Bay beats out Greene for National League Rookie of the Year award

Published on November 8, 2004 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Portland Beavers News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) today named Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder and former Portland Beaver Jason Bay its 2004 National League Rookie of the Year.

Bay, who batted .303 with 20 home runs and 59 RBIs with Portland in 2003, received 25 of the 32 first-place votes and got seven second-place votes in compiling 146 points to beat out another former Beaver, San Diego Padres shortstop Khalil Greene, as BBWAA's top NL rookie.

Greene, a teammate of Bay's on the 2003 Portland club, finished second in the balloting with seven first-place votes, 24 second-place votes and one third-place vote for 108 points.

With 23 total points, San Diego pitcher Akinori Otsuka finished a distant third.

Bay, a 26-year-old native of Trail, British Columbia, is the first Pirate and the first Canadian-born player to earn the National League's Jackie Robinson Award, which is named in honor of the player who won the first rookie of the year award in 1947.

In 120 games with the Pirates in 2004, Bay hit .282 with 26 home runs and 82 RBIs. Despite missing the first five weeks of the season recovering from off-season shoulder surgery, Bay led all major league rookies in home runs and RBIs. He also ranked first among National League rookies in slugging percentage (.550), total bases (226) and extra-base hits (54).

With his 26 home runs, Bay broke the Pirates' club record for most homers in a season by a rookie, eclipsing the previous mark of 23 hit by Johnny Rizzo in 1938 and Ralph Kiner in 1946. His home run total is the most by a National League rookie since Albert Pujols hit 37 in 2001.

Bay, who was acquired by the Pirates in an August 2003 trade with the Padres, was named the NL Rookie of the Month for June, July and September, while Greene was so-named in April and August.

In October, Bay was named the Sporting News National League Rookie of the Year, becoming just the fourth NL player in the last 10 years to take home both the Jackie Robinson Award and the Sporting News award.

Bay, originally drafted by Montreal in the 22nd round of the 2000 draft, added to his postseason accolades last week as he received the Players Choice Award as the National League's Outstanding Rookie of 2004.

Greene, 25, was picked by Baseball America as its top rookie recently and was honored by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, picking up the Larry Doby Award as the rookie of the year in the National League.

In his first full season in the majors, Greene, San Diego's No. 1 pick (13th overall) in the 2002 draft, batted .273 with 15 homers, 31 doubles and 65 RBIs in 139 games with the Padres.

With the Beavers in 2003, Greene hit .288 with 10 home runs and 47 RBIs while providing stellar defense in 76 games with the club.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from November 8, 2004


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