BBA Texas Chapter votes on Connie Mack Award
Each year, the Baseball Bloggers Alliance votes on various post-season awards. The first one up is the Connie Mack Award, which goes to to an outstanding manager in each league. Since my team is in the American League, I weigh in only on that league's honoree.
Awards are always tough for me because I always vote with my heart and not my head. Obviously then, I like Ron Washington for this award. He should have gotten it last year, but he lost out to Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, who was also long overdue for this award. Ron Washington is the manager of the team I love, but I don't always trust or agree with his managerial decisions. I shake my head when he has a batter bunt in a situation where we're down by several runs, and I scream at my TV when he leaves a pitcher in too long. Yet I respect what Washington has done for this team. Each year under his tutelage, the Rangers have progessively turned in a better record. He led them all the way to the World Series last year, and this year to a second straight division title. It's hard to be unhappy with that. Beyond the team's record and postseason excitement, I've seen how the players react to Washington, and I realize it doesn't matter if I like him or not -- the players love him, and because of that, they play their hearts out for him every time they step on that field. That's the kind of manager I want. And that's the kind of manager I think deserves the Connie Mack Award.
Coming in behind Washington for this award are Joe Maddon (Tampa Bay Rays) and Jim Leyland (Detroit Tigers). Maddon's team had to play all out in the final weeks of the season to reach the playoffs, and they did, knocking out seemingly everyone's pre-season favorites in the Boston Red Sox. As for Leyland, I am always always intrigued by his managerial style. I am disappointed in myself for not picking the Tigers to win the AL Central, so this is my make-up call of sorts.
So my ballot for the Connie Mack Award is in this order:
1. Ron Washington (Texas Rangers)
2. Joe Maddon (Tampa Bay Rays)
3. Jim Leyland (Detroit Tigers)
As chapter president, I am required to complie the votes from other Rangers ballots. Only Steve at 40-Year Rangers Fans submitted a ballot, and we shared two managers in common.
Our combined ballot is as follows:
1. Ron Washington (Texas Rangers)
2. Joe Girardi (New York Yankees)
3. Jim Leyland (Detroit Tigers)
