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Manager of the Year: One group’s opinion

Manager of the Year: One group’s opinion
Posted by Ron Kaplan on 13 Oct 2010 | General Baseball

Connie Mack, as manager of the Philadelphia At...
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I belong to the Baseball Bloggers Alliance and at this time of the year we’re putting together our post-season awards.

It’s my honor to be president (for lack of a better title) of the category of the BBA that defies definition. While most of the 230 or so blogs in the Alliance are team-centric, this “miscellaneous” merry band of men and women (we’re working on  a better designation) take a wider look at the national pastime.

We chose to concentrate on the National League for the honors. First up: Manager of the Year, dubbed the Connie Mack Award in the BBA universe.

Using a 5-3-1 system, here’s how the tabulations broke down for our group:

Dusty Baker, 22 points (4-0-2)
Charlie Manuel, 20 (2-3-1)
Bobby Cox, 15 (2-1-2)
Bruce Bochy, 9 (0-2-3)
Bud Black, 6 (0-2-0)

With the exception of Manuel, each of these gentlemen exceeded spring training expectations (not to mention ole Charlie’s problems dealing with Philadelphia’s injury-filled 2010 campaign)  with all but Bochy leading his team into the post-season, and even he almost got the Padres to an October berth.

So congratulations to Dusty Baker, who led the Cincinnati Reds to the playoffs for the first time since 1995.

Still to come from the BBA awards:

  • Willie Mays Award (Rookie of the Year)
  • Goose Gossage Awards (Best Relief Pitcher)
  • Walter Johnson Award (Best Pitcher)
  • Stan Musial Award (MVP)

Stay tuned.

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Author: Ron Kaplan

In addition to working as a sports and features editor for a weekly New Jersey publication, I’m also a freelance writer, specializing in book reviews — primarily baseball-related — as well as pop culture. My work has appeared in such publications as Baseball America, New York Sportscene, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Mental Floss, ForeWord Magazine, January Magazine, E Magazine, Irish America, and American Book Review, among others. I also serve as editor for the Society for American Baseball Research’s Bibliography Committee Newsletter. Most of the articles on this blog are my own, with other items and reviews of note included for your interest and reference.

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