Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford wins 1st Gold Glove

Brandon Crawford was named the National League’s Gold Glove Award winner at shortstop Tuesday, earning the defensive honor for the first time. Crawford beat out Adeiny Hechavarria of the Miami Marlins and Andrelton Simmons of the Atlanta Braves to become the Giants’ first Gold Glove recipient since shortstop Omar Vizquel in 2006.

Simmons won the Gold Glove the previous two seasons, and Crawford said while he was “optimistic” about his chances this year, he was still “a little bit surprised” when he learned from his agent he’d won.

“That’s some pretty good competition,” Crawford said in a conference call. “Just to be in the finalists I was excited, but then to find out that I won, I was very proud.”

Crawford’s defensive reputation preceded him when broke into the majors in 2011, and Giants pitchers and coaches constantly rave about his abilities in the field. But national recognition has been rarer for Crawford, who before this year had not even been a finalist for the Gold Glove.

The 28-year-old former UCLA Bruin, who holds a .973 career fielding percentage, made a mere 13 errors in 637 total chances, notching career highs in both fielding percentage (.979) and double plays (89).

GIANTS’ HANSON DIES

Authorities are investigating the death of Giants minor-league pitcher Tommy Hanson.

Coweta County coroner Richard Hawk said an autopsy began Tuesday, following Hanson’s death at the age of 29 on Monday night at Atlanta’s Piedmont Hospital.

Hawk said Hanson was found “unconscious and unresponsive” in Coweta County near Atlanta on Sunday. He was initially taken to a hospital in Newnan before being transferred to Piedmont.

Hawk said on Tuesday night “the cause and manner of death are still under investigation.”

Hanson, a 6-foot-6 right-hander, pitched for the Braves from 2009-2012, winning at least 10 games each season. He pitched for the Angels in 2013 before signing minor league contracts with the White Sox in 2014 and the Giants in 2015.

Hanson was regarded as Atlanta’s top pitching prospect when he made his debut in 2011, posting an 11-4 record with a 2.89 ERA. Hanson, a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was 49-35 with a 3.80 ERA in five major league seasons. He was 4-6 with a 4.76 ERA with two minor league teams in the Giants organization in 2015.