Rawlings Gold Glove Award® Platform Expands to Include Super Utility Players
Utility Role to be Recognized Alongside Position Player Awards in American™ and National™ Leagues
ST. LOUIS, — Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. (Rawlings), the Official Base, Baseball, Helmet, Face Guard and Glove of Major League Baseball®, has added utility players to the list of annual Rawlings Gold Glove Award recipients for the first time since the Award’s inception in 1957. One super utility player will be recognized in both the American and National Leagues, joining the 18 position players receiving Awards (nine from each League). The 2022 class of Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners, including those at the utility position, will be unveiled during a one-hour, special-edition ESPN2 broadcast airing Tuesday Nov. 8th at 10:30 pm ET hosted by Karl Ravech, the voice of ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” and the primary host of the Emmy-Award winning “Baseball Tonight” television show, also on ESPN.
“We’re thrilled to add a Rawlings Gold Glove Award that recognizes players with the superior defensive ability to play multiple positions,” said Mike Thompson, chief marketing officer for Rawlings. “Utility players are some of the most versatile athletes you’ll see on the field, and it’s time for them to be rewarded for their tremendous defense, alongside position players.”
To determine the utility Award winners, Rawlings collaborated with SABR to create a specialized defensive formula separate from the traditional selection process for the Rawlings Gold Glove Award position winners. Utilizing the SABR formula and additional defensive statistics, Rawlings will select one utility winner from each League. For the remaining 18 defensive position Awards, each team’s manager and up to six coaches on his staff will vote from a pool of qualified players in their League and cannot vote for players from their own team. In 2013, Rawlings added the SABR Defensive Index™ (SDI) to the Rawlings Gold Glove Award selection process, which comprises approximately 25 percent of the overall selection total, with the managers’ and coaches’ votes continuing to carry the majority.
“The Society for American Baseball Research is proud to contribute valuable statistical data to assist in the naming of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners each year, and to continuously evolve the program to ensure it remains the greatest measure of defense for years to come,” said Scott Bush, chief executive officer of SABR. “Recognizing utility players for their defensive prowess demonstrates how timely, relevant and authentic the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards are at the professional level of play.”
The finalists for the 2022 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards will be named on Thursday Nov. 3rd prior to the Award winners being announced on Tuesday Nov. 8th.
About Rawlings
Established in 1887, Rawlings is an innovative leading global brand and manufacturer of premium baseball and softball equipment, including gloves, balls, and protective headwear. Rawlings’ unparalleled quality, innovative engineering and expert craftsmanship are the fundamental reasons why more professional athletes, national governing bodies and sports leagues choose Rawlings. Rawlings is the Official Base, Baseball, Helmet, Face Guard and Glove of Major League Baseball, the Official Baseball of Minor League Baseball and the Official Baseball and Softball of the NCAA and the NAIA. The company is headquartered in St. Louis. For more information, please visit www.Rawlings.com.
About the Rawlings Gold Glove Award®
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award® is a registered trademark owned by Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. The award is correctly identified as the Rawlings Gold Glove Award. The name should not be shortened, abbreviated, or otherwise misused. Proper identification of this service mark using the registration symbol and the Rawlings name is important to protect the integrity of the program and perpetuate this worthy tradition. For more information, please visit www.Rawlings.com.
About SABR
The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering research and disseminating the history and record of baseball. Founded in 1971, SABR has more than 7,000 members worldwide and has established itself as a vibrant baseball community and a premier distributor of ground-breaking baseball information. SABR features more than 80 regional chapters and more than 30 research committees and produces three annual publications — two editions of The Baseball Research Journal and The National Pastime — in addition to other print and e-books. SABR also hosts two annual events: the National Convention each summer and the SABR Analytics Conference in March in Phoenix. For more information about SABR, visit SABR.org.