Orioles Lead All Teams With 3 Silver Slugger Award Winners
NEW YORK (AP) -- World Series MVP David Ortiz has won his sixth Silver Slugger award as the top designated hitter in voting by major league managers and coaches.
Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano, Detroit third baseman Miguel Cabrera and Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer each were selected for the fifth time.
Silver Slugger awards are given to the top offensive player at each position in the American and National Leagues. They were handed out Wednesday night on the MLB Network.
Nine of the 18 recipients were first-time winners with major league home run and RBI leader Chris Davis of Baltimore taking home a bat-shaped trophy as the best AL first baseman.
The Orioles led all teams with three winners: Outfielder Adam Jones and shortstop J.J. Hardy joined Davis in being picked for the first time.
Pittsburgh, Detroit and St. Louis each had two winners.
First-time selectee Pedro Alvarez (third base) was joined by Pirates teammate Andrew McCutchen. The star outfielder won his second prize.
St. Louis' Yadier Molina (catcher) and Matt Carpenter (second base) received their first Silver Sluggers.
The Tigers' Torii Hunter (outfield) got his second.
Washington's Ian Desmond (shortstop), Cincinnati's Jay Bruce (outfield) and the Angels' Mike Trout (outfield) each earned their second straight Silver Slugger.
Other first-time winners were: Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt (first base), Colorado's Michael Cuddyer (outfield) and the Dodgers' Zack Greinke (pitcher).
Several players earned bonuses or salary escalators for winning the award:
Cabrera, Hunter and Ortiz each get $100,000 bonuses, while Hardy receives $75,000 and Bruce, Cuddyer, Davis and Molina earn $50,000 apiece. Jones' base salary next year escalates by $200,000 to $10.2 million and Cuddyer's rises by $500,000 to $11.5 million.
(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
