CHICAGO – Darwin Barney was always confident his hard work would eventually help him become one of the best second basemen in the majors.

He just didn’t expect it would happen in only three years. Barney, originally drafted as a shortstop by the Cubs in 2007, transitioned to second base at Triple-A Iowa in 2010 with shortstop Starlin Castro quickly rising through the minors. On Tuesday, Barney’s effort was validated when he won the National League Gold Glove Award for second baseman, the first of his career.

Barney’s .997 fielding percentage led all big league second basemen, and he tied the single-season MLB record by playing 141-consecutive games at second base without an error to match Placido Polanco’s mark set in 2007.