Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim Mike Scioscia Wins American League Manager Of The Year
34 Would Be Proud
Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels of Anhiem had to endure the most emotionally season of his 10 seasons as leader of the Angels and that culminated in him selected as the 2009 American League Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
It was Scioscia’s second Manager of the Year award. He was named by the BBWAA in 2002, when the Angels claimed their first World Series title under his direction after entering the postseason as a Wild Card. Scioscia, who is the first manager in Major League history to pilot six postseason teams in his first 10 seasons, received 15 of a possible 28 first-place votes for 106 points.
The Twins’ Ron Gardenhire finished second with six first-place votes and 72 points. Joe Girardi of the Yankees (four first-place votes) was third, followed by the Mariners’ Don Wakamatsu (two), the Rangers’ Ron Washington (one) and the Tigers’ Jim Leyland.
Coping with the death of young pitcher Nick Adenhart in a car wreck on April 9, Scioscia and the Angels emerged from early struggles — they were 29-29 on June 11 — to take flight en route to a third consecutive AL West title, their fifth in six seasons.
In the AL Division Series, the Angels swept their October nemesis, Boston, in three games before falling in six games in the AL Championship Series to the Yankees, who went on to subdue the Phillies in the World Series.
With 97 wins, the Angels continued a run of excellence under Scioscia, whose teams have won 900 regular-season games in 10 seasons. His 567 victories over the past six seasons represent a Major League best — one more than Joe Torre has achieved with the Yankees and Dodgers and two more than Terry Francona with the Red Sox.
Colorado Rockies Jim Tracy Wins National League Manager Of The Year
David Letterman
Jim Tracy of the Colorado Rockies was rewarded for his success on Wednesday not only did he win the National League Manager of the Year Award as voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America but he also was took home a new three year contract to run through 2012.
Tracy who took over the last place Rockies on May 29th was the overwhelming choice of the voters. He received 29 of a possible 32 first-place votes for 151 points. Tony La Russa of the Cardinals received two first-place votes and 55 points. The Dodgers’ Joe Torre received one first-place vote and finished third with 33 points.
When Tracy moved from bench coach to skipper, replacing Clint Hurdle 18-28, the Rockies went 74-42 under Tracy and won the National League Wild Card.
In the end, the Rockies were 92-70, and set a club record for wins in a season while making the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. The Phillies eliminated the Rockies, three games to one, in the NL Division Series.
Tracy became the second Rockies manager to win the award. Don Baylor, who rejoined the Rockies as hitting coach last off-season,earned the honor in 1995.
Finally
Highland Park In The House
The Los Angeles Dodgers finally popped the corks, clinching the National League West and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a 5-0 win over the Rockies.
They celebrated in the clubhouse by spraying sparkling wine and beer that had been hauled all over the country the past week while the magic number was stuck on one. They took the celebration out to the field to share with a sellout crowd that wouldn’t leave Dodger Stadium. Then they retreated back into the clubhouse to keep the party going.
The Dodgers will open the best-of-five Division Series by hosting the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday and Thursday. The Dodgers haven’t opened a postseason series at home since 1996. The Dodgers can’t open the playoffs against Colorado, because a team cannot open the playoffs against a Wild Card team from its division.
The Dodgers have back-to-back first-place finishes for the first time since 1977-78 after already qualifying for postseason play three of the four years that Ned Colletti has been general manager. The last time they advanced three times in a four-year span was 1963-66. Their 94 wins are the most for a Dodgers team since 1988, the last time they won the World Series.
“This is a huge step for the franchise,” owner Frank McCourt said. “I think we have the franchise back to a place where the fans know and can expect us to compete every year. I’m so grateful to the fans for their support. You could feel the energy tonight. They willed the team to victory in that seventh inning. To be leading baseball in attendance in this economy, it says a lot about our fans. This is for them.”
The Dodgers have played in 18 World Series, 8 League Championship Series and this is their 11th division title since the current format began in 1969.
“It never gets old,” said Joe Torre, who will manage in the postseason for the 14th consecutive season, tying Bobby Cox’s all-time record. “You do it with different people all the time, just to see all these men turn into little boys — it’s like what Roy Campanella said, you have to have some little boy in you to play this game and we certainly showed that tonight.”
Torre conceded that watching clinching opportunities slip away all week had become an ordeal.
“We were tight, but there’s tight, and then there’s tight,” he said. “Don Mattingly and I were talking about how tough it is to win in September with something at stake. But all year we played so well when we needed to play well. I was uptight, but they played well tonight.”
This season for the Dodgers has been about the emergence into stardom of outfielders Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and All-Star closer Jonathan Broxton more than the name we all are familiar with Manny Ramirez.
Hard Knocks: Episode 4 Recap
Fight Back
Once again we are headed down two already traveled paths, head coach Marvin Lewis trying to be stern with his team after another loss and that owner Mike Brown is cheap and has yet to fix the players gate into Paul Brown Stadium. There’s a family vibe to the episode early on as the stories bounce from another of the players lives rather rapidly.
Chad Ochocinco some kind advice for actress Jennifer Aniston and then proceeds to give a step by step of the new way to get a woman’s phone number.
Tank Johnson reveals the NFL player’s of today don’t have any knowledge of who paved the ground before them. I for one wouldn’t expect them to know Hall of Famer quarterback and 7 time Pro Bowler Len Dawson, but Donnie Walsh aka Bill Walsh are you kidding me? I feel better that at least you know now and latter is better than never but can you at least get the mans name correct.
Thank you to defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer for sitting down and letting Johnson the only way out of the league is the player himself. At least if doesn’t hit home with Johnson, I’m sure an NFL player on his coach watching Hard Knocks got it.
Brain Leonard tells first hand it doesn’t matter if your a 2nd round NFL Draft pick, you are playing in the Not-For-League, as he was cut from the St. Louis Rams after being drafted by them two years prior.
It’s our first introduction to the man they call JB. A cleaning lady and team mascot all rolled in one is assistant equipment manager James “JB” Brown.
Finally Hard Knocks takes us into the life of former UTEP standout quarterback Jordan Palmer and the difficulties of being younger brother of star quarterback Carson Palmer on the same team. Thank for waiting till episode 4 to tackle this subject HBO. He has to face everything from kids disappointments that they are not getting an autograpoh from Carson, even be told to his face by a parent,
“That’s the brother, not the star. That ain’t No. 9.”
Some may view his invention of the website RunPee.com silly but he has found a market and you can’t knock a man hustle.
Roy Williams and Johnson take in Cincinnati Red’s game while getting the chance to talk with visiting team Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre on the difference of the two sports and some words of wisdom.
Thanks to Hard Knocks though I become of aware of the fact that former Mississippi State University head coach Sylvester Croom is now the running backs coach for the Rams before the preseason game number three. Same old story as mistakes play a part of the Bengals being down at halftime to the Rams. Both Palmer’s shine, as the oldest Carson mentors the young players and Jordan on the field.
Head coach Lewis continues to yell and his team continues to tune him out. Then it’s time for good ol front butt to finally earn his paycheck sending players to have their jobs taken away from them.
Andre Smith is still fat and owner Mike Brown knows it. Smith finally signs and has more money now for donuts and fried twinkies. Then Fatty breaks a bone in his foot. Feet aren’t designed to absorb the impact of a half ton tub of lard running.
Next week is the season finale of Hard Knocks.
