Former Richmond Flying Squirrels infield standouts Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik were honored with the Rawlings Gold Glove Award by Major League Baseball.
The award recognizes defensive excellence and is given annually to one player at each position in both the American League and National League. For Crawford (RFS ’10), the award marks his second consecutive Gold Glove at shortstop, having won for the first time in 2015. Panik (RFS ‘13) earns his first such award as a second baseman, a position he transitioned to for the first time in 2013 as a member of the Squirrels. A full story and list of winners can be found here.
Crawford, 29, has become well-known for his defensive prowess up the middle, a characteristic he displayed often at The Diamond in 2010. Crawford made his Flying Squirrels debut on April 8th, 2010 and appeared in 79 games for Richmond that season before being promoted. Crawford always dazzled defensively as a member of the Squirrels and committed only ten errors in his time at The Diamond. He also won the shortstop Gold Glove Award in 2015 for San Francisco.
Panik, 26, earns the Gold Glove as for the first time in his career for his stellar play at second base. The St. John’s product was initially selected as a short stop by the Giants but converted to second base in his first and only year in Richmond (2013). This season he finished fifth among National League second baseman in both putouts (233) and assists (365). He appeared in 137 games with Richmond in 2013 and only committed nine errors on the year.
The Flying Squirrels operate 365 days a year at The Diamond and will host Nutzy’s Funn Run 5k on December 3rd in conjunction with the Rotary Club of West Richmond. All proceeds from the run are donated to charity and additional details can be found here. The Flying Squirrels 2017 season begins on April 6th at The Diamond. Season tickets, Gold Books, Great Eights and other ticket plans for the 2017 season are available by contacting the front office at 804-359-FUNN.
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Chris Graham
