Stating the Case for Each Top 2013 MLB Manager of the Year Candidate

While the players obviously receive most of the attention in the discussion regarding postseason awards, the Manager of the Year award is still a big deal and should actually feature a highly contested race this year.

For the top-three candidates in the American League and the National League, I’m going to provide you with three specific reasons why each one of these these men deserves to win the award.

At the end, I will give you my selections for Manager of the Year, and please feel free to voice your opinions in the comments below.

John Farrell, Boston Red Sox

1. If you look at the situation that John Farrell inherited from the Bobby Valentine experiment last season, it is impressive that he could put the pieces back together and put Boston in first place. That says something positive about his management style and the culture he was able to establish.
2. Simply, the Boston Red Sox are in first place in the most competitive division in baseball. Barring some type of collapse, winning the American League East is a major accomplishment that is a strong step in the right direction.
3. This team wins wherever it goes. Even though I just got done saying that the American League East is highly competitive, the Boston Red Sox are the only team in the division that has a winning record on the road. That will be valuable in the playoffs and as they try to hold off their rivals down the stretch.

Ron Washington, Texas Rangers

In terms of ERA, the Texas Rangers are third in the American League, and in terms of offensive runs scored, they are fourth in the American League. They can beat you in a variety of ways.

The Texas Rangers have been fighting with the Oakland Athletics for the top of the American League West all season. Ron Washington has been able to keep this team focused all year, and that speaks to his talent.

If the Rangers are able to win the division after losing a large part of their offense over the winter with that departure Josh Hamilton, and again after the season-ending suspension handed down to Nelson Cruz, it would prove that Washington is able to keep his team motivated despite disappointing events.

Joe Girardi, New York Yankees

The New York Yankees have dealt with so many major injuries this season. Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira have all spent significant time on the DL, and in the past, they have been the center of New York’s offensive attack.

Speaking of Alex Rodriguez, Girardi has also helped the Yankees navigate through what must have been a stressful situation. Obviously, when it seems like everyone is worried about what is happening off the field, the team still needs to stay focused on the field, and Girardi has made sure that the team has done that.

The Yankees are also getting hot at the right time. Even though they are still slightly outside the playoff picture, if they make a comeback and get into the playoff field, the voters will have that strong performance fresh in their minds, giving Girardi a shot at the award.

Clint Hurdle, Pittsburgh Pirates

For the first time in 20 years, the Pittsburgh Pirates will finish with a record over .500, and Clint Hurdle has naturally had a huge part in the revival that has been happening with Pittsburgh baseball.

As I was looking over the roster, I noticed how young many of the Pirates’ key players are. Star player Andrew McCutchen, for example, has never been in this type of situation. Hurdle is doing a good job at keeping his young team focused on performance.

Also, like I mentioned for Ron Washington of the Texas Rangers, Pittsburgh has had to fight for the division the entire year. They did not have any room to falter, even for just a week. Assuming they are able to hold off the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds, they will have been victorious in what has been a highly competitive race.

Fredi Gonzalez, Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves are the best team in baseball right now. They have been incredibly hot especially since the All-Star break, and this automatically gives Fredi Gonzalez credibility as a Manager of the Year candidate.

The Braves hold the largest divisional lead in baseball. Occasionally, when teams get so far ahead, they fall apart by becoming complacent. That hasn’t been happening to the Braves this year, though.

In the past, the Atlanta Braves have dominated because of their excellent pitching. This year, the Braves have the best combined ERA in all of baseball, and Gonzalez has been a part of maintaining that strong tradition

Don Mattingly, Los Angeles Dodgers

Earlier in the season, we were wondering if the Los Angeles Dodgers were going to part ways with manager Don Mattingly. The simple fact that they didn’t gave him the opportunity to lead the Dodgers into first place in the NL West.

Matt Kemp is a huge part of the Los Angeles Dodgers offensive attack, but he has been largely ineffective this season, even when he has been active. The fact that the Dodgers were able to recover from this loss of firepower was impressive.

And even though I personally doubted it earlier in the season, it seems as if the Dodgers are a team that can live up to expectations. They are winning the division that they were supposed to win, and I think that says something about the atmosphere Mattingly has been able to establish.

And the Winners Are…

American League

1. John Farrell, Boston Red Sox
2. Joe Girardi, New York Yankees
3. Ron Washington, Texas Rangers

National League

1. Clint Hurdle, Pittsburgh Pirates
2. Don Mattingly, Los Angeles Dodgers
3. Fredi Gonzalez, Atlanta Braves

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