Kansas City Royals: Alex Gordon ties team record in final year
Kansas City Royals outfielder Alex Gordon tied a team record on Tuesday when he won his eight Gold Glove award.
Prior to this season, Frank White held the Kansas City Royals record with eight Gold Gloves. The slick fielding second baseman had won eight Gold Gloves, his 126 runs saved trailing only Bill Mazeroski. White was the gold standard for defensive excellence for the Royals, the franchise leader when it came to defensive hardware.
On Tuesday, he got some company. Alex Gordon earned his eighth Gold Glove award, the final one of his major league career.
Alex Gordon goes out the way he should: With more gold. Gordo wins his 8th Gold Glove, tying Frank White for the franchise record. One last cheers, Alex.
— Jeffrey Flanagan (@FlannyMLB) November 4, 2020
This year was up to Gordon’s usual standards defensively. He finished second amongst AL left fielders with ten runs saves, and did not make an error all year. He even left the Royals with one last highlight throw, cutting down a run at the plate in his final full game in the field.
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But that was par for the course for Gordon. He was not only one of the best defensive left fielders in MLB history, but one of the best outfielders in general. His 124 runs saved in left ranks third all time, and Gordon is 15th in MLB history with 119 runs saved in the outfield.
It is not a surprise that Gordon retired while atop many of the defensive leaderboards in left. He was the active leader in assists, double plays, putouts, range factor, and runs saved, an outfielder who was peerless during his career. Even more impressively, Gordon had just 11 seasons in left to accumulate those totals, having started his career as a third baseman.
But those 11 years were special. He became the heart and soul of the Royals, a leader in every sense of the word. His resurgence coincided with the Royals breaking out of their decades long struggles, returning to the postseason and winning the 2015 World Series. Gordon was recognized for his contributions as well, being a three time All Star to go along with those Gold Glove award.
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Alex Gordon has one more award for his trophy case. He has won his eighth Gold Glove, tying Frank White as the all time leader for the Kansas City Royals.