MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com -Portland, Maine- Former Portland Sea Dog and currentBoston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia has been selected as the 2008 American League Most Valuable Player, it was announced today by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Pedroia is the first former Sea Dog to take home the award.

Pedroia batted .326 with 17 home runs and 83 RBI in 157 games with the Red Sox in 2008. The 25-year-old led the majors with 54 doubles, tied Ichiro Suzuki for first with 213 hits, and ranked second with 118 runs and 61 multi-hit games, both A.L. highs. He had the A.L.’s second-highest batting average, two points behind Minnesota’s Joe Mauer (.328) and also ranked among the league leaders in at-bats (3^rd, 653), sacrifice flies (T3^rd, 9), singles (T3^rd, 140), total bases (4^th, 322), extra-base hits (7^th, 73) and games (T9^th). Pedroia received 16 of the 28 first place votes in balloting conducted by two writers from each of the 14 American League cities. He also received six second place votes, four third place votes and one fourth place vote for 317 total points. First baseman Justin Morneau of Minnesota was second with 257 points (7 1sts, 7 2nds, 6 3rds) while Red Sox infielder and former Sea Dog Kevin Youkilis finished third with 201 points (2 1sts, 4 2nds, 4 3rds). Pedroia and Youkilis are the first pair of teammates to finish among the top three in A.L. MVP voting since Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki (1^st) and Bret Boone (3^rd) in 2001 and the first Red Sox teammates to do so since Roger Clemens (1^st) and Jim Rice (3^rd) in 1986.

Pedroia appeared in 66 games for the Portland Sea Dogs in 2005 where he hit .324 with 8 home runs and 40 RBI.He helped led the Sea Dogs to their first post-season appearance in eight years. At the time of his promotion to Triple-A Pawtucket on June 22^nd, Pedroia was fourth in the Eastern League in on-base percentage (.409) and fifth in the league in hitting (.324). He was named to both the Eastern League mid season and post-season All-Star teams. Pedroia was also named the Red Sox Minor League Player of the Year in 2005.

The Portland Sea Dogs open the 2009 season on Thursday, April 9^th at 6:00 PM at Hadlock Field against the Connecticut Defenders (Giants).

Major Accomplishments by Former Sea Dogs:

MVP
Dustin Pedroia- 2008 American League MVP

Rookie of the Year-
Dustin Pedroia- 2007 American League Rookie of the Year
Hanley Ramirez- 2006 National League Rookie of the Year

Gold Glove Awards-
Dustin Pedoria- 2008
Kevin Youkilis- 2007
Edgar Renteria-2002-2003
Charles Johnson-1999-1998

World Series MVP
Josh Beckett- 2003
Livan Hernandez- 1997

No-Hitters:
Jon Lester
Clay Buchholz
Anibal Sanchez
AJ Burnett

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