Negrych Named Pirates Minor League Player of the Year
9/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Pirates today named infielder Jim Negrych their minor league Player-of-the-Year and Jeff Sues their minor league Pitcher-of-the-Year for the 2008 season. The announcement was made by Kyle Stark, Pirates’ Director of Player Development.
Negrych hit a combined .359 (170-for-473) with 41 doubles, five home runs, 72 RBI and 87 runs scored in 129 games between Single-A Lynchburg and Double-A Altoona. Negrych finished ninth in all of minor league baseball with his .359 average and tied for 10th overall with 41 doubles. He also took home Carolina League mid – and postseason All-Star accolades after leading the circuit with a .370 average and .448 on-base percentage.
Negrych finished second in hits (143), tied for third in doubles (36) and second in slugging percentage (.508) among Carolina League hitters. He was also tabbed by Baseball America at the end of the season as having the “Best Strike Zone Judgment” in the Carolina League.
Negrych was Pittsburgh’s sixth-round selection in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Pittsburgh. He became the first player from Pitt to be selected by the Buccos since former Pirate Ken Macha was taken in the sixth round of the 1972 draft.
Negrych will be honored during a pregame ceremony at PNC Park prior to the Pirates/Astros game on Sunday, which is slated to begin at 1:35 p.m.