's probably the flip play first, going into the stands against Boston second and then that jump play, when he goes into the hole and jumps on the throw, third," Close said. "It's hard to imagine him having a better year defensively."
Jeter's .981 fielding percentage was his second-best mark of his career, trailing only the .986 he posted in 1998. The shortstop committed 13 errors, his lowest total since '98, when he had just nine.
Only Omar Vizquel (11, .982) and Minnesota's Cristian Guzman (12, .983) had fewer errors and better fielding percentages than Jeter among shortstops who played at least 145 games.
The other winners in the AL were Texas' Kenny Rogers, Detroit's Ivan Rodriguez, Anaheim's Darin Erstad, Seattle's Bret Boone and Ichiro Suzuki, Oakland's Eric Chavez, Minnesota's Torii Hunter and Toronto's Vernon Wells.
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