NL Manager of the Year : Bob Melvin (1 Viewer)

[posty]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20...sp&c_id=mlb

Choosing a Manager of the Year is in some ways like judging art. What looks like a masterful work to some doesn't impress others because so much of the evaluation is in the eye of the beholder.

Though it certainly helps, a Manager of the Year candidate isn't required to have a team with a gaudy won-loss record. Joe Girardi won National League Manager of the Year last season after piloting the Marlins to a 78-84 record. What can help even more is the perception that the team the candidate managed overachieved.

This season there are several NL teams that overcame numerous obstacles to reach the playoffs. A few surprised most observers and as such their respective managers will certainly merit consideration for National League Manager of the Year.

Unlike most years, the field this season is relatively wide open with several worthy candidates for the honor, which will be announced on Nov. 14.

Will it be Colorado's Clint Hurdle, who led the Rockies to the first World Series appearance in franchise history?

Or will it be Arizona's Bob Melvin, who took the surprising Diamondbacks from last place in 2006 to first place this year?

Last year, Girardi's Marlins finished 19 games behind the NL East Division-winning New York Mets, who were managed by Willie Randolph. Randolph received eight first-place votes but finished second in the balloting, 30 points behind Girardi. Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel finished fifth, as his team posted an 85-77 record.

This year, injuries decimated Philadelphia, but the Phillies and Manuel made the playoffs as the NL East champions. That's the kind of jump that could provide Manuel a bump in the balloting.

The Cubs finished in last place a year ago, 30 games under .500, and won the division this season. Could such a last-to-first jump raise manager Lou Piniella's chances?

What about San Diego's Bud Black, the rookie manager who piloted the Padres to a Wild Card tiebreaker game with Hurdle's Rockies?

For now, it remains a race that is too close to call.

The 32 voters on the NL Manager of the Year Award committee were required to file their ballots, listing the top three candidates in order, before the playoffs began, a stipulation that makes this race even harder to handicap.

Here's a rundown of the candidates for the 2007 NL Manager of the Year Award:

FAVORITES

Clint Hurdle, Colorado Rockies: Led the Rockies to the franchise's first pennant and a franchise-best 11-game winning streak in late September that lifted the team into the playoffs. The Rockies won 21 of 22 from mid-September through the NLCS, and they set a Major League record for the best fielding percentage while setting a new record for the best ERA in franchise history. A potential hurdle for Hurdle's chances may be that his candidacy skyrocketed late, as voters were required to submit ballots before the tiebreaker game.

Charlie Manuel, Philadelphia: Like the Rockies, the NL East champion Phillies streaked to the finish line to nail down a playoff spot during the season's final days. Manuel, the first Philadelphia manager to have three consecutive winning seasons since Danny Ozark had four straight (1975-78), led the Phillies to their first postseason berth since 1993. The Phillies overcame a rough start and numerous injuries to catch the Mets for the NL East crown, and despite their quick exit from the NLDS, don't be surprised if Manuel lands on numerous ballots.

Bob Melvin, Arizona Diamondbacks: The team batting average (.250) was the lowest in the league. They scored just 712 runs, which ranked 26th among MLB's 30 teams. Only six teams in all of MLB made more errors and the D-backs are one of the youngest teams in baseball. Even so, Melvin led the Arizona to a division crown and the NLCS.

Bud Black, San Diego Padres: San Diego's offense was as anemic as Arizona's, but the Padres managed to stay in the thick of the postseason picture until a heartbreaking loss in 13 innings at Colorado in the tiebreaker game thanks to one of the best pitching staffs in baseball and an opportunistic offense that found ways to get the job done more often than not.

HONORABLE MENTION

Manny Acta, Washington; Lou Piniella, Chicago Cubs; Ned Yost, Milwaukee; Tony La Russa, St. Louis.

 

[Bobcat10]

The 32 voters on the NL Manager of the Year Award committee were required to file their ballots, listing the top three candidates in order, before the playoffs began, a stipulation that makes this race even harder to handicap.

So before the playoffs, fine......but possibly before the regular season ended?Tough to call here.Anyone that voted after knowing the Rockies were in had to of voted Hurdle.

 

[posty]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20...sp&c_id=mlb

PHOENIX -- Bob Melvin may downplay the role he played in getting the D-backs to a National League-best 90 wins and the playoffs this past season, but it doesn't appear that postseason awards voters are buying it.

Melvin was named NL Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Wednesday, the second such award he has captured. Last month, he won a similar award from The Sporting News, which was voted on by his fellow managers.

Melvin finished with 119 points, including 19 of a possible 32 first-place votes. Charlie Manuel of the NL East champion Philadelphia Phillies finished second with 76 points, receiving seven first-place votes. Colorado Rockies manager Clint Hurdle and Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella also received first-place votes and finished third and fourth, respectively.

"You've got to have good players, which we do," Melvin said back when the TSN award was announced. "We've got a great coaching staff that prepares the players to play every day, so it's a credit to them. And a front office that gives us the right tools and the right players to be successful with. So it ends up being a group award."

Melvin's communication skills were crucial as the D-backs began integrating some of the organization's top prospects into the clubhouse midway through the 2006 season. In 2007, the D-backs had one of the youngest everyday lineups in the league.

"From start to finish, Bob did an excellent job with this team," Arizona GM Josh Byrnes previously said about Melvin.

Byrnes inherited Melvin when he joined the D-backs after the 2005 season, but the two have built a very good working relationship. Byrnes signed Melvin to a two-year extension midway through 2006 that includes a team option for 2009.

Melvin and Byrnes have had discussions about another extension, and it appears that sometime soon they will agree on a deal possibly through 2010.

That would be welcome news in the Arizona clubhouse, where Melvin has built strong relationships with his players.

"He's a heck of a manager and a heck of a guy," veteran second baseman Orlando Hudson said. "He's my favorite. I love playing for this man."

The D-backs won the NL West despite being outscored by their opponents by 20 runs and finishing last in the NL in batting average and on-base percentage, in large part because of their success in one-run games, in which they were 32-20.

"He's as well prepared as anyone I know," bench coach Kirk Gibson said of Melvin. "He knows his stuff. He won't ever be outprepared."

 

[Snotbubbles]

The 32 voters on the NL Manager of the Year Award committee were required to file their ballots, listing the top three candidates in order, before the playoffs began, a stipulation that makes this race even harder to handicap.

So before the playoffs, fine......but possibly before the regular season ended?Tough to call here.Anyone that voted after knowing the Rockies were in had to of voted Hurdle.

Why, Melvins team won the division with a lesser payroll. Hurdle was manager of the year for a 20 game stretch, what about the other 142.

 

[Bobcat10]

The 32 voters on the NL Manager of the Year Award committee were required to file their ballots, listing the top three candidates in order, before the playoffs began, a stipulation that makes this race even harder to handicap.

So before the playoffs, fine......but possibly before the regular season ended?Tough to call here.Anyone that voted after knowing the Rockies were in had to of voted Hurdle.

Why, Melvins team won the division with a lesser payroll. Hurdle was manager of the year for a 20 game stretch, what about the other 142.

I suppose.They should have just given it to the runner up in the AL.