Did Tim Salmon Ever Win a Gold Glove Award? Examining the Defensive Skills of the Angels Legend

Tim Salmon, affectionately known as “Mr. “Angel” is one of the most loved Los Angeles Angels players ever. The Angels signed the right fielder and kept him for 14 years, making him an important part of the team. Salmon hit a lot of home runs and drove in a lot of runs. His great offensive numbers earned him several All-Star appearances and Silver Slugger awards. But, even though Salmon was clearly good at hitting, defense was not seen as one of his strengths. This makes me wonder if Tim Salmon ever won a Gold Glove award for his great work with the Angels.

This article will delve into Salmon’s defense skills and Gold Glove chances. I’ll look at his range, arm strength, and overall fielding skills to see if he should have won any Gold Gloves or was wrongly passed over. I’ll also talk about some of the great outfielders Salmon had to beat out for the award when he was at the top of his game.

Salmon’s Defensive Strengths and Weaknesses

Let’s start by objectively looking at Tim Salmon’s talents and limitations as a defensive right fielder

Arm Strength

• Salmon had a very strong throwing arm, powerful and accurate
• His impressive arm strength deterred runners from taking extra bases

Range

• Not the fastest runner, so his range was average at best
• Struggled to cover ground on balls hit to the outfield gap
• Failed to run efficient routes to fly balls at times

Hands

• Solid hands – did not make a lot of errors or misplays
• Caught most routine fly balls and line drives hit right at him

Notable Gold Glove Right Field Competition

To win a Gold Glove award, Salmon would have needed to beat out some stiff competition in the American League. During the prime of his career in the mid to late 90s, here are some of the standout right fielders Salmon was up against:

• Jesse Barfield – Won 2 Gold Gloves (2 as Salmon’s competitor)
• Jose Canseco – Won 1 Gold Glove (1 as Salmon’s competitor)
• Tony Phillips – Won 1 Gold Glove (1 as Salmon’s competitor)
• Ichiro Suzuki – Won 10 Gold Gloves (3 as Salmon’s competitor)
• Jermaine Dye – Won 1 Gold Glove (1 as Salmon’s competitor)

As you can see, Salmon went up against some speedy, athletic right fielders with both great range and throwing arms. He definitely had his work cut out for him in trying to beat players like Ichiro and Barfield.

Analyzing Salmon’s Gold Glove Chances

Now let’s dig into Salmon’s chances at actually winning a Gold Glove during his Angels career. Based on reviewing historical stats and metrics, here is my analysis year-by-year:

1992-1996 – Salmon was still early in his career and competing with Jesse Barfield in his Gold Glove prime.

1997-1998 – Tony Phillips and Jose Canseco won GG’s during these years. Salmon’s defense still developing.

1999-2000 – Ichiro arrived from Japan and immediately won the Gold Glove. Salmon stood no chance against him.

2001-2002 – Jermaine Dye in his athletic prime wins the GG. Salmon slowing down at 34 years old.

2003-2006 – Vladimir Guerrero beats out Salmon late in his career.

So in looking at Salmon’s competitors and his own defensive stats, I don’t see any specific seasons where he was robbed of the Gold Glove award. The winners in each year were top defensive right fielders and likely better glovemen than Salmon.

Verdict on Salmon’s Gold Glove Chances

After thoroughly reviewing Tim Salmon’s defensive skills and stats among his American League right field peers, I can conclusively say Salmon was not overlooked for any Gold Gloves during his Angels career. While possessing a solid arm, he did not have the elite speed, range and overall defensive prowess to rank among the best. Salmon made his name with his big bat and offensive production. Although he played a steady right field, Gold Glove awards were simply not in the cards for “Mr. Angel”. He ranked as an average to slightly below average defensive outfielder among his AL contemporaries.

Salmon does own four career Silver Slugger awards which appropriately recognized his hitting talents. His Angels legacy and impact came at the plate, not with the leather. And that’s perfectly okay – not all great players excel at every facet of the game. Salmon used his strengths to be the best player he could be for his team. For Angels fans, he’ll always be remembered for his clutch hitting, All-Star seasons and the way he carried himself on and off the field. The Gold Glove was one honor that escaped the Halos legend, but his on-field success and community impact make him an Angel for the ages with or without it.