Left-hander only second Sox pitcher to win honor
CHICAGO -- If Mark Buehrle was to make a checklist for career accomplishments, both White Sox-oriented and individual, he would be able to mark off a number of targeted goals reached and even a few he didn't expect.
Pick up a save in the World Series? Been there, done that.
Throw a no-hitter and a perfect game? Right on with both of those amazing achievements.
Produce nine years of quality starts, including at least 30 starts and 200 innings pitched every season, leading to a career record of 38 games above .500? Piece of cake for the 30-year-old southpaw.
Hit a home run? Yeah, Buehrle even was surprised by that one.
But on Tuesday, Buehrle officially captured an award he had coveted since becoming a member of the South Siders' rotation in 2001. Buehrle took home an American League Rawlings Gold Glove, joining Jim Kaat as the only pitcher in team history to earn the honor recognizing exceptional defense.
Buehrle's Gold Glove is the first won by a White Sox player since third baseman Robin Ventura in 1998. Always considered one of the best fielding pitchers in the AL, Buehrle was blocked by previous winners Kenny Rogers (five times), Mike Mussina (three times) and Johan Santana during his past nine years.
None of those three currently resides in the American League, with Buehrle's .982 fielding percentage (one error, 41 assists) in 2009 putting him into this illustrious list.