MLB Managers of the Year

Today MLB will name their managers of the year. Here are my choices:

American League

1. Eric Wedge
2. Buck Showalter
3. Ron Gardenhire

I'm sure the official results will look nothing like my choices but hey - that's the way I see it. Wedge almost had the Indians at .500 this year and now they could be a playoff team because they learned to win this year. Showalter took the Rangers from worst to almost first and Gardenhire won the Central with a team that had scant better talent than the competition. Francona may win the award but remember that the vote was taken before the playoffs. My problem with Francona was that in the first half of the season - the Red Sox were blaise and only after Theo Epstein made his changes did they really take off.

National League

1. Bobby Cox
2. Phil Garner
3. Tony LaRussa

People will be hesitant to vote for Garner because it seems like Jack McKeon redux. Meanwhile Cox always gets his team into the playoffs and has not gotten his proper recognition over the years. Some writers just don't like LaRussa and I think that plays a role here.