| NEW YORK - After all those errors in the World | | | | This was the best year I've played defensively. That's |
| Series, a Detroit Tigers pitcher won a Gold Glove. | | | | why I felt comfortable,"said Chavez, who played |
| Kenny Rogers, whose smudged left hand created a | | | | through injuries and hit just .241 with 22 homers and 72 |
| lot of suspicion during the World Series, won his fourth | | | | RBIs."I knew I could impact the game defensively. I |
| straight Gold Glove on Thursday and fifth overall. | | | | knew I had to because offensively I was not able to |
| Detroit pitchers made five errors during the | | | | produce." |
| Tigers'five-game loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, four on | | | | Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and Toronto center |
| bad throws and another on a botched comebacker. | | | | fielder Vernon Wells won for the third time in a row, |
| No other pitching staff had made more than three | | | | Texas first baseman Mark Teixeira won for the |
| errors during a Series. | | | | second consecutive season and Kansas City second |
| Rogers did not have any fielding fumbles, but he did | | | | baseman Mark Grudzielanek was a first-time winner. |
| have a brownish smudge on his pitching hand in the | | | | "The Gold Glove Award means a great deal to |
| first inning of Game 2. Whether it was dirt, pine tar or | | | | me,"Jeter said in a statement."Fielding doesn't get many |
| something else may never be known _ St. Louis | | | | headlines, but it's a big part of the game of baseball. I |
| Cardinals manager Tony La Russa never urged | | | | take great pride in my defense." |
| umpires to check Rogers'hand and instead merely | | | | Yankees owner George Steinbrenner praised his |
| asked them to make sure whatever it was went | | | | captain and campaigned for him to get another award. |
| away. | | | | "I hope he wins the MVP,"Steinbrenner said."He should." |
| The hand was clean when he came out for the | | | | Chavez and Rodriguez each earned $100,000 |
| second, Rogers went on to pitch shutout ball through | | | | bonuses for winning Gold Gloves, while Rogers gets |
| the eighth and Detroit won 3-1 _ its only victory of the | | | | $75,000. Grudzielanek, Suzuki and Wells get $50,000 |
| Series. Rogers, who pitched 23 scoreless innings in the | | | | apiece and Hunter receives $25,000. |
| postseason, was poised to start Game 6 but Detroit | | | | Gold Gloves have been presented since 1957 by |
| lost to the Cardinals in five games. | | | | Rawlings and are voted on by managers and coaches |
| Tigers teammate Ivan Rodriguez won his 12th Gold | | | | before the end of the regular season. They may not |
| Glove, extending his record for catchers. Seattle right | | | | select players on their own teams, and they vote only |
| fielder Ichiro Suzuki, Minnesota center fielder Torii | | | | for players in their own league. |
| Hunter and Oakland third baseman Eric Chavez won | | | | NL Gold Glove winners will be announced Friday. |
| the awards for the sixth straight season. | | | | |