Urrutia and Wright receive organizational awards

The Orioles announced today that outfielder Henry Urrutia has been chosen as the organization's top minor league player and right-hander Mike Wright has been selected as the top minor league pitcher. The winners will be honored in an on-field ceremony before today's game against the White Sox at Camden Yards. Urrutia, the Brooks Robinson Minor League Player of the Year, hit a combined .347/.406/.506 with 31 extra-base hits, 50 RBIs and 49 runs scored in 81 games with Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. He also played in Futures Game in New York, going 0-for-3 for the World Team and was named an Eastern League All-Star. Urrutia made his major league debut July 20 at Texas, collecting his first hit that night on a third-inning RBI single. He's batting .283 (15-for-53) in 22 games with the Orioles this season. Urrutia was signed by the Orioles as a non-drafted free agent on July 11, 2012 and is the 12th Cuban-born player in club history. Wright, the Jim Palmer Minor League Pitcher of the Year, went 11-3 with a 3.26 ERA in 143 2/3 innings with Bowie. He made one start for Norfolk to end the year, tossing 6 2/3 scoreless innings. Wright earned the win in this year's Eastern League All-Star Game as the starter, working a scoreless first inning with one strikeout in the Western Division's 5-0 win. Wright, a third-round pick in 2011 out of East Carolina, finished the season among the Eastern League leaders in ERA (tied for first), wins (tied for second) and strikeout ratio per nine innings (fifth at 8.52). Single-A Delmarva Infielder Anthony Caronia has been named this year's recipient of the Elrod Hendricks Minor League Community Service Award. Caronia, the Orioles' 27th-round pick in 2012 out of the University of Tampa, made numerous appearances at little leagues and summer camps, regularly caught ceremonial first pitches and frequently signed autographs for fans before games. Bowie manager Gary Kendall is the 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." Kendall recently completed his 14th season with the Orioles and his third year managing at Double-A. In his time with the organization, Kendall has managed, coached and helped develop many current Orioles and top prospects, including Urrutia, Wright, Jim Johnson, Nick Markakis, Brian Matusz, Manny Machado, Kevin Gausman, Jonathan Schoop and Eduardo Rodriguez. Kendall has been selected to manage in the Arizona Fall League this year. He's been a coach or instructor for 13 years at the Orioles' fall instructional league and has served as a coach at major league spring training for the past 10 years. Area scout Dave Jennings will receive 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. Jennings has been an Orioles scout for 13 years. His draft signings for the Orioles include four first-round selections (Gausman in 2012, Matt Wieters in 2007, Markakis in 2003 and Adam Loewen in 2002) and second-round selection Xavier Avery in 2008. Jennings also signed current Orioles minor leaguers Lex Rutledge (sixth round in 2012), Devin Jones (ninth round in 2011) and Creede Simpson (25th round in 2012). Additionally, Carolina League Athletic Trainer of the Year Pat Wesley will be honored before today's game. Wesley recently completed his 10th full season as an athletic trainer in the Orioles organization, his fifth with Frederick. Wesley was previously named as the Athletic Trainer of the Year in the South Atlantic League during his tenure with the Shorebirds.