Arenado wins third Gold Glove Award

DENVER -- Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado's Rawlings Gold Glove Awards are not just decorations. They tell a story.

His third in as many Major League seasons, awarded Tuesday night, represents a level of durability -- 157 games played, all but one of them as a starter at third base -- that was his goal entering the season. He became the second third baseman and fifth player overall to earn the defensive honor in each of his first three seasons.

"All of them are special, but this one was special because I played in a whole lot of games," Arenado said of his three Gold Gloves. "I stayed healthy and was able to help my team on the offensive side and on the defensive side. I was thankful I was able to stay on the field and help my team win."

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Arenado, 24, wasn't called up until late April 2013 and played in 133 games as a rookie. Arenado then missed time with a broken middle finger in the middle of 2014 and missed the end of the season because of a chest contusion and early onset pneumonia. He finished with 111 games played.

In 2015, Arenado played through hand injuries and other bumps and bruises.

"I had some luck," he said. "But I also stayed with my routine consistently and never wavered, never showed up and said, 'I'm too tired to lift weights.' My trainer, Scott Fricke, who has been with me for the last three years, helped get me ready, and it paid dividends during the season."

Arenado also received The Fielding Bible Award this year as the top third baseman, regardless of league. Arenado said he doesn't think about awards during the year, but is "aware of the ones I don't have, and would like to have them."

Arenado was the Rockies' lone winner among National League Gold Glovers. Second baseman DJ LeMahieu, who won the award in 2014, was a finalist, but the Marlins' Dee Gordon took this year's trophy.

Gold Gloves are awarded based on a combination of voting by managers and coaches in the respective leagues and, for 25 percent of the process, a statistical formula approved by the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).

Arenado joined Frank Malzone, who won the award while with the Red Sox from 1957-59, as the only third basemen to win the award in each of their first three seasons.

Other players to receive Gold Gloves in at least each of their first three seasons were catchers Johnny Bench (1968-77) and Charles Johnson (1995-98), and outfielder Ichiro Suzuki (2001-10).

Arenado also matched the Rockies record for consecutive Gold Glove Awards, tying outfielder Larry Walker, who won three from 1997-99. Walker won a total of five while with the Rockies, winning again in 2001 and '02.

Arenado is the NL's first three-time Gold Glove Award winner at third base since Scott Rolen (2000-04).