Three D-backs named Gold Glove Award finalists

PHOENIX -- Defense was a strength for the D-backs in 2013, so it should come as no surprise that they were well represented among the finalists for the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards.

Right fielder Gerardo Parra, pitcher Patrick Corbin and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt were announced as finalists Friday. The winners at each position will be announced Tuesday at 6 p.m. MT on ESPN2.

Parra captured the award in 2011 as a left fielder, but this past season he spent most of his time in right field, where manager Kirk Gibson called him "dominant."

"When you play tight games, he is dominating, he is a stopper," Gibson said of Parra. "Think about how many times he has done it. He influences the game in a different way."

Corbin, meanwhile, impressed the D-backs immediately in his first big league camp in 2012 with his athleticism and ability to field his position.

Corbin won the No. 5 spot in the rotation out of Spring Training and wound up being the team's ace this year.

Goldschmidt came up through the Minor Leagues with a reputation for not being a very good defender, but through effort he has become one of the best at his position.

"[Goldschmidt has] improved defensively because he's worked at it," said Matt Williams, who was the team's third-base coach and infield instructor before reportedly being hired as the Nationals' manager Friday. "He understands how important [the extra defensive work] is. It's at least three days a week early in the morning during Spring Training. He works at it and he understands the importance of it."

The voting was slightly altered this year. Since its inception in 1957, the Gold Glove had relied solely on votes by Major League managers and coaches to determine the best defensive players. Managers and coaches got an assist this year from the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), and for the first time, Rawlings collaborated with SABR to formally incorporate sabermetrics as a component in determining winners.

A committee of experts in baseball analytics and defensive measurement devised the SABR Defensive Index (SDI), which draws on and aggregates two types of existing defensive metrics: those derived from batted balls, 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 sabermetician Mitchel Lichtman) and runs effectively defended (created by SABR's Chris Dial).

The two metrics included in the SDI from play-by-play data are defensive regression analysis, created by committee member Michael Humphreys, and total zone rating.

The plan, according to Rawlings and SABR, is to have the SDI complement the judgment of the managers and coaches. The SABR Defensive Index will account for 30 total votes -- or approximately 25 percent -- of the Gold Glove Award selection process, and will be added to the votes from the managers and coaches.

Ballots were distributed to managers and coaches last month, and they received a revamped statistical resource guide as well.

The complete list of finalists:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Pitcher
Mark Buehrle, Blue Jays
R.A. Dickey, Blue Jays
Doug Fister, Tigers

Catcher
Joe Mauer, Twins
Salvador Perez, Royals
Matt Wieters, Orioles

First base
Chris Davis, Orioles
Eric Hosmer, Royals
James Loney, Rays

Second base
Robinson Cano, Yankees
Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox
Ben Zobrist, Rays

Third base
Adrian Beltre, Rangers
Evan Longoria, Rays
Manny Machado, Orioles

Shortstop
Alcides Escobar, Royals
Yunel Escobar, Rays
J.J. Hardy, Orioles

Left field
Yoenis Cespedes, A's
Andy Dirks, Tigers
Alex Gordon, Royals

Center field
Lorenzo Cain, Royals
Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox
Adam Jones, Orioles

Right field
Nick Markakis, Orioles
Shane Victorino, Red Sox
Josh Reddick, A's

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Pitcher
Patrick Corbin, D-backs
Zack Greinke, Dodgers
Adam Wainwright, Cardinals

Catcher
A.J. Ellis, Dodgers
Russell Martin, Pirates
Yadier Molina, Cardinals

First base
Paul Goldschmidt, D-backs
Adrian Gonzalez, Dodgers
Anthony Rizzo, Cubs

Second base
Darwin Barney, Cubs
Brandon Phillips, Reds
Mark Ellis, Dodgers

Third base
Nolan Arenado, Rockies
Juan Uribe, Dodgers
David Wright, Mets

Shortstop
Ian Desmond, Nationals
Andrelton Simmons, Braves
Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies

Left field
Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies
Starling Marte, Pirates
Eric Young Jr., Mets

Center field
Carlos Gomez, Brewers
Andrew McCutchen, Pirates
Denard Span, Nationals

Right field
Jay Bruce, Reds
Jason Heyward, Braves
Gerardo Parra, D-backs