This past Saturday night in New York City, Buck Showalter was presented with the Baseball Writers Association of America’s AL Manager of the Year Award.
It was the third time that Showalter won the award — the wins coming exactly a decade apart at three different stops. He won in 1994 after leading the New York Yankees to a 70-43 record during a strike-shortened season. He won in 2004 after guiding the Texas Rangers to an 18-win improvement from the previous season.
Showalter won in 2014 by a tremendous margin, receiving 25 of 30 first-place votes. Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia placed second, receiving four first-place votes, while the Kansas City Royals’ Ned Yost was third. Seattle Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon, the fourth-place finisher, received one first-place vote.
Here’s a quote from Showalter back in November when it was announced he had won the honor by the lengthy margin, “What it means is that people get tired of your shtick after a while,” Showalter joked about winning the award with three different teams. “I don’t know.”
Former New York Yankees GM and good friend of Showalter, Gene Michael — or “Stick” as people in the baseball call him — introduces Buck with a great story.
