Bay, Crosby Are Top Rookies

Jason Bay succeeded where Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell and Barry Bonds failed: He became the first Pittsburgh Pirate player to win the National League Rookie of the Year award.

Bay, also the first Canadian to win the rookie award, got 25 of 32 first-place votes and 146 points Monday from the Baseball Writers’ Assn. of America.

Oakland shortstop Bobby Crosby was only a vote shy of being a unanimous pick for the American League honor.

Clemente wasn’t listed on a single ballot in 1955, when each voter selected only one name and Bill Virdon won. Stargell didn’t get any votes when Pete Rose won in 1963, and Bonds was sixth with four points in 1986, finishing behind Todd Worrell, Robby Thompson, Kevin Mitchell, Charlie Kerfeld and Will Clark.

“It means the world to me,” said Bay, who hit .282 with 26 homers and 82 runs batted in. said. “You walk into the locker room and you see all those jerseys hanging up, it’s kind of amazing it never happened.”

Pittsburgh had been the only pre-expansion team without a rookie of the year.

San Diego shortstop Khalil Greene was far back in second with seven first-place votes, 24 seconds and one third for 108 points, and Padre reliever Akinori Otsuka was next with 23 points.

Crosby received 27 of 28 first-place votes for 138 points. Chicago White Sox closer Shingo Takatsu received the other first-place vote and finished second with 44 points, followed by Baltimore pitcher Daniel Cabrera with 29 points.

Crosby, 24, took over Oakland’s shortstop job from 2002 AL MVP Miguel Tejada, who signed with Baltimore. Crosby hit .239 with 22 homers and 64 RBIs, his average the lowest for a non-pitcher given the award.

“Filling in for Miggy, he had big shoes to fill,” Oakland Manager Ken Macha said. “We told him to just catch the ball. He did just outstanding at that.”

Crosby led AL rookies in hits (130), doubles (34) and walks (58).

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The Padres traded one of their extra outfielders, Terrence Long, to Kansas City for left-hander Darrell May and right-hander Ryan Bukvich.

The Royals also obtained right-hander Dennis Tankersley.

May will give the Padres a starter who has averaged closed to 200 innings the last two seasons. Bukvich gives the Padres a power arm out of the bullpen.

May went 9-19 with a 5.61 earned-run average in 31 starts in 2004. Bukvich appeared in nine games for the Royals last season.

Long batted .295 with three home runs and 28 RBIs. Tankersley went 0-5 with a 5.14 ERA in nine games.

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World Series MVP Manny Ramirez has pulled out of Major League Baseball’s tour of Japan because of a sore left hamstring.

The Boston slugger had been bothered by soreness in his hamstring since arriving in Japan.

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The Expos released relief pitcher Rocky Biddle, the team’s first roster move since the announcement that the team plans to move to Washington next season.

* ROOKIE VOTING: D8