Jim Tracy and Mike Scioscia win NL and AL Manager of the Year awards
Posted on November 18, 2009
Manager Jim Tracy of the Colorado Rockies gets ready in the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on August 30, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Baseball’s version of awards week continued this afternoon with the announcements of the National League and American League Manager of the Year award winners. It came as no surprise that Colorado Rockies skipper Jim Tracy captured the NL award in a landslide vote (29 out of 32 first place votes). The AL vote was a little closer with Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim manager Mike Scioscia taking top honors, garnering 15 first place votes (Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire was next with 6).
Jeff Mathis #5 and manager Mike Scioscia #14 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim get ready in the dugout before the game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 3, 2009 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Scioscia also won the award in 2002 when his club finished their story book season by ripping my heart out and defeating my San Francisco Giants in an epic seven-game World Series that still hurts. His Angels clubs have been one of the best American League teams of this decade and are always fun to watch. I have many chances to photograph him and his team each year as I always see them many times during spring training in their wonderful desert home: beautiful Tempe Diablo Stadium. I also get to see them several times in Oakland as they take three trips up here each season to play the A’s.
Manager Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hits fungoes before the game against the Oakland Athletics at the McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, California on September 17, 2008. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Scioscia was a great catcher during his splaying days with the Dodgers and was the best I ever saw at blocking the plate. He was involved in an epic collision with my guy Chili Davis of the Giants during a game at Dodger Stadium. “The one collision that absolutely I got hit harder than anybody else was Chili Davis in 1986 when he was with the Giants. Chili plays hard; he’s 6′ 3″, looks like Apollo Creed, got a nice lean. I saw stars. That was the hardest I’ve been hit, including my years of playing football. It was a heck of a collision . . . He was out that time. We were both out,” said Scioscia about that play.
Manager Mike Scioscia #14 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim sends a sign to his defense during the game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on July 18, 2009 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
The Angels had a rough year in 2009, dealing with so many injuries and the death of young pitcher Nick Adenhart in a car wreck on April 9. Through it all Scioscia kept his team playing as well as anyone in the league. They just ran into a better New York Yankee team in the ALCS, which ended their season much sooner than they would have liked- especially after they drubbed the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS.
Manager Mike Scioscia of the Anaheim Angels watches from the dugout during a game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California on July 5, 2001. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Jim Tracy was the bench coach for the Rockies when the 2009 campaign began and did not take over as skipper til manager Clint Hurdle was fired after an 18-28 start. The Rockies went 74-42 under Tracy and won the National League Wild Card, putting together an amazing run that killed my Giants. Us Giants fans kept waiting for the Rockies to lose. We were counting on them to hit a losing skid that would allow the Giants to pull ahead in the wild card. Tracy kept them playing so well they never did. They played so well down the stretch they almost caught the Dodgers for the NL West crown before winning the NL Wild Card with a 92-70 record.
Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Jim Tracy watches from the dugout during a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA on May 16, 2004. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Tracy is a great story as the Rockies are his third stop as a manager- the first two not working out too well. After a five year stint with the Dodgers Tracy landed in Pittsburgh where there was nothing he could do to help a crappy Pirates team in 2006 and 2007. Sometimes there is only so much you can do with a roster full of bad ballplayers.
Manager Jim Tracy of the Pittsburgh Pirates observes the National Anthem before the game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California on August 11, 2007. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Both Tracy and Scioscia had great seasons and deserve these awards. Next up in the Awards Week is the NL Cy Young award that will be announced tomorrow. Will my guy Tim Lincecum luck out and sneak in for his seond in a row? Will the Cardinals two star hurlers Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright split the vote allowing Timmy to slide in? We will find out at 11am PST tomorrow.
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