Chih-Hsien Chiang Wins Trautman Award as Topps Eastern League Player of the Year

Portland, Maine- Sea Dogs' outfielder Chih-Hsien Chiang has been selected as the Eastern League Player of the Year in the annual George M. Trautman Awards. The awards are presented to the player of the year in each of the 16 domestic Minor Leagues by the Topps Company of New York, in conjunction with the Minor League Baseball.

The 23 year-old, Chiang hit .340 with 18 home runs and 76 RBI for the Sea Dogs in 88 games. Chiang was selected as the Eastern League Player of the Month for June and July. He finished runner up to Travis d'Arnaud of New Hampshire in 2011 Eastern League MVP voting. 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. Additionally, Chiang a native of Taitung, Taiwan, was selected to the 2011 Eastern League season-ending All-Star Team. Chiang was traded on July 31st to the Seattle Mariners in the deal that sent Erik Bedard to Boston. At the time of the trade, Chiang 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.

Chiang spent parts of two seasons with the Sea Dogs appearing in 209 games. He ranks second in career doubles (72), ranks fourth all-time in slugging percentage (.524), seventh in home runs (29), eighth in RBI (141) and tied for ninth in total bases (398). The left-handed slugger holds the Sea Dogs franchise record with three grand slams and joins Josh Reddick as the only Sea Dogs to homer in four straight games.

Fellow Red Sox farmhand Brandon Jacobs took home the Trautman award for the South Atlantic League hitting .303 with 17 home runs and 60 RBI for the Greenville Drive.

The Sea Dogs will open the 2012 season on the road with a 4:05 PM doubleheader in Reading, Pennsylvania against the Reading Phillies. The home opener is slated for Thursday, April 12th at 6:00 PM against the Binghamton Mets at Hadlock Field. The 2012 season will be the Sea Dogs 19th year in Portland and tenth as a Boston Red Sox affiliate.

Individual tickets for the 2012 season will go on sale on Saturday, November 5th at 9:00 AM at the Hadlock Field Ticket Office. Phone and internet sales will begin at 12:00 PM on Saturday, November 5th. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Sea Dogs Ticket Office at 207-879-9500 and online at www.seadogs.com. Ticket prices will remain the same for the fifth consecutive season. The Sea Dogs are Maine's most affordable professional sports entertainment.