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Cubs' Rizzo, Barney Finalists For 2013 Gold Glove

This year, there have been changes in the way Gold Gloves are awarded. Two Cubs are among finalists in the award voting; winners will be announced Tuesday.

By Al Yellon
Dilip Vishwanat

Rawlings Sports has been tweeting the finalists for 2013 Gold Glove Awards, and two Cubs are on the list:

"Finalists", you're saying? Is this something new? Yes, it is, and SABR and sabermetrics will be involved, including using defensive metrics:

The SABR Defensive Index draws on and aggregates two types of existing defensive metrics: those derived from batted ball, location-based data and those collected from play-by-play accounts. The three metrics representing batted ball data include Defensive Runs Saved from Baseball Info Solutions, Ultimate Zone Rating developed by noted sabermetrician Mitchel Lichtman, and Runs Effectively Defended built by SABR Defensive Committee member Chris Dial. The two metrics included in the SDI originating from play-by-play data are Defensive Regression Analysis, created by committee member Michael Humphreys, and Total Zone Rating.

This is good news; no longer will we have the embarrassment of someone like Rafael Palmeiro winning a Gold Glove for a season where he spent most of his time at DH (1999). If you want to find out who the winners are, MLB is making a big deal out of it:

Rawlings will include the SDI as part of the revamped statistical resource guide that will accompany the Rawlings Gold Glove Award ballots sent to managers and coaches in September. The 2013 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners will be unveiled during a one-hour, ESPN2 "Baseball Tonight" primetime special, Tuesday, October 29, 2013, beginning at 7pm ET/6pm CT.

Good luck to Anthony Rizzo and Darwin Barney; Barney is going for his second straight Gold Glove. If only he could hit a bit better.

Here's a list of all the finalists.

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