Francona, Roberts named Managers of the Year

(The Sports Xchange) – Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona and Los Angeles Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts were named the American League and National League Managers of the Year in a vote by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America, it was announced on Tuesday.

Texas Rangers manager Jeff Banister finished second in the American League voting, with Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter third.

Francona won in a landslide, getting 22 of the 30 first-place votes and 128 total voting points, double Banister’s total.

Francona is the 15th manager to be named Manager of the Year more than once. He also won the award with the Indians in 2013, his first year with the club. This year, Francona led the Indians to a 94-67 record and a first-place finish in the AL Central.

In the National League, Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon finished second in the voting, and Dusty Baker of the Washington Nationals was third.

Roberts led the Dodgers to a 91-71 record and an NL West title in his first year as a manager. He accomplished that even though 28 Dodgers players were sent to the disabled list in 2016, including ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who missed two months with a back injury.

Maddon guided the Cubs to the best record in the majors, 103-58.

The awards were voted upon following the regular season. In the postseason, Maddon’s Cubs beat Francona’s Indians in a seven-game World Series.

(Editing by Andrew Both)