Manager of the Year Award on Baseball Almanac

Manager of the Year Award

The Baseball Writers' Association of America Manager of the Year Award was first awarded at the completion of the 1983 season. The honor is awarded to the Major League manager who takes the talent given to him by the team owner and accomplishes more than expected. Past winners have included World Series winners and skippers who have taken a team from the cellar and put them in the chase for a pennant.

"Guys ask me, don't I get burned out? How can you get burned out doing something you love? I ask you, have you ever got tired of kissing a pretty girl?" - Tommy Lasorda (1983 & 1988 National League Manager of the Year)

Manager of the Year Award In Chronological Order
Year	Manager Name	Team / Roster
1983	Tony La Russa ⁽¹⁾	1983 Chicago White Sox
1984	Sparky Anderson ⁽¹⁾	1984 Detroit Tigers
1985	Bobby Cox ⁽¹⁾	1985 Toronto Blue Jays
1986	John McNamara ⁽¹⁾	1986 Boston Red Sox
1987	Sparky Anderson ⁽²⁾	1987 Detroit Tigers
1988	Tony La Russa ⁽²⁾	1988 Oakland Athletics
1989	Frank Robinson ⁽¹⁾	1989 Baltimore Orioles
1990	Jeff Torborg ⁽¹⁾	1990 Chicago White Sox
1991	Tom Kelly ⁽¹⁾	1991 Minnesota Twins
1992	Tony La Russa ⁽³⁾	1992 Oakland Athletics
1993	Gene Lamont ⁽¹⁾	1993 Chicago White Sox
1994	Buck Showalter ⁽¹⁾	1994 New York Yankees
1995	Lou Piniella ⁽¹⁾	1995 Seattle Mariners
1996	Johnny Oates ⁽¹⁾	1996 Texas Rangers
1996	Joe Torre ⁽¹⁾	1996 New York Yankees
1997	Davey Johnson ⁽¹⁾	1997 Baltimore Orioles
1998	Joe Torre ⁽²⁾	1998 New York Yankees
1999	Jimy Williams ⁽¹⁾	1999 Boston Red Sox
2000	Jerry Manuel ⁽¹⁾	2000 Chicago White Sox
2001	Lou Piniella ⁽²⁾	2001 Seattle Mariners
2002	Mike Scioscia ⁽¹⁾	2002 Anaheim Angels
2003	Tony Pena ⁽¹⁾	2003 Kansas City Royals
2004	Buck Showalter ⁽²⁾	2004 Texas Rangers
2005	Ozzie Guillen ⁽¹⁾	2005 Chicago White Sox
2006	Jim Leyland ⁽³⁾	2006 Detroit Tigers
2007	Eric Wedge ⁽¹⁾	2007 Cleveland Indians
2008	Not Yet Announced^(11-2008)	--
Year	Manager Name	Team / Roster
American League Manager of the Year Award

Manager of the Year Award In Chronological Order
Year	Manager Name	Team / Roster
1983	Tommy Lasorda ⁽¹⁾	1983 Los Angeles Dodgers
1984	Jim Frey ⁽¹⁾	1984 Chicago Cubs
1985	Whitey Herzog ⁽¹⁾	1985 St. Louis Cardinals
1986	Hal Lanier ⁽¹⁾	1986 Houston Astros
1987	Buck Rodgers ⁽¹⁾	1987 Montreal Expos
1988	Tommy Lasorda ⁽²⁾	1988 Los Angeles Dodgers
1989	Don Zimmer ⁽¹⁾	1989 Chicago Cubs
1990	Jim Leyland ⁽¹⁾	1990 Pittsburgh Pirates
1991	Bobby Cox ⁽²⁾	1991 Atlanta Braves
1992	Jim Leyland ⁽²⁾	1992 Pittsburgh Pirates
1993	Dusty Baker ⁽¹⁾	1993 San Francisco Giants
1994	Felipe Alou ⁽¹⁾	1994 Montreal Expos
1995	Don Baylor ⁽¹⁾	1995 Colorado Rockies
1996	Bruce Bochy ⁽¹⁾	1996 San Diego Padres
1997	Dusty Baker ⁽²⁾	1997 San Francisco Giants
1998	Larry Dierker ⁽¹⁾	1998 Houston Astros
1999	Jack McKeon ⁽¹⁾	1999 Cincinnati Reds
2000	Dusty Baker ⁽³⁾	2000 San Francisco Giants
2001	Larry Bowa ⁽¹⁾	2001 Philadelphia Phillies
2002	Tony La Russa ⁽⁴⁾	2002 St. Louis Cardinals
2003	Jack McKeon ⁽²⁾	2003 Florida Marlins
2004	Bobby Cox ⁽³⁾	2004 Atlanta Braves
2005	Bobby Cox ⁽⁴⁾	2005 Atlanta Braves
2006	Joe Girardi⁽¹⁾	2006 Florida Marlins
2007	Bob Melvin⁽¹⁾	2007 Arizona Diamondbacks
2008	Not Yet Announced^(11-2008)	--
Year	Manager Name	Team / Roster
National League Manager of the Year Award

Bobby Cox was the first — and until 2002 the only — manager to win the BBWAA Manager of the Year Award in each league. Tony La Russa was the first manager to receive the BBWAA Manager of the Year Award on four different occasions and in 2002 became the second manager to win the award at least once in each league (see first sentence). Cox joined him in 2005 after winning his fourth award.

The voting system awards five points to the managers for first place, three for second place, and one for third place. Those votes are combined and the manager with the most wins. Here is the breakdown of votes for the 2004 & 2005 Manager of the Year Award:

2004 Manager of the Year Award Voting Analysis
A.L. Managers	Tm	1	2	3	Totals	N.L. Managers	Tm	1	2	3	Totals
Buck Showalter	TEX	14	9	4	101	Bobby Cox	ATL	22	10	0	140
Ron Gardenhire	MIN	11	11	3	91	Tony La Russa	STL	4	9	15	62
Mike Scioscia	ANA	2	4	9	31	Jim Tracy	LAD	4	7	11	52

2005 Manager of the Year Award Voting Analysis
A.L. Managers	Tm	1	2	3	Totals	N.L. Managers	Tm	1	2	3	Totals
Ozzie Guillen	CHA	17	5	5	105	Bobby Cox	ATL	28	4	0	152
Eric Wedge	CLE	6	11	8	71	Tony La Russa	STL	2	13	3	52
Joe Torre	NYA	4	7	2	43	Phil Garner	HOU	0	9	11	38
Ken Macha	OAK	1	3	7	21	Frank Robinson	WSH	2	4	7	29
Terry Francona	BOS	0	1	4	7	Ned Yost	MIL	0	0	7	7
John Gibbons	TOR	0	0	1	1	Bruce Bochy	SDN	0	1	1	4
						Willie Randolph	NYN	0	0	1	1

Did you know that Tommy Lasorda & Sparky Anderson are the only recipients of a Manager of the Year Award who are also enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a manager / skipper? Who will join this elite group of skippers in the future? Cox? Torre? La Russa? Tell us on Baseball Fever.

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