ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Minor League Baseball and Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc., announced Thursday the nine Minor League Baseball players who have been chosen as recipients of a 2012 Rawlings Gold Glove Award for defensive excellence at their position. The honorees were selected among qualifying players from the 10 domestic-based, full-season Minor Leagues. They will each receive their own Rawlings Gold Glove Award, modeled after the iconic award given to Major League Baseball's top defensive players, during the 2013 season.

"Rawlings has celebrated defensive excellence at the professional level since the inaugural Rawlings Gold Glove Award team in 1957," said Mike Thompson, senior vice president of marketing for Rawlings. "Minor League Baseball is and will always continue to be a great partner of Rawlings, and we are thrilled to honor again the hard work and dedication of these nine superior defensive players with the 2012 Minor League Baseball Rawlings Gold Glove Award."

"Minor League Baseball is honored to team with Rawlings Sporting Goods to recognize the best-of-the-best fielders in our leagues with the Rawlings Gold Glove Award," said Pat O'Conner, President of Minor League Baseball. "The Rawlings Gold Glove Award is one of the few awards globally recognized in sports."

The 2012 Minor League Baseball recipients of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award are as follows:

Last year signaled the return of Rawlings recognizing Minor League Baseball players for their defensive prowess. Current Washington National Steve Lombardozzi was among the players honored in 2011. The St. Louis-based company named a Minor League all-star fielding team for several years in the 1960s. The honor was known as the Rawlings Silver Glove Award during this time.