MONTGOMERY, AL – The Montgomery Biscuits are extremely pleased to announce that Stacy Long of the Montgomery Advertiser has been named as the Southern League's Sportswriter of the Year for his work covering the Biscuits during the 2009 season.

The award, voted on by the league's radio broadcasters and general managers, is bestowed upon the individual providing the most in-depth coverage of their selected Southern League team. The award is the second for Long, who was also honored during the Biscuits' championship season in 2007.

"From this franchise's inception, we have been blessed with Major League caliber coverage," said Biscuits' General Manager Greg Rauch. "We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Stacy for his commitment to the Biscuits and this community."

Long has been on the Biscuits' beat since the team's inception in 2004, covering the team in his sixth season in 2009. However, his diligence has never known an offseason, continuing to update fans throughout the year with his popular Biscuits Crumbs blog. The widely-popular blog keeps fans up to date on Biscuits past and present as well as covering each of Tampa Bay's minor league affiliates.

"It is definitely an honor to be recognized, considering the wealth of talented writers covering the Southern League," said Long. "The league includes sage veterans Doug Segrest and Mark McCarter to mention a few, although there are certainly many others worth noting."