Scioscia, Tracy named baseball's top managers
Mike Scioscia, who guided the Los Angeles Angels through a difficult season after the death in a road accident of pitcher Nick Adenhart, was named American League Manager of the Year Wednesday.
Colorado manager Jim Tracy was named National League Manager of the Year, and an hour later the Rockies announced Tracy had been rewarded with a three-year contract.
It's the second time Scioscia has been named Manager of the Year. After the emotional loss early in the season of Adenhart, the Angels pulled together and won their fifth AL West division title in six years.
"Some things, you're never prepared for," Scioscia said. "But those things really weren't about us. They were about the Adenhart family and I think as we supported them we found some peace."
The Angels have earned six postseason berths in the last eight years under Scioscia, who was a catcher for the Dodgers for 13 seasons and retired in 1994.
The Angels used 14 starting pitchers and had to make do without injured sluggers Torii Hunter and Vladimir Guerrero for long stretches.
But the team's biggest challenge was moving past the sorrow it felt after Adenhart's death.
"For a long time, it wasn't easy for our club," Scioscia said.
Ron Gardenhire finished second in the AL voting for the second straight year and fifth time during his eight seasons as Minnesota manager. He also placed third in 2002, when Scioscia was honored for the first time, but has never won the award.
Tracy became the second manager to win the award after taking over during the season, joining Jack McKeon for Florida in 2003.
After Clint Hurdle was sacked in late May, the Rockies promoted Tracy from bench coach and he guided them to a wild card playoff berth.
"I didn't immediately say yes," Tracy recalled of taking over when the Rockies were 18-28. "I asked for 60 minutes to think about it and he told me you can have 60 but you can't have 61 because he needed somebody down in the dugout to manage that night."
"What we're talking about this afternoon, it's probably as flattering an experience as I've come to realize during the course of my professional career in athletics," Tracy said. "And obviously a new contract is extremely exciting. But what is more intriguing for me is what is still out there for our ballclub."
In balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, Tracy received 29 first-place votes and two seconds for 151 points. Scioscia got 15 first-place votes, 10 seconds and one third for 106 points.
Tony La Russa of the Cardinals, a four-time winner, was a distant second in the NL with 55 points.
AFP
