2009 Science News of the Year: Numbers

Detroit Tigers second baseman Placido Polanco, a 2009 Gold Glove winner, applies the tag as Chicago White Sox's Gordon Beckham slides into second. Image credit: Duane Burleson - file
Detroit Tigers second baseman Placido Polanco, a 2009 Gold Glove winner, applies the tag as Chicago White Sox’s Gordon Beckham slides into second. Image credit: Duane Burleson – file

The stats on fielding
Astute baseball fans know who has the golden glove, but assigning a number to a player’s defensive merits has been tricky. Benjamin Baumer, a statistician for the New York Mets, suggests that new methods could offer a fuller picture (SN: 8/29/09, p.