Huff honored to win hitting awards

BALTIMORE -- Hours before his public moment, Aubrey Huff had a little fun with his teammates.

Huff straddled a plain brown box on Thursday morning and bellowed throughout the clubhouse, "Has anybody ever seen what a Silver Slugger looks like?" Without further ado, Baltimore's first baseman hoisted the trophy over his head, producing his own trophy ceremony for a select group of admirers.

Huff duplicated the moment a little later on the field at Camden Yards, when he received both the Silver Slugger Award and the Edgar Martinez Award, which is annually presented to the best designated hitter in the league. Huff has since moved on to first base, but he said it meant a lot to earn the twin awards.

"I've always wanted to win one of those things," he said of the Silver Slugger. "I always thought it would be real cool to have -- that and the Gold Glove. We'll have to see about the Gold Glove, but it's awesome, especially winning the Silver Slugger as a DH. Usually, the best DH is one of the best hitters in the league. That's a real honor."

Huff, who was also named to The Sporting News American League All-Star Team last season, led AL hitters in extra-base hits (82) and finished in the top 10 in total bases (330), home runs (32) and RBIs (108). Huff also became the first Oriole to hit 30 homers since 2004, cementing his place in select company.

"He was reliable for us in the four-slot last year," said manager Dave Trembley. "He got a lot of big hits with men on base, a lot of two-strike hits, a lot of extra-base hits the other way. ... He's just been a very good offensive player for us, and it's nice to see him recognized for those accomplishments throughout baseball."

Huff, nestled back in the cleanup spot, is already zeroed in on adding to his trophy collection.

"I always look back on my season, because during the year, you really don't think about it because you're playing every day," said Huff. "In the offseason, you have time to reflect and realize what you've done. But it's past me now. It's over. It's a brand new season now, and we're trying to duplicate it this year."

(mlb.com)