by Sports Xchange

Comment

--OF Torii Hunter won a Silver Slugger award as the top offensive player at his position just a few days after winning his ninth consecutive Gold Glove Award. It was Hunter's first Silver Slugger. Despite missing five weeks at midseason with his groin injury, Hunter set career highs in batting average (.299) and on-base percentage (.366) while hitting 22 home runs and driving in 90 runs.

--In a brief interview after the owners meetings in Chicago, Angels owner Arte Moreno indicated his team would not pursue the top free agent hitter, Matt Holliday, and probably would not be able to fit re-signing two of their own free agents -- RHP John Lackey and 3B Chone Figgins -- into next year's budget. Moreno indicated the team's payroll needed to be approximately the same in 2010 as it was in 2009 ($113 million).

--OF Peter Bourjos was added to the Angels' 40-man roster, protecting him from next month's Rule 5 draft. Bourjos, 25, hit .281 and stole 32 bases in 110 games at Class AA Arkansas last season.

--1B Kendry Morales will change his uniform number from 19 to 8 next season. The last Angels player to wear No. 8 on a regular basis was C Josh Paul in 2005.

BY THE NUMBERS: .556 -- Angels manager Mike Scioscia's career winning percentage (900-720).

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I think this is recognition for a whole organization, and we're proud and honored to have our whole organization recognized by this award this year." -- Mike Scioscia, after being named American League Manager of the Year for 2009.