Sox Beltre Wins Silver Slugger Award

ADRIAN BELTRE NAMED TO 2010 AMERICAN LEAGUE SILVER SLUGGER TEAM

BOSTON, MA — Third baseman Adrian Beltre has been selected to the 2010 American League Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Team.  The announcement was made tonight by Louisville Slugger.

The Silver Slugger Awards are presented annually to the top offensive players at each position in both the American and National Leagues by vote of managers and coaches.

Beltre earned the award after batting .321 (189-for-589) with 28 home runs and 102 RBI for the Red Sox in 2010.  The 31 year old led the Majors with 49 doubles and paced Major League third basemen with 79 extra-base hits, including all 28 homers while playing the position, tops in the American League.  A first-time All-Star in 2010, Beltre joined Garrett Atkins (2006) and Miguel Cabrera (2006) as the only Major League third basemen ever to amass 25 home runs and 45 doubles in a single season while posting a batting average of at least .320.  Overall, he ranked among AL leaders in batting (4^th), multi-hit games (T-5th, 53), hits (T-3rd), total bases (5th, 326), slugging (5th, .553) and RBI (T-10^th).  It marks his second career Silver Slugger Award, also having received the honor with the Dodgers in 2004.

Boston has been represented on the AL Silver Slugger Team in each of the last 10 seasons beginning in 2001 and Red Sox players have won 33 Silver Sluggers since the award's inception in 1980.  Prior to Beltre, the club's last third baseman to receive the honor was Bill Mueller in 2003.

2010 AMERICAN LEAGUE LOUISVILLE SLUGGER SILVER SLUGGER TEAM

1B—Miguel Cabrera, Detroit (3^rd Award)

2B—Robinson Cano, New York (2^nd Award)

3B—Adrian Beltre, Boston (2^nd Award)

SS—Alexei Ramirez, Chicago (1^st Award)

OF—Jose Bautista, Toronto (1^st Award)

OF—Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay (1^st Award)

OF—Josh Hamilton, Texas (2^nd Award)

  C—Joe Mauer, Minnesota (4^th Award)

DH—Vladimir Guerrero, Texas (8^th Award)