Dusty Baker finishes second in BWAA Manager of the Year balloting – MLB News
Facing adversity and turning the tide, tests one’s abilities. It did so for Cincinnati Reds' manager Dusty Baker’s as well.
Although Tuesday’s Manager of the Year Award did not go to Dusty Baker, the eminent manager did receive applause for his masterful handling of team this past season. Dusty Baker finished second in Baseball Writers’ Association of America balloting with a total of 77 points.
It was the Washington Nationals’ Davey Johnson who was declared the winner after he was placed first on 23 of 32 ballots while Bruce Bochy of the San Francisco Giants finished third with 61 points and four first-place votes.
Atlanta Braves' Fredi Gonzalez finished fourth with 17 points, Bud Black of the San Diego Padres won 1 point and St. Louis Cardinals' Mike Matheny also scored to end sixth.
But, arguably, all eyes were set on Dusty Baker whose team had several odds to overturn this past season, from respective injuries of the players to a seemingly crippling slowdown at times.
Manager Dusty Baker presided over the affairs in a year when the club held an impressive 97-65 record in the National League Central, outshining all their rivals in the Division.
This was the second time in the last three years that the club had finished first in the National League, winning the National League Central title.
While Manager of the Year Award went to Johnson, Dusty Baker has won the honour thrice in his career that spans 19-years, in 1993, 1997 and 2000.
From rotation to bullpen and ultimately dominating offence at times, the Reds came forward as an intimidating line-up for the rivals. The likes of Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake, Bronson Arroyo, Aroldis Chapman earned resounding recognition for their quality performance in the rotation and bullpen.
Offensively, the Reds outshone the rival teams, remaining dominant throughout the regular season. Although the National League Division Series did not eventually prove successful for the Reds, their emergence as a team which can take on any rival made them one of the favourites in the National League, placing them on up when it came to the top teams.
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