Adam Jones named MVO

Adam Jones has been voted the winner of the 2012 Louis M. Hatter Most Valuable Oriole Award by members of the local media who cover the team on a regular basis. Jones is the seventh Oriole to win the award in consecutive seasons, joining Frank Robinson (1966-67), Boog Powell(69-70), Jim Palmer (72-73), Eddie Murray (81-85), Cal Ripken Jr. (90-91) and Rafael Palmeiro (95-96). Jones will receive his award during an on-field ceremony prior to today's home finale against the Red Sox. Jim Johnson and Matt Wieters also received first-place votes and finished second and third, respectively. Wei-Yin Chen and Nick Markakis also received votes. The Orioles don't release the actual totals, but I'm sure it was close between Jones and Johnson. Jones has played in every game this season and set career-highs in games played (158, tied for the major league lead), runs (102, the first Oriole to score 100-plus runs since Brian Roberts in 2009 and tied for fourth in the American League), hits (183, 7th in the AL), doubles (39, tied for eighth in the AL), home runs (32, eight in the AL), stolen bases (15), extra-base hits (74, tied for fourth in the AL), average (.288), OBP (.336), SLG (.510), OPS (.846) and total bases (324, 3rd in the AL). With one more double, Jones will become the fifth Oriole in club history with a 40-double/30-home run season, joining Aubrey Huff (2008), Miguel Tejada (2004), Palmeiro (1996) and Ripken (1991). This season, Jones became the first player in the last 40 years to hit three game-winning home runs in the 12th inning or later in one season. He's the first player since Mark McGwire (1988) to homer in the 15th inning or later twice in the same season. Jones had a career-long 20-game hit streak May 10-29, during which he batted .358/.398/.716. He also had three separate hitting streaks of 10 games or more in the first 40 games, the first Oriole to have three such streaks since Roberts in 2005.