...AND THE NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR...(according to the votes of the baseball writers of the SB Nation)...
BOB MELVIN Manager- Arizona Diamondbacks.
In his third season as Manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Bob Melvin led the D-Backs their first NL West title since 2002, and all the way to the 2007 NLDS, where they met the steamrolling Wild Card Rockies of Colorado, who swept Arizona on the way to being swept in the World Series themselves by the Boston Red Sox.
Melvin's Diamondbacks, led by young stars like Chris Young, Stephen Drew, Conor Jackson, Justin Upton and veterans Eric Byrnes, Orlando Hudson, Livan Hernandez, and Brandon Webb, finished just a half-game ahead of the second place Rockies, at (90-72) and defeated the Chicago Cubs in three straight of the first round 5-game NLCS series, before bowing out in the NLDS to Colorado.
The forty-five year old D-Backs Manager finished well ahead of Charlie Manuel(Phi), Clint Hurdle(Col) and Lou Piniella(ChiC), all of whom led their respective teams to the postseason...
...but one adventurous voter, and it wasn't me, as I noted yesterday, I was unable to participate, cast their first place vote for Washington Nationals Manager Manny Acta, who led his team to a fourth place finish in the NL East, but surprised many with their (73-89) record, and undeniably competitive approach to the game.-(My words, not this smart voters.)
...AND THE AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR...(according to the votes of the baseball writers of the SB Nation)...
ERIC WEDGE Manager- Cleveland Indians.
The Cleveland Indians Manager ran away with the SB Nation baseball writer's votes the way the Indians ran away with the NL Central. The (96-66) Indians finished 8.0 games ahead of the second place Detroit Tigers, and advanced to the ALCS with an insect-aided victory over the NY Yankees in their ALDS series.
With the power of Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez, Casey Blake and Ryan Garko, and the arms of C.C. Sabbathia, Fausto Carmona, and closer Joe Borowski, the Indians pushed the eventual World Series Champion Red Sox to a dramatic Game 7 in Boston, which the Indians lost, ending their first playoff appearance since 2001.
The 39-year old Wedge finished well ahead of the second place Joe Torre of the Yankees, and third place finisher Mike Scioscia of the LA Angels, with Terry Francona of the World Series winning Red Sox, finishing fifth in the voting of the SB Nation bloggers, in spite of winning the Red Sox first NL East title since 1995...
*Check Back Tomorrow when all of the SB Nation sites will be commenting on their choices for the NL and AL Cy Young Award Winners...*