Parra Wins A Gold Glove, Because Obviously

In news that probably surprises nobody, Paul Goldschmidt and Gerardo Parra have won Gold Gloves. By now you all have seen my support of Gerardo Parra and my overall fondness of him. Gerardo plays the game right and he deserves his second piece of gold.

Parra can do no wrong in the outfield. Image: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Just thinking back at this season alone, I can think of a handful of times that Parra completely gave up his body to make plays in the outfield. Remember the series at Citi Field when Parra got a face full of dirt? Or when he had no regard for his body and smashed into the fence at Chase the next week? It was pretty cool stuff. Gerardo plays the game with a type of attitude that is so typical of a Gold Glove winner. One of the criteria is that you just don’t care about your body at all and will give it no matter how close the fence is getting.

Gerardo can play anywhere. That’s another aspect of a Gold Glove winner. Obviously, I understand that all players can’t play every position on the field, but whether GP is in left, right or center, he is a damn good defensive player. When you mix speed with experience and overall athleticism, well, that’s a recipe for success. Let’s all remember how durable this guy is, too. It’s like pulling teeth to tell Parra he has an off day, whether it’s in April or October. If I were to think of the typical mold of a Diamondbacks player, I think of Gerardo. This is a scrappy, athletic team–which is why Parra fits in so well.

Offensively for Parra, he is still finding his groove in this league but defensively, he’s there. Another thing that is so important is that players can have some character off the field. Whether it’s in the clubhouse or around downtown Phoenix, GP holds himself well and is certainly respected for it.

In a somewhat related side note, Parra led the league in finger wags, too. Swagger can’t be taught–it can be imitated, but not taught. Parra’s got the swagger and he can back it up.

Time to make room on the mantle above the fireplace because Gerado has got some shiny, new hardware.

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