Black edges Baker for NL Mgr of Year - Manuel 5th

[Frayed Knot]

That would be Charlie Manuel in 5th place of course (tell me you didn't fall for that one!)

NAME	1st	2nd	3rd	Points
BLACK - SD	16	7	3	104
BAKER - CIN	13	12	2	103
BOCHY - SF	1	4	13	30
COX - ATL	1	4	11	28
MANUEL - PHI	1	4	3	20
MILLS - HOU	0	1	0	3

[Willets Point]

This tells me that the Mets need a manager whose last name starts with a B.

Backman it is!

[HahnSolo]

I had so removed Jerry from my consciousness I missed it.

I'm guessing the thought process is similar each year, but judging from these results, the voting does show that in the minds of voters:

- Winning means a lot (4 of the top 5 vote getters made the postseason; the winner was eliminated on the final day of the season)

- Winning with "perceived less" means more: both Black and Baker led teams that no one thought had any chance before the season began.

- There was a little, but not too much to swing many voters, of Bobby Cox sympathy.

- I guess somebody in Houston has a sense of humor?

I also wonder if the respective 1st place votes for Bochy, Manuel, and Cox came from their cities?

[Lefty Specialist]

Damn. I fell for it. I'm not in mid-season form.

[Frayed Knot]

Meanwhile over in the AL
- Gardenhire nabs his first award after five 2nd place finishes over the last decade.
- one sympathy vote goes to the retiring Cito Gaston as his 1st place vote is the only one he received
- and the sense of humor ballot gives a 3rd place vote to Girardi

NAME	1st	2nd	3rd	Points
GARDENHIRE - MIN	16	8	4	108
WASHINGTON - TEX	10	8	7	81
MADDON - TB	1	10	9	44
FRANCONA - BOS	0	2	7	13
GASTON - TOR	1	0	0	5
GIRARDI - NYY	0	0	1	1

[Benjamin Grimm]

Lefty Specialist wrote: Damn. I fell for it. I'm not in mid-season form.

I did too. I forgot all about Charlie.

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: Meanwhile over in the AL - the sense of humor ballot gives a 3rd place vote to Girardi

What sense of humor? A guy really has to manage his arse off when he is in a small market and his GM has limited resources, like Joe did. The voter must have given Joe the vote because he felt so sorry for him.

(Damn! Smoke pouring out of the back of the sarcasm meter.)
Later