Sanchez hits his way to National League crown
Two hits bring .344 average, too much for Cabrera

"Freddy Sanchez really embodies what we as an organization want this franchise to be," Tracy said. "He has all the attributes of a winning player -- personality, hard work and a very competitive nature.

"He's a tremendous over-achiever -- a very talented over-achiever. He can really hit."

Sanchez is the 11th Pirates player to win a league batting title. His is the 25th batting title won by a Pirates player -- the most of any major-league team -- and the organization gave him a watch in honor of the achievement.

His .344 average is the highest for a Pirates player since 1969 when Roberto Clemente hit .345.

"To be up there with all those names -- not just the Pirates but all the names [of batting champions] -- it feels good," Sanchez said. "Who'd have thought at the beginning of the year I'd be in this situation?"