Oakland’s Melvin, Atlanta’s Snitker voted top managers
NEW YORK >> Oakland’s Bob Melvin was voted Manager of the Year for the third time, winning the American League honor Tuesday after leading the Athletics to the playoffs despite the lowest opening-day payroll in the major leagues.
Atlanta’s Brian Snitker won the National League award following the Braves’ surprising firstplace finish.
Melvin received 18 first-place votes, 19 seconds and one third for 121 points from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. He is the eighth manager to win three or more times and is one shy of the record shared by Bobby Cox and Tony La Russa. Melvin won with Oakland in 2012 and took the NL honor with Arizona in 2007.
His A’s went 97-65 — a 22-win improvement over 2017 — even with a $68.6 million payroll when the season began. They overcame a 34-36 start to go a big league-best from June 16 on, even though Jharel Cotton, A.J. Puk, Sean Manaea, Brett Anderson and several other starting pitchers got hurt. They lost to the New York Yankees in the AL wildcard game.
Boston’s Alex Cora was second with seven firsts and 79 points after leading the Red Sox to a teamrecord 108 wins. Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash, whose innovation of using a reliever as an “opener” was copied by other teams — including Oakland — later in the season, was next with five firsts and
57 points.
Snitker received 17 firsts, nine seconds and one third for 116 points, the only manager picked on every NL ballot. Milwaukee’s Craig Counsell was second with 11 firsts and for 99 points. Colorado’s Bud Black was third with 41 points.
A 63-year-old baseball lifer who played in Atlanta’s minor league system from 1977-80, Snitker has spent 42 seasons with the