Brendan Ryan wins 2012 Fielding Bible Award

One point shy of a perfect score of 100, Seattle Mariners shortstop Brendan Ryan was named the 2012 Fielding Bible Award winner, according the the team's blog. In an award voted upon in similar fashion to the league MVP, Ryan was named as the best defender in baseball after being scored by 10 analysts on a scale of one to 10.

The panelists that vote on the honor include experts such as Peter Gammons and Doug Glanville along with scouts.

According to the judging panel, Ryan saved 67 runs for the Mariners during the last three seasons, which is 16 better than the next-closest player, Michael Bourn of the Atlanta Braves. This past season, Ryan had 27 saved runs for the Mariners, a number far better than Atlanta rookie Andrelton Simmons, who had the second-most at 19.

The award overlooks the offensive capabilities that are taken into account for the Gold Glove Award.

Seattle has continued to peg Ryan into its lineup despite his poor offensive numbers. He had a .194 batting average in 2012 to go with three home runs and 31 RBI.