More from the minor league award winners

Last night was a special one for the Orioles player development department as this year's award winners were announced and honored at Camden Yards. They were introduced to the crowd at the ballpark and before that held a press conference with reporters that was also attended by their family members who came to support the players and honorees. First baseman Christian Walker was named O's minor league Player of the Year, taking the Brooks Robinson Award. Right-hander Tyler Wilson was honored as Pitcher of the Year, earning the Jim Palmer Award. The 23-year-old Walker batted .288 with 26 homers and 96 RBIs between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. The 24-year-old Wilson went 14-8 with a 3.67 ERA with the same teams. Wilson and Walker will be both be part of the mini-camp the Orioles are holding in Sarasota, Fla., with players just in case they are needed later this month by the club. Wilson talked about taking part in that camp. "It's an exciting opportunity," Wilson said. "To be able to go down there and continue the season and continue to work on something. Whether it results in coming here or not, it's still a chance to be around the guys and to train and keep your body at a high level just in case. So, it's definitely exciting." For Walker, this was a season where he increased his homer total from 11 last year to 26 this season, but it was also a season he got praised for his improved defense. He knows how important that part of the game is for him. "The first thing people think about is offense at a corner infield position," Walker said. "But, especially here in this organization, once I had a chance to be around the staff, it really set in that defense is a big, big part of this organization and what they believe in and how they want to win games. Just tried to work hard and become the best defender I could be. It was a good year." It was also a good year for pitcher Mark Blackmar at Single-A Frederick on-and-off the field. The right-hander went 10-1 with a 3.18 ERA for the Keys. But his award was for what he did mostly away from the ballpark. Blackmar is the recipient of the Elrod Hendricks Community Service Award. He made numerous appearances in the Frederick community on behalf of the Keys, including helping with a camp at the stadium and telling stories to children at multiple library appearances. But now he is leaving the Orioles after being traded to the Chicago White Sox in the deal that brought Alejandro De Aza to Baltimore. But Blackmar at the Yard yesterday to accept his award from the organization he is now no longer a part of. "It's been a crazy last couple of days," Blackmar said. "Hate to leave the Orioles, but at the same time it's exciting and hopefully will be good for my career. I'm honored to get this award." The Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds coaching staff of manager Ryan Minor, pitching coach Alan Mills, coach Paco Figueroa and coach Shawn McGill were named winner of the Cal Ripken Sr. Player Development Award, presented to a minor league staff member(s) who exemplifies the qualities of the late Oriole who is regarded as the architect of "The Oriole Way." The Shorebirds staff earned the award due to multiple player development successes, including producing seven league All-Stars and coaching the league batting champion in Chance Sisco. They also coached a pitching staff that led all of the minor leagues in ERA in the month of May, and worked with numerous players that made progress and/or got promoted like Steven Brault, Drew Dosch, Hunter Harvey, Mitch Horacek, Trey Mancini, Jimmy Yacabonis and Mike Yastrzemski. "I'm very honored to be a part of the staff I had this year," Delmarva manager Minor said. " The way they worked and interacted with the kids. Alan, Paco and Shawn do an excellent job in their areas and if it wasn't for them we would not have had the success we had with some of our players." Orioles Midwest Supervisor Jim Richardson won 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. Richardson has been an Orioles scout for 10 drafts, having started with the organization in 2004. His draft signings for the Orioles as an area scout or supervisor include current Orioles Zach Britton and Kevin Gausman and minor leaguers Parker Bridwell, Buck Britton, Dylan and Bobby Bundy, Tanner Scott and Ashur Tolliver. Richardson is proud of all the players he's signed for the club, but if he had to single out just one he said he would start with the O's current closer. "Obviously Zach, just because he's doing what he is now," Richardson said. "That is not me as much as it is him. But I'm proud, absolutely." The Orioles also honored Bowie Baysox Head Groundskeeper Matt Parrott for winning the 2014 Eastern League Diamond Pro Sports Field Manager of the Year Award. Parrott also won the award in 2011 and just completed his 12th season with the Baysox. "It's a huge honor," Parrott said. "I've been with Bowie for quite some time which in turn means I look at it as I've been with the Orioles for quite some time. Our objective is always to provide the players with a safe, quality playing surface."