Melvin, Snitker top managers
Oakland’s Bob Melvin and Atlanta’s Brian Snitker were named managers of the year in the American League and National League on Tuesday, with voters from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America clinging to tradition by choosing the architects of the biggest year-over-year surprises in either league. Both the Athletics and Braves were widely picked to finish near the bottom of their divisions but made the playoffs in 2018.
Melvin, a 15-year veteran on the bench, won handily over Boston’s Alex Cora, who guided the Red Sox to 108 wins in his rookie season as manager. Melvin received 18 of a possible 30 first-place votes, with Cora receiving seven.
It was Melvin’s third time winning the award, following his wins in 2012 with Oakland and 2007 with Arizona.
In the NL, Atlanta’s Brian Snitker won the award, with Milwaukee’s Craig Counsell finishing second.
Little was expected of Melvin’s A’s, who were coming off three straight last-place finishes. Among the challenges they faced were an opening day payroll that ranked as the lowest in the majors and a staggering rash of injuries that forced the A’s to use 15 starting pitchers, many of them claimed off baseball’s scrap heap. By September, the A’s were deploying an “opener” — a reliever pressed into starting duty, then giving way after an inning or two — at least twice each trip through their rotation.
Despite the obstacles, Melvin guided the A’s to 97 wins, getting within 21⁄ games of the Houston Astros’ lead in the AL West in mid-September before settling for the second wild card. Lacking better options, the A’s tried to “bullpen” the wild-card game but fell to the New York Yankees. Snitker won the NL award with 17 of a possible 30 firstplace votes, with Counsell receiving 11.
Like the A’s in the AL, the Braves outperformed expectations more than any other team in the NL, and Snitker’s relentless positivity and calm demeanour served his youthful team well during its surprising run to 90 wins and the NL East title.