Rawlings, a leading manufacture of baseball gloves and other sporting
goods, has sponsored the Gold Gloves since their joint announcement of
their creation with The Sporting News in 1957. The awards are given
out to one player at each defensive position in each league for excellence
in fielding.
Rawlings also presented the highest percentage fielder in the minors at
each of the nine positions with a "Silver Glove." The article
acknowledges that the "best fielder is not always leader",
suggesting that the Gold Glove would be a subjective award and not
strictly based on stats. Nineteen baseball writers were chose to select
the first team. Voting was later changed to include the full Baseball
Writers Association of America (BBWAA).
Besides the yearly squabbles over who was snubbed, the only enduring
controversy has been over the selection of outfielders. Until 1961 there
were separate votes for left, right, and center fielders in each league.
This changed to simply three outfielders total from each league, resulting
in a disproportionate number of centerfielders winning the award. If fact
from 1988 to 1995, the only non-centerfielder to win the award in the
outfield in the American League was Ellis Burks. The argument against the
current method of selecting outfielders is that managers generally have no
trouble deciding where to play an outfielder as their qualities dictate
such assignments (best range in center, strongest arm in right, etc.)
making each of the three outfield positions at least as uniquely
identifiable as the middle infield positions (why not two shortstops
instead of one plus a second baseman?). Others suggest that great
centerfielders like Ken Griffey and Kirby Puckett should not lose a spot
on the team because of the inclusion of supposedly inferior left fielder.
In the absence of rioting outside the offices of The Sporting News,
it seems unlikely the format will change.
Though the design of the trophy has changed over the years, it was
originally a custom-made mitt or glove, "handcrafted of metallic
gold-finished leather... suitably mounted on a hardwood base."
While fans tend to favor offense, the Silver Sluggers are not followed
closely. The Gold Gloves, by contrast, have long been among the most
prominent awards in baseball. Indeed no award from TSN receives more
attention each year.
For a sport that so valued the delicate balance between offense and
defense, the awards were long overdue. The article in December of 1957
announcing the first winners perhaps summed it up best: