"For the first time in 50 years, voters for the Gold Glove awards will be required to vote for two corner outfielders in each league. That could boost the candidacy of the Angels' Torii Hunter, who won nine Gold Gloves as a center fielder and is having a solid season in right field.

"Torii's made a switch, which could have been difficult, seamless," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's played terrific right field for us."

Hunter has a career-high 15 assists this season while turning in a number of highlight-reel catches. But under the old voting guidelines, in which all outfielders were lumped together in the balloting, he probably would have been overshadowed by flashier center fielders such as Baltimore's Adam Jones, Detroit's Austin Jackson and teammate Peter Bourjos.

In fact, in the 12 seasons from 1988 to 1999, 34 of the 36 outfield Gold Gloves awarded in the American League went to center fielders. And Scioscia thinks that's wrong.

"They're all distinct positions," he said. "If you're going to do that for outfielders, [when] you give out Gold Gloves for infielders take four shortstops. That doesn't make any sense."

For some players it didn't make any dollars, either. Many contracts include performance clauses that pay bonuses for a Gold Glove. Hunter, for example, gets $100,000 if he wins one. Left fielder Vernon Wells — a three-time winner as a center fielder — had a similar incentive in his last contract.

More important, though, is the prestige the award brings because it's voted on by each league's coaches and managers."