LOS ANGELES -- San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey won the National League batting title with a .336 average on Wednesday.
Posey went 0 for 2 with a strikeout in his team's regular-season finale, a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is the first Giants player to win the batting crown since Barry Bonds hit .370 in 2004. Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen finished second at .327.
"I don't think it's something that you ever think about doing," Posey said. "It's such a long season, and from day one, you try to grind out at-bats no matter what the situation is. And if you can go up there and are able to make some adjustments, good things will happen."
In May 2011, Posey broke a bone in his left leg and tore three ankle ligaments on a horrific collision at the plate, an injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season.
"I give a lot of credit to our entire training staff for all the work they did in the off-season to get me back on the field," he said. "Even though this is an individual accomplishment, there's other people who deserve credit."
The previous catcher to win the NL title was Ernie Lombardi of the Boston Braves, who hit .330 in 1942. The last catcher to win in the AL was Minnesota's Joe Maurer in 2009.
Posey's teammate, Melky Cabrera, had a .346 average, but the All-Star game MVP was disqualified from the batting race at his own request after he was suspended Aug. 15 following a positive test for testosterone.
