Chih-Hsien Chiang Named Eastern League Player of the Month
August 5, 2011 - Eastern League (EL1)
Portland Sea Dogs News Release
Portland, Maine- The Eastern League of Professional Baseball Clubs has selected Portland Sea Dogs' outfielder Chih-Hsien Chiang as the Eastern League Player of the Month for July 2011. Chiang batted .430 (43-for-100) with 16 doubles, five home runs, 27 runs scored, 25 RBI, seven walks, three stolen bases and a .740 slugging percentage in 26 games to earn the honor. This marks the second consecutive month that Chiang has been named the Eastern League Player of the Month as he also won the award in the month of June.
Chiang hit safely in 23 of the 26 games he appeared during the month of July, leading the Eastern League in average (.430), hits (43), doubles (16), runs (27), on-base percentage (.500), and slugging percentage (.740). He also ranked among the league leaders in home runs (5- tied 3rd) and RBI (25- tied 4th). Chiang hit safely in 16 straight games from July 15th through July 31st, the longest hit streak for the Sea Dogs this season and the fourth longest in the league in 2011. The 23 year-old established franchise records for most doubles (16) and total bases (74) in a single month. His .430 average and 27 runs scored set new franchise records for the month of July.
Additionally, Chiang participated in both the Major League Baseball Futures Game on July 10th in Phoenix, Arizona and the Eastern League All-Star Game on July 13th in Manchester, New Hampshire. The 6'2", 170 lb slugger went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in the Futures Game and was 0-for-1 in the Eastern League All-Star Game.
On July 31st, Chiang was dealt at the Major League Baseball trade deadline to the Seattle Mariners in the trade that sent right-handed pitcher Erik Bedard to the Boston Red Sox. In three games with Seattle's Double-A team; the Jackson Generals he is hitting .231 (3-for-13).
When Chiang was traded, he was leading the Eastern League in batting average (.340, 109-for-321), RBI (76), doubles (37), extra-base hits (59), runs scored (68) and slugging percentage (.648) and had tallied four triples and 18 home runs in 88 games on the year with the Sea Dogs.
The torrid July of Chiang helped the team establish franchise best marks for the month of July in wins (17), runs (175), and RBI (158). The Sea Dogs also set the franchise record for doubles (76) in any month, mostly due to Chiang's personal input of 16.
Chiang who began his Sea Dog career in 2010 holds the franchise record for career doubles (72) and ranks fourth all-time in slugging percentage (.524), seventh in home runs (29) and eighth in RBI (141) and total bases (398). He hold the Sea Dogs franchise record with three grand slams. Chiang also joins Josh Reddick as the only Sea Dogs to homer in four straight games.
A native of Taitung, Taiwan, Chiang was signed by the Red Sox as an international free agent on October 20, 2005. Chiang is the eighth different Sea Dog to earn an Eastern League Player of the Month selection in franchise history and the first to win the award twice.
The Sea Dogs return to Hadlock Field for a six game homestand against the Akron Aeros, the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians and the Erie SeaWolves, the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers starting Tuesday, August 9th at 7:00 PM. Tuesday's game will feature the ZOOperstars. Tickets are available and can be purchased by calling the Sea Dogs Ticket Office at 207-879-9500 or order online at www.seadogs.com.
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