Top 10 Defensive SS of All Time
September 10, 2009 – Peter Schiller
Here is a top 10 list of the All Time Greatest Defensive Shortstops in baseball.
The players on this list are ranked by the number of Gold Gloves that were awarded to them in their careers.
I understand that this sort of award is voted on by the BBWAA and is prone to errors so please voice your opinions as to who should and shouldn’t be on this list.
Feel free to add your own top 10 list of defensive shortstops in the comments section of this post.
- Ozzie Smith (13 in 19 seasons) 15 All Star Games and actuall 1 Silver Slugger (only 3 other players have more Gold Gloves than the Wizard of Oz…Brooks Robinson (3B) and Jim Kaat (P) both have 16 and Greg Maddux (P) has 18.
- Omar Vizquel (11 and currently in his 21st seasons) 3 All Star Games
- Luis Aparicio (9 in 18 seasons) 10 All Star Games and Rookie of the Year in 1956
- Mark Belanger (8 in 18 seasons) 1 All Star Game
- Dave Concepcion (5 in 19 seasons) 9 All Star Games and 2 Silver Sluggers
- Tony Fernandez (4 in 17 seasons) 5 All Star Games
- Alan Trammell (4 in 20 seasons) 6 All Star Games and 3 Silver Sluggers
- Derek Jeter (3 and currently in his 15th season) 10 All Star Games, Rookie of the Year in 1996 and 3 Silver Sluggers
- Barry Larkin (3 in 19 seasons) 12 All Star Games, 9 Silver Sluggers and an MVP in 1995
- Roy McMillan (3 in 16 seasons) 2 All Star Games
Honorable Mention
11. Rey Ordonez (3 in 9 seasons)
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You should rename this article Top Gold Glove Winners at Shortstop.
The Gold Glove is an extremely flawed award, evidenced by the fact that Derek Jeter has three of them. Jeter is nowhere near the top ten shortstops of all time. Only this year has even been above average for his own league.
If you’re going to continue making lists such as this and your manager’s list, I would suggest you spend some time researching modern statistics and strategy and not rely on sources like wikipedia and writer’s awards. You’ll soon find those two sources are more misleading than helpful.
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You’re also missing any candidate from before 1957 (Gold Gloves didn’t exist in the first half of the 20th century).
I also hope you don’t actually think that Omar Vizquel is the second best defensive SS ever.
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Jeter does not belong anywhere in this list, and grouping players’ defensive ability simply from an arbitrary award that has historically been given to players with better reputations (a.k.a. good offense) instead of actual good fielders, is a list that should not be comprised.
Jeter’s range factor is atrocious. Sure, he’ll make that spectacular throw once in awhile, and he’ll “sacrifice his body for the good of the team” but sportscenter or the YES network won’t show you all the balls he simply doesn’t get to that other great SS will.
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This list is most certainly flawed. I would like to note that it’s called best defensive ss something that people making list often forget. This list is clearly factoring in more than just defense. If your going to pick best defensive players I think the top spot should go to Rey Ordonez although his offense sucked he was in a league of his own when it came to playing short stop. after all this list is not called most popular or best showmen or best hitting short stops it’s best defense.
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What about the great SS that played with Davey Lopes and turned a record number of double plays, what about Tinker and chance. The only thing you’ve done is to separate the “live ball” vs the dead ball players.
Oh yeah you’d have to include Nomar Garciapera if you include Jeter, Larkin and, McMillan. Check their errors vs the old timers; no contests.
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why isnt larry bowa on this list?
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