Chris Davis named 2013 Most Valuable Oriole
The Orioles today announced that CHRIS DAVIS has been voted winner of the 2013 Louis M. Hatter Most Valuable Oriole Award by members of the local media who cover the team on a regular basis. He will be recognized for his accomplishments in an on-field ceremony prior to today's season finale against the Boston Red Sox.
Davis has compiled one of the greatest offensive seasons in major league history. Entering today's finale, he had a club-record and MLB-leading 53 home runs and 96 extra-base hits on the season. His 138 RBI were most in the majors and fourth-most in Orioles history and his 370 total bases were a new club record. He also ranked in the top three in the American League in slugging percentage (2nd, .634); on-base plus slugging percentage (2nd, 1.003); runs (T-2nd, 103) and doubles (T-3rd, 42). Davis is only the third player in MLB history to hit at least 50 home runs and 40 doubles in a season, joining BABE RUTH (1921) and ALBERT BELLE (1995).
Davis was the top vote-getter in Major League Baseball in All-Star Game voting with over 8.2 million votes, earning his first selection to the Midsummer Classic as the AL starting first baseman. He tied the American League record (REGGIE JACKSON, 1969) with 37 home runs before the All-Star break and became the first player in major league history with 25 doubles and 30 home runs before July 1.
Davis was named American League Player of the Month for April by MLB after batting .348/.442/.728 with eight doubles, nine home runs and 28 RBI in 27 games that month. He also earned two AL Player of the Week selections (April 1-7 and May 27-June 2). He had an MLB-record 16 RBI in his first four games of the season and also homered in each of the year's first four games, only the fourth player in MLB history to accomplish the feat.
In addition to his accomplishments on the field, Davis was active in the community, making appearances at local Christian Youth Athletics events and donating $100 for each home run he hit to Luke's Wings, a non-profit military organization dedicated to the support of current and former service members who have been wounded in battle. He also donated $5,000 to bring underprivileged children to Orioles games through the OriolesREACH Gameday Experience Program.
The Most Valuable Oriole Award is named in honor of the late Lou Hatter, a former sportswriter for the Baltimore Sun who covered the Orioles for 27 years. Balloting for the Most Valuable Oriole Award is conducted with voting on a 5-3-1 basis. ADAM JONES also received a first place vote. Jones finished second and MANNY MACHADO finished third. CHRIS TILLMAN also received votes.