Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash and San Francisco Giants skipper Gabe Kapler have been named AL Manager of the Year and NL Manager of the Year, respectively.
Cash, who led the Rays to a franchise record 100 win season, becomes the first AL manager to win the award in back to back seasons. Bobby Cox did it in the NL winning back to back awards in 2004 and 2005. The Rays won the AL East despite having a far lower payroll than the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and even, for that matter, the Toronto Blue Jays. Not to mention losing their Cy Young Award winning pitcher Blake Snell to free agency and their new ace Tyler Glasnow to Tommy John surgery.
The St. Louis Cardinals must be breathing a sigh of relief with Kapler winning. Nothing would have been more embarrassing than having Mike Shildt win the award a month after firing him. Yet Kapler very much deserves this award. No one expected the Giants to contend in the NL West much less win a franchise record 107 games. No one that is except perhaps Gabe Kapler.
Tomorrow night the AL and NL Cy Young Award winners will be announced.
No comments:
Post a Comment