Pena takes AL Gold Glove honor

Posted Nov 6, 2008 by Tribune Sports

Updated Nov 6, 2008 at 04:30 PM

The Rays have their first Gold Glove winner. Carlos Pena, who made only two errors during the 2008 season, took the American League honor for first basemen Thursday.

Pena, 30, was a major contributor offensively and defensively in an historic season in which the Rays went from having the worst record in Major League Baseball in 2007 to winning the tough AL East and reaching the World Series.

Besides hitting 31 home runs and driving in 102 runs, Pena led all AL first basemen and infielders with a .998 fielding percentage. His two errors came in 1,099 chances, including 991 putouts. He was involved in 117 double plays.

The AL team had three other first-time Gold Glove winners: Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia, Texas shortstop Michael Young and Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer.

Other winners were outfielders Tori Hunter of Los Angeles, Ichiro Suzuki of Seattle and Grady Sizemore of Cleveland; third baseman Adrian Belre of Seattle; and pitcher Mike Mussina of New York.

Gold Glove winners are selected by managers and coaches from each AL team, and they can’t vote for their own players.

Check back on TBO.com later for a full story.