"Awarded his second consecutive Silver Slugger Award on Thursday as the best-hitting third baseman in the Nationals League, Ryan Zimmerman used that platform to lobby once again for the Washington Nationals to retain first baseman Adam Dunn, the slugger whose presence behind him in the Nationals' lineup undoubtedly contributed to Zimmerman's excellent 2010 season.

"As much as this award was mine," Zimmerman said in a conference call with reporters following the announcement, "having those guys behind me [was] important. Having Adam come back needs to be a big priority for our team -- for everyone, but it obviously helps me out a lot."

Zimmerman's Silver Slugger came one day after he was denied a second straight Gold Glove for defense by Cincinnati Reds third baseman Scott Rolen

Zimmerman, 26, led all full-time NL third basemen in batting average (.307), on-base percentage (.388) and OPS (.899) -- all of which also represented career-highs. His primary competition for the Silver Slugger was New York's David Wright, a two-time winner who is also Zimmerman's close friend and former youth-league teammate in the Hampton Roads area. Partly because Zimmerman missed 20 games this season with various ailments, Wright topped him in homers, RBI, hits and runs.

Zimmerman and outfielder Alfonso Soriano (2006) remain the only Nationals players honored with Silver Slugger Awards since the franchise moved to Washington in 2005. Nationals pitcher Livan Hernandez won one in 2004, when the franchise still played in Montreal."