A’s manager Melvin named Manager of Year by peers
The job Bob Melvin did with the A’s roster he was given to work with this season was remarkable, and he has been recognized for it by his peers.
Melvin was named the Sporting News’ American League Manager of the Year on Tuesday, which is determined by a poll of nine AL managers. He is the third manager in A’s history to win the award, joining Tony La Russa and Billy Martin. Melvin also won National League honors in 2007 as manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
It really should be a nobrainer when it comes to Melvin and Manager of the Year. Boston’s Alex Cora, who garnered two votes, did a nice job in leading the Red Sox to 108 wins. Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash also received a vote, but for Melvin to improve upon the A’s 2017 win total by 22 games, there’s no contest.
Melvin pieced together a starting rotation from castoffs and pitchers deemed “washed up” by the rest of the league, going through 14 starting pitchers in all, and still led the A’s to a 97-65 record and their first playoff appearance since 2014.
Since the start of spring training, A’s players were talking playoffs as if it were a legitimate possibility for a club projected to finish near .500 by most observers. It was a winning mentality ingrained by Melvin at the end of the 2017 season after the team finished September with a winning record, which at the time was their first winning month since 2014.
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America version of the award will be announced next month, and Melvin figures to be the front-runner for that as well.