[消息] Twins' Gardenhire voted AL's top man …

看板MIN-Twins作者interesting (似是而非)時間15年前 (2010/11/18 03:54)推噓5(5推 0噓 0→)

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恭喜Gardy經過五次第二名之後終於拿下Manager of the Year! http://tinyurl.com/2esaopm Twins manager Ron Gardenhire has been a perennial contender for the American League Manager of the Year honor since he took the helm of the club in 2002. And now, he's finally the winner of that prestigious award. After finishing runner-up for the honor five times in the previous eight years, Gardenhire was named the 2010 AL Manager of the Year, earning 16 of 28 first-place votes to beat runner-up Ron Washington of the Rangers. Rays skipper Joe Maddon finished third, followed by Boston's Terry Francona, Toronto's Cito Gaston and Joe Girardi of the Yankees. In the NL, Padres manager Bud Black beat Dusty Baker of the Reds by a single point. Gardenhire led the Twins to a 94-68 record and their sixth AL Central title in the nine seasons since he took over as manager. With expectations raised as the Twins moved into Target Field, their new outdoor ballpark, and by a payroll that neared $100 million for the first time in franchise history, the skipper seemed to be presented with more challenges than he had faced in any of his previous seasons with the club. First came the season-long loss of four-time All-Star closer Joe Nathan in Spring Training to an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. Then came a slow offensive start by catcher and reigning Most Valuable Player Joe Mauer, who was plagued by minor injuries throughout the first half. And then there was the concussion that All-Star first baseman Justin Morneau suffered on July 7 in a game at Toronto that has kept him out for the remainder of the season. Yet no matter what problem arose, Gardenhire managed to keep the players focused on their goal -- winning another division championship. He remodeled his bullpen and patched together his lineup through various injuries throughout the year. He stuck by players, such as outfielder Delmon Young and reliever Jesse Crain, who at times had struggled, and watched them emerge to be key contributors. He also helped with the emergence of rookie third baseman Danny Valencia. Veteran designated hitter Jim Thome credited the skipper with helping him have a resurgent season by managing his playing time well. So perhaps it was only fitting that Gardenhire picked up career win No. 800 when the Twins clinched their division title on the night of Sept. 21. "He is an upbeat, popular manager with his players," said Twins general manager Bill Smith. "He's been everything we would ever hope for. I'm hoping that it comes out this year that he wins the Manager of the Year award because he certainly deserves it. When you lose a closer and you lose your MVP first baseman, it's not an easy thing and there is never a complaint. The thing that amazes me is there is never a complaint from him. He always says, 'No one is going to feel sorry for us, we've got to go play the game.' He gets his guys ready to play. This organization has been the beneficiary." Gardenhire was named AL Manager of the Year by The Sporting News earlier this fall, an award that was voted on by his peers. His players have commended him as well. Thome, who has played for seven managers in his 20-year big league career, said at the end of last season that he appreciated Gardenhire's managing style. "I think he's done a great job of handling his players, and I think to be a good manager, that's key," Thome said. "You have to know each personality, and he does that. I think he knows everybody from top to bottom, and he does a great job with the on-field stuff, too. ... I've had good ones, and he's right up there, definitely, at the top of the list. It's definitely been a pleasure to play for him, that's for sure." Gardenhire's previous five second-place finishes are the most by an AL manager, although four-time Manager of the Year winner Tony La Russa holds the record for most second-place finishes with six. But after so many times of finishing just short, Gardenhire is now among the elite group of winners. And after years of being a so-called bridesmaid in the voting for the honor, Gardenhire has now deservedly earned the spotlight all to himself. -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 129.252.20.35 ※ 編輯: interesting 來自: 129.252.20.35 (11/18 04:01)