Manager of the Year
Considering Nadal’s designs on a third US Open triumph, his aborted run cannot but be deemed a disappointment. Then again, it’s clear from the way he competed that he’s in prime shape, if not form, and that it’s fair to expect him to do better next year.
There will always be critics, especially in an environment where keyboard warriors are encouraged to convey instant reactions. Thusly, no one was surprised when Terry Francona’s receipt of the American League Manager of the Year award was met with vigorous opposition in social media. How, said the naysayers, could he be the best of the best when he blew a three-one lead in the World Series?
Needless to say, it didn’t matter to them that: 1) the distinction considers strides made in the regular season; and 2) he deserves major props for even getting the Indians that far.
In truth, the question shouldn’t be why Francona takes home his second mantelpiece in four years, but, rather, why, in so doing, he didn’t get a first-place vote from all the 30 ballots counted. Eight members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America saw fit to deny him a unanimous tally, although winding up the only skipper to be named in all lists is no mean feat. He deserves the honor, to be sure, having had to work with a roster whose payroll ranks among the lowest third in Major League Baseball, and, more crucially, whose competitiveness was challenged by a cacophony of injuries. His talent base fluctuated depending on circumstance, so much so that he proved unable to start the same eight players in the same eight positions three matches in a row.
The bottom line is clear: Francona gave the Indians three shots at taking their first championship since 1948, never mind that he scrambled to fill in the void left by the forced sidelining of such notables as Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar, Michael Brantley, and Yan Gomes en route. Heck, he proved to be so good at mixing and matching skill sets that his charges posted the longest winning streak in franchise annals and subsequently stood eight games clear of the studded Tigers in the AL Central Division. Under his sure and steady hand, they then took out the broom against the vaunted Red Sox, made short work of the otherwise-prolific Blue Jays, and stood toe to toe with the favored Cubs until the 10th inning of the winnertake-all affair.
True, Francona ultimately couldn’t close the deal. Then again, the outcome of his 2016 campaign was due more to the Cubs finally meeting expectations and less to the Indians failing to deliver. If anything, they exceeded themselves at every turn, thanks in no small measure to his tactical prowess. In this regard, he’s more than due, and contrarians simply don’t know what they’re talking about.