NewYork.Yankees.MLB.com

By Tom Singer / MLB.com

Mike Mussina has won six Gold Gloves, including two with the Yankees. (Tony Gutierrez/AP)

Mussina, who fielded his 49 chances flawlessly during the 2003 season, thus added a sixth Gold Glove to his personal trophy case.

On the day Don Mattingly, a nine-time Gold Glove recipient during his playing days, rejoined the Yankees as their batting coach, Mussina reclaimed the honor he had "lent" Kenny Rogers last season.

2003 Gold Glove winners AMERICAN LEAGUE
C	Bengie Molina, ANA
1B	John Olerud, SEA
2B	Bret Boone, SEA
3B	Eric Chavez, OAK
SS	Alex Rodriguez, TEX
OF	Ichiro Suzuki, SEA
OF	Mike Cameron, SEA
OF	Torii Hunter, MIN
P	Mike Mussina, NYY
NATIONAL LEAGUE
C	Mike Matheny, STL
1B	Derrek Lee, FLA
2B	Luis Castillo, FLA
3B	Scott Rolen, STL
SS	Edgar Renteria, STL
OF	Andruw Jones, ATL
OF	Jose Cruz Jr., SF
OF	Jim Edmonds, STL
P	Mike Hampton, ATL

Rogers, then as a member of the Texas Rangers, won the Gold Glove in 2002, interrupting Mussina's hold on the hardware.

Mussina won four consecutive Gold Gloves as a member of the Baltimore Orioles in 1996-1999, and another in 2001, his first season with the Yankees.

Although two other AL pitchers also had perfect fielding records with more chances in 2003 -- the White Sox's Mark Buehrle and Derek Lowe of Boston -- Mussina's reputation for cat-like reflexes and a suction glove swayed voters.

As one of those voters, a coach in the AL, summed up, "He helps his game tremendously with his defense. He's tough to bunt on, and he's like an extra good fielder for his team. I'm a big believer in him."

Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.