I have no words. Aaron’s analysis is here. Here are the winners:
C: Joe Mauer
1B: Mark Teixeira
2B: Robinson Cano
3B:Evan Longoria
SS: Derek Freakin’ Jeter
OF: Ichiro Suzuki
OF: Carl Crawford
OF: Franklin Gutierrez
P: Mark Buehrle
I suppose good arguments can be made for and against most of those guys, but I don’t see how anyone can call Derek Jeter the best defensive shortstop in the American League. Even the heartiest Jeter backers have given up vouching his defense in recent years. This is an inertia award, voted on by people who care less about actually honoring good defense than in honoring tenure and popularity and, maybe, in defensively perpetuating the erroneous belief that we never grow old, our skills never erode and that we never will die.
The thinking: “Hey, if Derek Jeter is still pickin’ it like gold in his mid-to-late 30s, I must be in my salad days! [whistle whistle whistle . . .]”
We’ll have more analysis on this as the day goes on. I, for one, am going to get a stiff drink in the hopes of forgetting this ever happened.
