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Trail outfielder named rookie of the year

The Pittsburgh Pirates may not have made the Major League Baseball playoffs this year, but one of their players made quite an impression on American baseball writers in his rookie season.

Last week Jason Bay, 26, from Trail, B.C. became the first Canadian-born player to win the National League Rookie of the Year award, as presented by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. He also became the first First Nations player to win the award, and the first Pittsburgh Pirate rookie to get a nomination.

After years in the minor leagues, Bay finally got his first full-time spot on the Pittsburgh Pirates this year. Despite missing nearly a month at the start of the season to injuries, he bounced back to lead all NL rookies with 26 homers and 82 RBI, the most ever recorded by a NL rookie in 37 years. He also led all NL rookies with 226 total bases.

Bay has twice represented Canada at the international level as a member of the 1996 Canadian Junior Olympic Team and in 1990 Little League World Series.