Rawlings Announces First-Ever Rawlings Gold Glove® Awards for College and High School Student-Athletes
Baseball Experts Setting Lineup from which Fans will Vote for "Finest In the Field"
ST. LOUIS (Jan. 4, 2007) — As part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Rawlings Gold Glove® in 2007, for the first time ever Rawlings will recognize America's greatest college and high school defensive players with their own Rawlings Gold Glove Awards … just like the pros.
The collegiate and high school Rawlings Gold Glove Awards will be presented to NCAA Divisions I, II, and III players, NAIA players, NJCAA players, and high school players by Rawlings, in partnership with the American Baseball Coaches Association. Plans for the awards will be unveiled Friday during the ABCA's annual convention in Orlando.
Unlike selection of the Rawlings Gold Gloves awarded to Major League Baseball® players (coaches and managers vote for their league's top defensive players), nomination and voting for the college and high school players will mirror that of the ABCA college and high school Rawlings All-American Awards.
The Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, which will be given out annually beginning in 2007, will go to nine players at each level. Winners will be announced during each division's post-season tournaments; recipients' eligibility will not be impacted by winning the honor.
"We are excited to be reaching out to college and high school student-athletes and offering them the opportunity to receive a Rawlings Gold Glove Award, which for 50 years has been the greatest measurement of defensive excellence in baseball," said Rawlings President and General Manager Robert Parish. "This is something that never has been done before. We believe it's time to recognize defensive excellence at all levels of the game, and the award's 50th anniversary is the perfect time to begin doing just that."
ABCA Executive Director Dave Keilitz will join Rawlings Vice President of Marketing David Zumbach and 13-time Rawlings Gold Glove shortstop and MLB Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith in announcing the college and high school programs at the convention.
"Having Rawlings Gold Glove Awards at the college and high school levels is one of the biggest announcements we've ever made as an association," Keilitz said. "When you think about what this will mean — not just to the players but to our member coaches and their programs — it will truly make a positive impact …from performance to recruiting."
"Defense always has been a fundamental part of the game," Smith said. "Along with being inducted into the Hall of Fame, winning 13 consecutive Rawlings Gold Gloves is among my greatest baseball accomplishments. I just wish they would have awarded Rawlings Gold Gloves to college athletes when I was playing. This partnership by Rawlings and the ABCA is a terrific development for the game."
The 2007 Golden Anniversary celebration of the Rawlings Gold Glove will also include the unveiling of the All-Time Rawlings Gold Glove Team, as chosen by the fans via retailer ballots, text messaging, and online votes at www.rawlingsgoldglove.com. The ballot — to be revealed in February — will be determined by a panel of baseball experts and historians, including those who played the game, managed the game, governed the game, and reported on the game. Renowned figures such as Bob Costas, Vin Scully, Tommy Lasorda, Tony LaRussa, Ernie Harwell, and Harry Kalas have already cast their votes.
To learn more, visit www.rawlingsgoldglove.com.