Tracy rewarded with NL Manager honor

From MLB- Lucky for him the Pirates fired him

Jim Tracy took over the Rockies on May 29 hoping to straighten out specific problems.

That he did, and for it, Tracy received on Wednesday an honor he deserved -- the National League Manager of the Year Award, as voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.


Tracy was the overwhelming choice of the voters. He received 29 of a possible 32 first-place votes for 151 points. Tony La Russa of the Cardinals received two first-place votes and 55 points. The Dodgers' Joe Torre received one first-place vote and finished third with 33 points.

The Rockies issued a release shortly after the results of the vote were made known to announce that Tracy and the club had finalized a three-year contract, to run through 2012. In addition, the entire coaching staff from 2009 has agreed to return for next season.

When Tracy moved from bench coach to skipper, replacing Clint Hurdle, the Rockies' offense was underperforming because of a lack of aggressiveness. Pitchers were trying too hard and veering into plans that didn't work. All around the field, the right plays weren't being made in key situations.

But after a little more than a week, the Rockies had earned a four-game road sweep of the Cardinals. Suddenly, Tracy began thinking the Rockies could do more than just put their house in order.

"We just played a terrific series," Tracy said, sounding excited and wanting to believe the series was the beginning of a trend. "We pitched great the entire series and we deserved to win these games."

The feeling Tracy had was dead-on. After an 18-28 start cost Hurdle his job, the Rockies went 74-42 under Tracy and won the National League Wild Card.

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Scioscia tops in AL for remarkable year

From MLB

There are ordinary challenges, ones met every day, and there are extraordinary ones -- thunderbolts that strike out of nowhere.

The Angels were leveled by a thunderbolt in the wee hours of April 9, when Nick Adenhart, a valuable young pitcher and valued young person of 22, was killed alongside friends Courtney Stewart and Henry Pearson in what became a case of triple-murder charges filed against an alleged intoxicated driver.

"There are things that happen that you can prepare for," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said, "and there are things that happen that you have no manual for."


Moving forward, step by step, in the most emotionally challenging of his 10 seasons as leader of the Angels, Scioscia's steady hand and soothing presence created an atmosphere that enabled his team eventually to flourish under unimagined duress.

Scioscia, whose steely eyes turned misty at moments this season, was rewarded on Wednesday with his selection as 2009 American League Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

"I don't look at it as a one-guy award, a manager award," Scioscia said, his Angels having won their third consecutive AL West title before falling two wins short of a World Series date with his hometown Phillies. "It's about a great effort by a whole organization. It's great for our organization to be acknowledged for this award this year. I think our organization is proud of that."

It is Scioscia's second Manager of the Year Award. He was named by the BBWAA in 2002, the Angels having claimed the franchise's first World Series title under his direction after entering the postseason as a Wild Card.

Scioscia was placed first on 15 of 28 ballots cast by two writers from each AL city. He was second on 10 and third on one for 106 points, based on the 5-3-1 tabulation system. No manager was named on every ballot.

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