Paul Goldschmidt and Gerardo Parra earn Rawlings Gold Glove Awards

PHOENIX - Arizona Diamondbacks’ first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and right fielder Gerardo Parra have been named 2013 Rawlings Gold Glove Award^® recipients for National League, as announced by Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. The award recognizes the best defensive players at their respective positions as voted by Major League Baseball managers and coaches.

“It's a great award for Paul Goldschmidt and Gerardo Parra,” said D-backs Manager Kirk Gibson. “They both work very hard and they've come a long way. That was one of their goals, to be able to do that and it's good to see that they are honored with Gold Glove awards.”

Goldschmidt, 26, is the fourth D-backs player to win a Rawlings Gold Glove Award, joining outfielder Steve Finley (1999, 2000), second baseman Orlando Hudson (2006-07) and outfielder Parra (2011, ’13). Goldschmidt led all NL first basemen in putouts (1,494) and total chances (1,598) while ranking second with a .997 fielding percentage, trailing only the Rockies’ Todd Helton (.998).

Goldschmidt, who was the 2013 NL Hank Aaron Award winner, is the third NL player to win both the league’s top offensive accolade and defensive honor, joining outfielders Andruw Jones (2005) and Matt Kemp (2011).

Parra, 26, established a club record with a NL-best 17 outfield assists in 2013, and led all outfielders with 41 defensive runs saved and a 31.1 ultimate zone rating (UZR). According to fangraphs.com, the 41 DRS were the most since 2002 and the 31.1 UZR is the second-highest since 2002 behind Alfonso Soriano’s 33.2 in 2007.

Parra, who won his initial Gold Glove Award as a left fielder, is the first player to win two, outfield-specific awards since Rawlings reverted back to its inaugural setup of honoring each outfield position separately.

Pitcher Patrick Corbin was also a finalist for a 2013 Rawlings Gold Glove Award that went to the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright.

“Patrick Corbin really came on the scene for us this year,” said Gibson. “Being considered for the award is pretty darn good for a young kid and I'm sure in the future that we'll see that he'll also probably win a Gold Glove in his developing career.”

Goldschmidt and Parra have an opportunity for further recognition with the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award fan vote, which allows fans across the country to vote for the best defender in each league. Voting is ongoing at rawlings.com. Fans can only select one player among the 2013 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners to take home the “best of the best” honor.

The Rawlings Platinum Glove Award winners will be unveiled during the 2013 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Ceremony presented by Gold Sport Collectibles on Friday, Nov. 8, at The Plaza Hotel in New York City.