Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke was chosen as the winner of the Silver Slugger Award at his position Wednesday.
Greinke led qualifying MLB pitchers with a .328 batting average, 19 hits and a .409 on-base percentage, and tied for the MLB lead with two stolen bases. Along with Clayton Kershaw, Greinke was one of two Dodgers pitchers who was used as a pinch-hitter by manager Don Mattingly this season. Greinke walked in his only pinch-hit appearance.
Orel Hershiser in 1993 was the last Dodgers pitcher to win the award, which has been given out every year since 1980. Fernando Valenzuela (1981, 1983) and Tim Leary (1988) are the others.
Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis chimed in with his support on Twitter:
Congrats on Silver Slugger to best pure hitter on @Dodgers Zack Grenkie. We will never hear the end of this one.
— AJ Ellis (@AJEllis17) November 7, 2013
Appreciate all those spell checking my tweets. I'm sure Zach Grenkie won't mind. #thatsajoketoo
— AJ Ellis (@AJEllis17) November 7, 2013
