Buck Showalter for AL Manager of the Year?
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I can’t use the word “robbed,” because Bob Melvin’s Oakland Athletics had a fantastic 2012 season, but it was certainly surprising to see that Baltimore Orioles skipper Buck Showalter finished in second for the American League Manager of the Year award.

I just figured the one run victories, extra inning wins, the uncertainty of his rotation and just climbing out of the cellar of 14 straight losing seasons would have been enough for Showalter to be honored as the league’s best manager. But the writers voted, and apparently I was wrong.

Thankfully, Matt Wieters agrees with my sentiments.

“Our team wouldn’t have been anywhere close to where we were at the end of the year if Buck wasn’t the man man in charge,” he told Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. “Bob Melvin had a great year in the AL West, a great year with Oakland. But, for me, Buck is the manager of the year.”

“A great year in the AL West,” huh? I guess Wieters thinks the West ain’t the East, even on a “down year.”

I agree with him overall though. In my opinion, if your GM wins Executive of the Year, than it means that he made the best moves of the offseason. Billy Beane won executive of the year.

So to then turn around and say that Bob Melvin made the best use out of the least talent would be factually inaccurate. At least according to the awards handed out at the end of the season.


And hey, Dan Duquette didn’t even receive a single vote for Executive of the Year. I’m still salty about that one too.