St. Louis Cardinals Bring Home Five Gold Gloves

There was a time not so many years ago that the St. Louis Cardinals' defense was, frankly, an embarrassment.

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But, thanks to bringing in coaches like Jose Oquendo and Willie McGee, and trading for two of the league's best defenders, the Cardinals have done a defensive 180.

Major League Baseball announced Sunday night that no less than five Cardinals are 2021 winners of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award for defensive excellence.

This is the first time that any team has had five individual award winners in a single season.

The 2021 Cardinal Gold Glovers include third baseman Nolan Arenado, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, second baseman Tommy Edman and outfielders Tyler O'Neill and Harrison Bader.

For Arenado, this is his ninth consecutive gold glove, his first eight coming as a member of the Colorado Rockies.

Goldschmidt wins his fourth career Gold Glove, his first since 2017 and his first as a Cardinal.

Edman wins his first Gold Glove at second base. This is the third straight year a Cardinal second baseman has won. Kolten Wong took the Gold Glove at second the last two years.

This is also Bader's first Gold Glove after being named as a finalist in 2019. He's the first Cardinal center fielder to win a Gold Glove since Jim Edmonds in 2005.

For O'Neill, this is his second consecutive Gold Glove, the first time that's happened since Edmonds won five in a row beginning in 2000.

And yes, I know, there is one Cardinal not among the winners. Yadier Molina was a finalist.