Ryan Braun named Gold Glove finalist

Aramis Ramirez and Ryan Braun have been named National League finalists for the Rawlings Gold Glove Award at their respective positions.

The winners will be announced tomorrow at 8:30 Central on ESPN's Baseball Tonight. You can find more details about the show, and the complete list of finalists from both the NL and AL here.

Ramirez, who came to the Brewers last off-season with a reputation as a shoddy fielder, actually posted a career- and National League-best .977 fielding percentage at third base.

He also cut his error total in half, committing only seven after committing 14 in 2011 with the Chicago Cubs.

Joining Ramirez as finalists at third base are Chase Headley of the San Diego Padres and David Wright of the New York Mets.

Headley finished just behind Ramirez in fielding percentage in the NL at .976, while Wright was third at .974.

Reputation seems to matter more than anything as far as this award goes, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see Ramirez fail to win despite having performed so well in the field.

Wright won Gold Gloves in 2007 and 2008.

Braun, meanwhile, is a finalist in left field for the second time in as many seasons. Last year he was edged out by Arizona's Gerardo Parra despite having committed just one error.

This past season, Braun finished seventh in fielding percentage among NL leftfielders at .979, having committed six errors.

Carlos Gonzalez of the Colorado Rockies and Martin Prado of the Atlanta Braves are the other finalists. Interestingly, none of the top four leftfielders as far as fielding percentage in the NL -- Alfonso Soriano, Jason Kubel, Ryan Ludwick and Matt Holliday -- made the cut as a finalist for the award.

The Brewers haven't had a Gold Glove winner since 1982, when Robin Yount won it as an American League shortstop.


(jsonline.com)