Jones wins third Most Valuable Oriole award

BALTIMORE—For the third time, Adam Jones has been named Most Valuable Oriole.

Jones, who entered Friday’s game batting .281 with 15 home runs and 62 RBIs, is completing his 11^th season with the Orioles on Sunday, and it may mark the end of his storied career with the team.

He joins six other Orioles: Eddie Murray (seven times), Cal Ripken Jr. and Brooks Robinson (four), Rafael Palmeiro, Frank Robinson and Ken Singleton (three) as the only ones to win the award three or more times. It is decided by a vote of the local media.

Jones also won it in 2011 and 2012. His six-year gap between MVO awards is the longest in team history.

“Adam’s such a consistent effort guy,” manager Buck Showalter said. “He’s always firing.”

Showalter said that Jones, who along with the Orioles Charitable Foundation made a $150,000 donation to local nonprofits, has other outstanding qualities besides his on-field play.

“He’s deserving for a lot more than statistical stuff,” Showalter said. “A lot of people talk the talk but don’t walk it as far as community involvement.”

Jones is the only player who’s been with the Orioles throughout Showalter’s eight-plus year tenure, and is the player Showalter has managed the longest in his career.

“When you’re around somebody as long as we’ve been around each other, it goes a little farther,” Showalter said. “We’ve had some real private conversations through the years, some at my house, in the backyard … Adam’s always stood up to anything that he’s being critiqued about.”

Jones’ 1,777 hits with the Orioles are the fourth most in team history. His home runs (263) and RBIs (865) are fifth.

Other players who received votes are Richard Bleier, Dylan Bundy, Andrew Cashner, Alex Cobb, Mychal Givens, Trey Mancini, Cedric Mullins, Mark Trumbo and Jonathan Villar. Only current Orioles are eligible.

I voted for Jones, Mancini and Trumbo.