Gwynn Reportedly Gets Gold Glove : Baseball: The award, to be presented in New York tonight, will be the fifth for the Padres right fielder.

He is known for his bat, which has made him famous and financially secure for life.

Yet, if you ask the guy who has four batting titles and a career .328 batting average to select his proudest achievement, he’ll point to the glove on his hand.

Padres right fielder Tony Gwynn will be presented his fifth Gold Glove award tonight in New York during a banquet honoring the recipients.

Although Rawlings officials refuse to disclose their award winners until tonight’s ceremony, Gwynn was the only Padre to win a Gold Glove, according to sources familiar with the voting.

Surprisingly, Padre catcher Benito Santiago, who had won three consecutive Gold Gloves, lost this year to Tom Pagnozzi of the St. Louis Cardinals in a vote of National League managers and coaches.

Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, Garry Maddox, Andre Dawson and Curt Flood are the only National League outfielders who have won more Gold Gloves than Gwynn, who has received the award three consecutive years.

“For me, it’s the biggest honor,” Gwynn said. “From the public’s perception of things, I’ve made my living swinging a bat. But I don’t want to be known as a one-dimensional player. I want to be known as an all-around player.

“That’s why winning the Gold Glove is the best honor you can imagine. It’s such a thrill because I didn’t expect to win one this year. You always have (Andy) Van Slyke and (Barry) Bonds in there, so it’s a fight for that last spot.

“It shows all the hard work I’ve done is paying off. People talk about how much time I spend in the cage but, truthfully, I spend just as much time working on my defense.”

Gwynn, a seven-time All-Star, committed only three errors. He had seven outfield assists as fewer baserunners remain willing to test his arm.

“I think finally, after all these years,” Gwynn said, “I’m getting some respect out there. Guys aren’t running as much. I think they’ve become aware of me.

“I don’t have the best arm in the game, or the best range in the game, but I do a good, consistent job. I feel more comfortable and smarter every year, knowing where to play hitters.”

Meanwhile, the exclusion of Santiago prevents him from becoming the first National League catcher since Johnny Bench of the Cincinnati Reds to win four consecutive Gold Gloves. Bench won the award annually from 1968-1977.

“I was surprised I didn’t win,” Santiago said, “because I thought I deserved it. Maybe I didn’t have the best year throwing out runners, but I played in 152 games, and that takes a lot out of you.

“But I still have the respect, and everybody knows I’ll be trying to get it back next year. It’s a challenge, and I love challenges.”

Santiago, who still won the Silver Slugger award as the best hitting catcher, threw out 32 percent of attempted base-stealers (44 of 137), according to Stats Inc. He also led the league with 14 errors.

In comparison, Pagnozzi threw out 44 percent (68 of 154) of baserunners. He committed seven errors in 140 games.

“I’ll be back,” Santiago said. “Actually, I can’t wait for the season to start. I’ve been lifting weights for a week and, when the season starts, I’d like to be about 195 pounds of solid muscle.”

Santiago realizes he may not know where he’s playing for a few months. The Padres plan to talk to him soon about a multi-year contract. If they can’t settle their differences, Santiago may be traded before he’s eligible for free agency at the end of the 1992 season.

“I’ve been fighting for a long time,” Santiago said. “This time, I’m just going to have fun and not worry about anything. We’ll see what happens.”

Gwynn, who resolved his contractual differences a year ago when he signed a three-year extension, now must find a place to display his latest Gold Glove among his numerous other awards.

“My mantel is getting sloped,” Gwynn said, “but, believe me, I’ll slide everything over for this one.”