Orioles Announce 2008 Award Winners for Player Development and Scouting
The Orioles today announced the winners of their player development and scouting awards for 2008, including CA MATT WIETERS as the club's top minor league player and RHP BRAD BERGESEN as the club's top minor league pitcher. The winners will be honored before the Orioles' game against the Tampa Bay Rays tonight at Camden Yards.
Wieters, named the Brooks Robinson Minor League Player of the Year, split the 2008 season between Class A Frederick (.345, 15 HR, 40 RBI, .448 OBP & .576 SLG in 69 games) and Class AA Bowie (.365, 12 HR, 51 RBI, .460 OBP, .625 SLG in 61 games). He was the Orioles' Minor League Player of the Month in both April and August, Topps' Player of the Month in May, the Carolina League Player of the Week for May 5-11 and a Carolina League All-Star. He was recently named the Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America a year after being selected as the Orioles' 1st pick (5th overall) in the 2007 First Year Player Draft.
Bergesen was named the Jim Palmer Minor League Pitcher of the Year after going a combined 16-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 28 games (26 starts) for Class A Frederick and Class AA Bowie. In 24 games (23 starts) with Bowie, Bergesen led the Eastern League with 15 wins, three complete games & two shutouts and finished 6th with a 3.22 ERA (148IP, 53ER). He was also an Eastern League All-Star.
Class A Delmarva RHP CLIFF FLAGELLO was named winner of the Elrod Hendricks Minor League Community Service Award, named for the Orioles' longtime player and coach. He volunteered at numerous outreach programs for the Shorebirds, including visiting fans at senior centers and adult daycare facilities and participating in two youth baseball camps. Flagello was selected in the 25th round of the 2007 First Year Player Draft.
Bowie Baysox Manager BRAD KOMMINSK, in his first year on the Orioles' staff, was named winner of the Cal Ripken Sr. Player Development Award, presented to a minor league staff member who exemplifies the qualities of the late Oriole who is regarded as the architect of "The Oriole Way." The Baysox won the Southern Division of the Eastern League with an 84-58 record and made the EL playoffs for the first time since 1997. Komminsk earned his second career EL Manager of the Year award and has now guided his teams into the playoffs in five of his seven years as a minor league manager.
Amateur scout DEAN ALBANY was presented the Jim Russo Scout of the Year Award, named in honor of the man who spent 33 years in various scouting capacities with the Orioles beginning with their move from St. Louis in 1954. Albany, who serves as area scout for Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Washington DC and Puerto Rico, signed 12 players in this year's draft, including 3rd round pick Jerome Hoes and 5th round pick Greg Miclat. He has been involved in scouting with the Orioles since 1999 and became a full-time scout in 2004.
