Cash top AL manager; Mattingly wins in NL
Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash won the AL Manager of the Year award Tuesday, and Miami’s Don Mattingly took home the NL honor.
Long regarded as one of baseball’s bright young minds, Cash guided Tampa Bay to an ALbest 4020 record during the pandemic shortened season. But he was roundly criticized for pulling lefthander Blake Snell in the sixth inning of the decisive Game 6 in the World Series against the champion Dodgers.
Voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America concluded before the beginning of the playoffs. Rick Renteria, who was let go by the White Sox after the team made the postseason for the first time since 2008, finished second, followed by Toronto’s Charlie Montoyo.
Mattingly guided the Marlins to their first playoff appearance since 2003 despite a coronavirus outbreak that paused their season and ravaged the roster.
The Marlins’ 3129 record was Mattingly’s first winning season in his fifth year with the club. The former Yankees first baseman had a winning record in each of his five seasons as the manager of the Dodgers.
Mattingly, the first Manager of the Year for the Marlins since Joe Girardi in 2006, is the fifth person to win both MVP and Manager of the Year.
“The first one feels personal and this one feels more like a team thing,“Mattingly said, “and that’s why I’m proud of it because we’ve struggled for a couple of years, and for us to move forward is important, and I think this is a sign that we’re heading in that direction.”
San Diego’s Jayce Tingler finished second behind Mattingly in balloting by the BBWAA, followed by David Ross of the Cubs.
Tingler and Ross led their teams to the playoffs in their first seasons as a bigleague manager.
The Cy Young Awards will be announced by the BBWAA on Wednesday, followed by the MVPs on Thursday.
After losing 105 games a year ago, Miami’s 2020 season was nearly derailed by a coronavirus outbreak during the first weekend of play. The team had to make 174 roster moves but still managed the franchise’s first winning record since 2009.
The steady hand of Mattingly, 59, played a big role in the turnaround, which continued in the playoffs. Miami eliminated the NL Central champion Cubs in the first round before it was swept by Atlanta in the NL Division Series.
Cash, who turns 43 on Dec. 6, finished third in balloting for AL Manager of the Year in each of the past two seasons. He is 454416 in six years with the Rays.