AL/NL Manager of the Year (1 Viewer)

[dennis.moore]

AL: Ron Gardenhire

NL: Bud Black

Black won 104-103 over Dusty Baker.

 

[Dr. Awesome]

Meh. Dusty Baker could have won but I really hate that guy. I can't really argue against these guys.

 

[Please See Mine]

I think that Baker should have gotten it, but it is very close and the vote reflected it.

I suppose that the Reds had higher expectations and surely had more talent, but he has to get credit for finishing the job and staying strong when things got tough, which Black just didn't do.

 

[Wooderson]

Go Twins

 

[Eephus]

Gardenhire has been runner-up many times. He deserved the award this year but it's as much a lifetime achievement award as anything else.

 

[Jambi]

I honestly think Francona should get it. If you look at what he did in that division fielding a double A/Triple A squad for most of the season, it may be one of the single greatest coaching performances in modern sports.

Martinez - Missed about 40 games

Youk - Missed 60 games (Perennial MVP vote recipient - Gold Glover)

Pedroia - Missed 85 Games (MVP - Gold Glover)

Ellsbury - Missed just about the whole season (fastest man on the planet - Best lead-off guy in baseball)

Mike Cameron - Missed over 100 games

Lowell - Missed a bunch and rode the pine 3 years removed from the World Series MVP

Pitching

Beckett - Missed about 12 Starts (best postseason pitcher in history)

Diasuke - Missed 8 starts (bum)

Buchholz - Missed 5-6 starts (Had nearly a Cy Young worthy season)

Finished 10th overall in Baseball, fielding guys like Daniel Nava, Darnell McDonald, Ryan Kalish, Josh Reddick, Kevin Cash. When Billl Hall is considered one of your major threats at the dish and you finish 3 games back from the World Series champs, you need to be honored.

Poor Dusty, sure the Reds have sucked in the past but that doesn't mean he managed them into the playoffs. They had a lot of talent which turned it on this year. It became clear (in spite of Dusty) that the Red were going to be competitive this year. Same with the Rangers. Gardenhire had all the tools at his disposal. Hamilton, Kinsler, M Young, Andrus (I thought he did his job excellently), Nelson Cruz, Vlad. Sure pitching wasn't great but they had Neftali lighting it up like Rivera. CJ and Hunter over their heads and the addition of Cliff Lee.

I'd rather reward what Francona did. That's coaching. That's managing. He managed to do well with what he had. The Reds managed to do well in spite of Dusty. Gardenhire was LOADED with offensive talent. They were my pick to win it all at the midway point this year.

And the Red Sox record would have been closer to 90-92 wins had they not decided to let the farm play the last few weeks.

I'd like to hear some of the Sox haters argue otherwise.

Good day

 

[Jambi]

Lets look at it this way, if Dusty or Ron were managing the Sox where would they have finished? 75 wins?...80 at best. Might not have even finished .500.

 

[Eephus]

Lets look at it this way, if Dusty or Ron were managing the Sox where would they have finished? 75 wins?...80 at best. Might not have even finished .500.

If Dusty had managed the Sox, they would have had more injured pitchers j/k I like Dusty but that's always been the rap on him

 

[Bogart]

Poor Dusty, sure the Reds have sucked in the past but that doesn't mean he managed them into the playoffs. They had a lot of talent which turned it on this year. It became clear (in spite of Dusty) that the Red were going to be competitive this year. Same with the Rangers. Gardenhire had all the tools at his disposal. Hamilton, Kinsler, M Young, Andrus (I thought he did his job excellently), Nelson Cruz, Vlad. Sure pitching wasn't great but they had Neftali lighting it up like Rivera. CJ and Hunter over their heads and the addition of Cliff Lee.

I'm not going to say that Gardenhire does not deserve it, but I don't think that you can just dismiss Washington as "he had his talent, it was expected"

[*]Your three biggest offensive players (Hamilton, Kinsler and Cruz) missed a combined 142 games. Not Red Sox bad, but has to be considered.

[*]Your Opening Day catcher plays 2 total games for you. Your Opening Day backup catcher plays only 28 games. You scrap Matty May-Treanor off the heap to solve that issue.

[*]You got exactly JACK out of your 1st base position for the entire season. Hiding a power corner position in the 8 hole all season is not a good thing.

[*]Your expected number one and two starters (Feldman and Harden) combine for a 12-16 record and are completely left off the playoff roster. Your season is saved by a former bullpen guy and a retread from Japan. Even the incredible Cliff Lee only went 4-6 for you during the regular season. (By the way, saying pitching wasn't great this year is just dumb. Top 5 ranking in ERA, CG, Ks, Wins, Saves)

Again not taking anything from Gardenhire, guy deserves it eventually, but you have to give the OSB some credit for what he did this year.

 

[Frostillicus]

Justin Morneau missed half the year, and the middle infielders both missed a ton of games.

There were several managers who could have won and it wouldn't have been a travesty.

 

[Dr. Awesome]

There were several managers who could have won and it wouldn't have been a travesty.

Washington wouldn't be a bad choice. Neither would 3 or 4 other managers.

 

[Jambi]

AM I really alone thinking Francona did the best job managing this year? I mean really? AL East, fielding a double A team, Beckett and Lackey bordering on terrible, finishing 6 games out. I don;t feel like repeating myself but if he doesn't get a fair share of nods it's a travesty.

 

[Frostillicus]

AM I really alone thinking Francona did the best job managing this year? I mean really? AL East, fielding a double A team, Beckett and Lackey bordering on terrible, finishing 6 games out. I don;t feel like repeating myself but if he doesn't get a fair share of nods it's a travesty.

Yes.