Hiroshima Carp ace Kenta Maeda added another accolade to his already lengthy list when he was revealed as one of this year's Mitsui Golden Glove recipients on Tuesday afternoon.
Maeda is a winner for the fourth straight season and fifth time overall. Maeda is the third Central League pitcher to win the award in at least four consecutive seasons, following in the footsteps of former Yomiuri Giants pitchers Tsuneo Horiuchi, who reigned from 1972-78 and Takashi Nishimoto, who won seven straight from 1979-1985. Horiuchi was the chairman of this year's Sawamura Award committee, which gave Maeda that honor last month.
Hanshin Tigers outfielder Kosuke Fukudome was also honored, winning the award for the first time since 2006. Fukudome won four previous Golden Gloves during his time with the Chunichi Dragons from 1999-2007. He left NPB after the 2007 season and spent five years in the major leagues before returning to Japan in 2013. His nine-year gap between Golden Gloves is the longest in CL history at any position, surpassing Motonobu Tanishige's eight-year wait between wins in 1998 and 2007.