Chicago White Sox left-handed pitcher Mark Buehrle will receive his first career American League Rawlings Gold Glove Award® prior to this Saturday’s White Sox-Minnesota game (12:05 p.m. CT start).
Buehrle, 31, and left-hander Jim Kaat (1974-75) are the only White Sox recipients of major-league baseball’s most prestigious fielding award. Buehrle also is the first Sox winner since third baseman Robin Ventura was honored five times from 1991-98. Current White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen also won a Gold Glove at shortstop in 1990.
Buehrle led all AL pitchers in 2009 with eight pickoffs, 55 total chances and 41 assists and tied for the lead by assisting with five double plays while committing just one error.
Since the beginning of the 2001 season, Buehrle leads all major-league pitchers with 63 pickoffs (20 more than Andy Pettitte) and ranks third with 502 total chances and 374 assists. Over his 10-year career with the White Sox, he has allowed just 40 stolen bases in 95 attempts, a 42.1 percent success rate.