Angels’ Pettis Wins Gold Glove Award, Finishes First in Voting for Outfielders

Center fielder Gary Pettis Tuesday became the 10th player in Angels history to win a Gold Glove award for fielding excellence.

Pettis, 27, in his second full major league season, committed only four errors in 385 chances, a .990 fielding percentage. He was the leading vote-getter among American League outfielders, edging the New York Yankees’ Dave Winfield, 42-41. Boston’s Dwight Evans and Oakland’s Dwayne Murphy tied for the other outfield position with 21 points apiece.

The teams were chosen in voting by coaches and managers of both leagues for The Sporting News.

“I’d read a bunch of articles and heard the comments people were making about me. I felt I had a chance to win one,” Pettis said from his mother’s home in Oakland. “But there are always things that can go wrong.

“If you look at the defensive stats, I felt I had as good a year as anyone. If you’re gonna give three Gold Gloves in the outfield, I think I should get one of them.”

Pettis finished the season with 13 assists, the most by an Angel outfielder since Leroy Stanton had 16 in 1976.

Pettis is the first Angel to win a Gold Glove since catcher Bob Boone in 1982 and the team’s first outfielder to win one since Rick Miller in 1978.