Great glove, no love for Cabrera

BALTIMORE -- Orlando Cabrera is a little skeptical about Gold Glove award balloting, and not just because he has felt jilted a few times over the years.

How can you have faith in a process that resulted in Rafael Palmeiro’s winning his third consecutive American League Gold Glove at first base in 1999, a season in which he started 28 games in the field and 135 at designated hitter?

“For some reason,” the Angels shortstop said, “they should probably give the ballots to someone else.”

Here’s the kicker, or, in Cabrera’s case, the kick to the stomach:

Gold Glove ballots are cast by managers and coaches, who, with their vast knowledge of the game, their experience playing it, and first-hand observations, should be the most qualified to vote.

Fans, players and the media don’t vote. The only caveat: Managers and coaches cannot vote for players on their team.

“Within the baseball world, I know how much Orlando is respected for how well he can pick it,” Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. “I know he’s always in the running, and he broke through once to win the award,” with Montreal in 2001.

“He’s Gold Glove caliber, I think that’s a given. Whether he wins it or not doesn’t mean he’s not the best defensive shortstop in our league. Sometimes it’s just a matter of preference.”

Or reputation. The list of winners includes players such as Omar Vizquel, Ivan Rodriguez, Roberto Alomar, Ken Griffey Jr. and Greg Maddux, who have held virtual locks on the award, winning many years in a row.

As good as those players are, there probably were seasons in which they did not play as well but won because of their Gold Glove pedigrees. And though the award is for defense, many believe offense is factored into the equation.

“It’s difficult, because I thought I did a good job my first year here [in 2005], I thought I stood out from other guys, and it’s, ‘Oh, you don’t hit.’ What does hitting have to do with defense?” Cabrera said. “Now, I’m hitting, and it’s, ‘Oh, someone else is having a good year.’ I don’t know what I have to do to win it.”

More web gems might help. Among AL shortstops, Cabrera has a league-high .983 fielding percentage, a league-low 10 errors, and the third-best zone rating (.829).

But he hasn’t made as many spectacular plays as he did in 2005, when he had a league-best .988 fielding percentage, a league-low seven errors, and lost the Gold Glove to Derek Jeter, who had a .979 fielding percentage and 15 errors.

“I don’t think the Gold Glove winner is the guy who makes the most spectacular plays,” said Cabrera, who has started all but four games. “It’s not the guy who dives for every ball, catches and throws to first. It’s the guy who is consistently making good plays to save runs, the guy who makes the routine plays, turns the double plays.

“Once in a while you’re going to make a spectacular play, but that doesn’t make you the best defensive player. Every year, I position myself better . . . so I don’t have to dive all the time. When you see line drives go right over my head, that means I’m in the right position, and I know where the ball is going to go on certain pitches.”

Cabrera, who is batting .307 with eight homers, 35 doubles, 79 runs batted in and a team-high 93 runs entering today’s game against the Orioles, is having another outstanding defensive season. But do numbers tell the whole story?

“Errors should not be the criteria,” Oakland Manager Bob Geren said. “Fielding percentage is one of the worst averages there is. It doesn’t tell you anything about range, positioning. I think the guy in Toronto [John McDonald] is the best, myself. Every major league shortstop is good. McDonald is amazing to me.”

McDonald is a slick defender but plays only about two-thirds of the time for the Blue Jays -- he has 282 at-bats in 109 games -- so it will be tough to overtake Jeter, who has won the last three Gold Gloves. Seattle’s Yuniesky Betancourt also is being pushed for the award.

The Angels think their guy is the best.

“He makes the routine play -- that’s what you want more than anything,” center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. said. “He’s made spectacular plays too; he’s stayed healthy all year. . . . This is probably his best chance to win the Gold Glove in the AL.”

Said second baseman Howie Kendrick: “His knowledge is unbelievable, how he knows the hitters, the things he says as far as positioning, the way you need to move around the bag. And he makes plays. He’s been consistent, and he’s been out there every day. His presence is unbelievable.”

That should factor into the Gold Glove vote, Scioscia said. Not only has Cabrera been a veteran presence in an infield that includes Kendrick and first baseman Casey Kotchman, both in their second seasons, but he’s been the one constant amid a flurry of injuries that have sidelined third baseman Chone Figgins for six weeks, Kendrick for 2 1/2 months and Kotchman for two weeks

Whether it’s been Erick Aybar at second, Maicer Izturis at third and Kendry Morales at first, or Kendrick, Figgins and Kotchman in those spots, Cabrera has been the glue to an infield that has played at a high level all season.

“When you’re surrounded by young guys, you need to be more of a captain, and Orlando’s been doing that,” Scioscia said.

“He’d be the same playing with veteran guys, but that influence means more to us because we’re very young.”

Cabrera welcomes the responsibility.

“I try to keep everybody on the same page,” he said. “I try to position them for every hitter and then look after myself. The fact we’re in first place and have played so well all year . . . I don’t remember a moment where we’ve really screwed up.”

Cabrera hopes other managers and coaches take notice, because he won’t lie to you: He wants that Gold Glove.

“For Latino players, it’s more than just a trophy,” said Cabrera, who is from Colombia. “It’s a really, really important thing for us. I don’t know how to explain it. Just ask Vizquel -- the years he didn’t win the Gold Glove, I bet you he was really disappointed, even though he’s got 12 or 13 of them. It’s just important for us.”

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mike.digiovanna@latimes.com