SAN FRANCISCO -- Catcher Buster Posey, second baseman Joe Panik and shortstop Brandon Crawford, who always have emphasized defense, were rewarded for their diligence Tuesday by being named winners of Rawlings Gold Glove Awards at their respective positions.
They formed the largest group of Giants to win Gold Gloves since 1993, when San Francisco had four recipients (outfielder Barry Bonds, catcher Kirt Manwaring, second baseman Robby Thompson and third baseman Matt Williams).
The vote was determined through balloting among big league managers and coaches and the sabermetric community. Posey confessed that he wasn't familiar with one of the modern metrics that measured his superiority in "framing" pitches -- being able to receive the ball in such a way that the technique makes deliveries outside the strike zone appear to be strikes.