Mike Scioscia, Jim Tracy Named Managers Of The Year

Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels and the Colorado Rockies' Jim Tracy were named the 2009 Managers of the Year for the American League and Naitonal League, respectively.

Tracy led the Rockies to an appearances in the NLDS after taking over for Clint Hurdle on May 29. Under Tracy, Colorado went all the way from 15.5 games out of first to Wild Card champions while amassing an overall record of 74-42.

When Tracy moved from bench coach to skipper, replacing Clint Hurdle, the Rockies' offense was underperforming because of a lack of aggressiveness. Pitchers were trying too hard and veering into plans that didn't work. All around the field, the right plays weren't being made in key situations.

 

But after a little more than a week, the Rockies had earned a four-game road sweep of the Cardinals. Suddenly, Tracy began thinking the Rockies could do more than just put their house in order.

"We just played a terrific series," Tracy said, sounding excited and wanting to believe the series was the beginning of a trend. "We pitched great the entire series and we deserved to win these games."

Tracy has already taken home the top manager awards from The Sporting News and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum this offseason.Similarly, the selection of Scioscia did not come as a surprise after he guided the Angels to the ALCS following the tragedy of Nick Adenhart's death.

The most emotionally challenging of his 10 seasons as leader of the Angels culminated in Mike Scioscia's selection on Wednesday as 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 is the first manager in Major League history to pilot six postseason teams in his first 10 seasons.

Coping with the death of young pitcher Nick Adenhart in a car wreck on April 9, 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.

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