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Tigers shut out of 2014 Fielding Bible Awards

Ian Kinsler finished second at second base, and no one else was anywhere close.

Leon Halip

The 2014 Fielding Bible Awards were announced earlier this week, and to no one's surprise, the Detroit Tigers were shut out. Ian Kinsler, who was far and away the Tigers' best defender according to multiple defensive metrics, finished second to Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox. Five of the 10 award winners came from the American League, with two -- Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon of the Kansas City Royals -- playing in the AL Central. Three players -- Gordon, Andrelton Simmons, and Jason Heyward -- were unanimous winners.

Position Player Team
C Jonathan Lucroy Milwaukee Brewers
1B Adrian Gonzalez Los Angeles Dodgers
2B Dustin Pedroia Boston Red Sox
SS Andrelton Simmons Atlanta Braves
3B Josh Donaldson Oakland Athletics
LF Alex Gordon Kansas City Royals
CF Juan Lagares New York Mets
RF Jason Heyward Atlanta Braves
P Dallas Keuchel Houston Astros
Multi Lorenzo Cain Kansas City Royals

The Fielding Bible Awards, which were first established in 2008, offer a more saber-friendly alternative to the Gold Glove awards handed out by the Baseball Writers Association of America every year. The Fielding Bible Awards are selected by a panel of experts, but primarily based on Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), a statistic invented by The Fielding Bible. The awards are also featured in the Bill James Handbook every year. The voters of the Fielding Bible Awards only select one player per position instead of the two (one from each league) selected for a Gold Glove every year. This season, the voters added a "multi-position" category to recognize the efforts of players like Lorenzo Cain and Ben Zobrist, who play multiple positions at a high level.

Kinsler finished a distant second to two-time winner Dustin Pedroia, who garnered a possible 114 out of 120 points. Pedroia was one of two award winners who did not finish first in baseball in DRS at his respective position, though. Kinsler was worth +20 DRS in 2014 compared to Pedroia's +17. However, Pedroia had a higher Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR), Ultimate Zone Rating per 150 games (UZR/150), and made more out of zone players (OOZ) than Kinsler. Kinsler was the only Tigers player to finish within the top 10 at any position.

The Tigers' last Fielding Bible Award winner was Austin Jackson, who won the center field award in 2011. Former Tigers pitcher Kenny Rogers is the only other Tiger to win a Fielding Bible Award. Rogers won the inaugural award for pitchers in 2008.