The National League Manager of the Year award is really down to three candidates. Unlike the Junior circuit, each nominee has gotten his team into the playoffs. This year the Washington Nationals, San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds have been the class of the National League. It’s only fitting that the nominees are representing these teams.
A manager worth mentioning as having done a great job with the least amount of talent is Clint Hurdle. Earlier in the year the Pittsburgh Pirates were playing great baseball and were the talk of the league. Since that time; however, the Bucs have faded and have dipped below .500 on the season. At the all-star break I would have supported Hurdle for the award, but this must be based upon a full season.
Dusty Baker – Cincinnati Reds
A three-time NL Manager of the year winner already, Dusty Baker is looking to add to his managerial accolades with yet another award. Baker narrowly missed out on the 2010 award and then had to watch as his former club in San Francisco won a World Series.
This season saw the Cincinnati Reds lose their all-everything Joey Votto for a period of time. Despite this injury and one to Scott Rolen; Baker managed to juggle rookie replacements into the lineup without missing a beat. It helped greatly that one such rookie was Todd Frazier, who is sure to become any everyday player next year.
Dusty Baker’s confidence in outfielder Jay Bruce has paid dividends. The fourth year player; Bruce has responded by leading the team in homeruns, RBI’s and OBP.
The Reds pitching has been phenomenal. Led by Johnny Cueto with his 19 wins and complimented by Bronson Arroyo, Mat Latos, Homer Bailey and Mike Leake this rotation rivals anyone’s heading into a playoff series. Add in Sean Marshall and Aroldis Chapman out of the pen, and this bullpen is as shut-down as they come.Collectively, this pitching staff is ranked fourth overall in ERA, quality starts and WHIP, while ranking eleventh in batting average against.
With a bona-fide slugger in the middle of the lineup, a healthy Joey Votto and one of the League’s best pitching staffs; Dusty Baker’s job has at times been an easy one. Despite all the talent, Baker has done a great job managing the pitching staff through games and keeping his regular players fresh through the long MLB season.
Bruce Bochy – San Francisco Giants
Another first place finish in the NL West and a Division Title Bruce Bochy and the San Francisco Giants. Typically when a team loses it’s first-half MVP and team leader in batting average; that team isn’t making the playoffs. Not so in San Fran, where Melky Cabrera was suspended for PED’s and the Giants actually got better in his absence.
Better in large part to the comeback player of the year and new team MVP; Buster Posey. Along with Posey, newly acquired Hunter Pence and veterans like Marco Scutaro have helped the Giants rebound from a mediocre first half of the season.
The offensive load has been on Posey as he is the team leader in batting average, home runs, RBI’s, hits, and OBP. Posey’s production is made even more remarkable when you factor in the defensive demands and pitch handling that he takes on as the everyday catcher.
The Giants line-up caters to the spacious park they play in. Stockpiling contact hitters who can run the bases has produced 12 players with ten or more doubles and five players with ten or more steals. These kinds of quality at bats have resulted in the Giants ranking top ten in batting average and OBP.
What Posey is to the offense; Matt Cain is to the pitching staff. Cain leads the team in Wins, ERA and strikeouts and has propelled himself into Cy Young consideration. The Giants staff on a whole is very impressive, and could make short work of a team in the playoffs.
Cain is joined on the staff by: Barry Zito, Tim Lincecum, Ryan Vogelsong and Madison Bumgarner. This fearsome five has the team ranked sixth overall in quality starts, seventh in team ERA, ninth in batting average against and twelve in WHIP.
Bruce Bochy has done a great job managing this team. He is well-likes by his players, the fans and members of the media. Bochy embodies the west-coast laid-back attitude in his approach to managing. While his demeanour is calming, the approach is prepared and focused. Bochy will be entering the playoffs looking to add another ring to World Series collection.
Davey Johnson – Washington Nationals
With the Washington Nationals magic number down to only three, it would seem to be a foregone conclusion that the National League East Division title will be theirs. As a manager, Davey Johnson already has an impressive resume; as he has taken four different teams to the postseason on six separate occasions. Despite the skipper’s experience; the Nationals will enter the playoffs deemed by many to be inexperienced.
Prior to this season the Washington Nationals had not had a winning season. Undaunted by this fact; at the beginning of the season, Davey Johnson stated that if the Nationals didn’t win the division that he should be fired. A sub .500 season to winning the division; that is confidence in your club.
The Nationals aren’t comprised of your everyday recognizable all-stars. They are a young club with talented players who are put into positions to succeed. Bryce Harper, Ian Desmond and Danny Espinoza have a combined five years of MLB experience; yet each has been instrumental in the Nationals success. Johnson shows continued trust and confidence in his young players and in return he gets unbridled enthusiasm for the game; which ultimately results in wins.
The Nationals pitching staff has been the best in the baseball, even with an innings cap on Stephen Strasburg. The pitching staff is led by Gio Gonzalaez, who is leading the team in wins, ERA and strikeouts. Collectively the pitching staff is second overall in team ERA, WHIP and batting average against. With this dynamite rotation and free flowing offense, the Nationals have an astounding +137 run differential.
Davey Johnson has done an amazing job with this team. To win the division like this, with such a young squad is remarkable. Johnson now has the luxury of resting some players and lining his pitching rotation up for the playoffs just the way he wants. Despite the Nationals perceived inexperience; Davey Johnson is the ultimate equalizer in his approach and preparation.
NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR SHOULD BE: Davey Johnson
NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR WILL BE: Davey Johnson, sub .500 one year to a division title the next is tough to do and deserves a lot of credit.