Gold Glove Awards are out...

Yadi won - finally. Yeay.

Pujols didn't win - again. What else is knew?

Glaus didn't win, with the best defensive season for an NL third baseman. What a crock.

After Russell Martin won a Gold Glove last year, nothing surprises me anymore.

Managers and coaches vote on these awards, like the BBWAA vote on MVP/Cy Young/ROY, because they see every game. This may have made sense in the era of radio and newspaper as the only means to get game coverage, with a TV baseball game once a week. In today's world, there are PLENTY of folks who have the means and interest to watch every single game their team plays; in some cases, multiple games involving multiple teams a night. Why, even I was once one of those guys - watch the Cardinals game starting at 5:10 PDT, and that game would be almost over when the West Coast games started at 7:05.

So here's a thought: How about MLB allow fan input into the Gold Glove Awards? I'm not saying turn it into the All-Star ballot; even if Alfonso Soriano won an award every year, it wouldn't be much sillier than it is now. But empanel some of the best blogs on the net - ones with readership, and actual baseball related statistical content/analysis like Viva El Birdos and U.S.S. Mariner - to weigh in. It would help keep debate alive during the hot stove months, it would provide a forum for the blogger community to get involved, and it would allow MLB to reach out to its fans.

Win Win.

And who knows, maybe guys who actually deserve the awards would win them.