In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
A manager helps a team complete a big turnaround en route to winning the Manager of the Year award.That scenario sounds familiar doesn’t it? Well, for Pittsburgh Pirates fans, it should.
Back in 2013, Clint Hurdle did just that as he was named National League Manager of the Year after helping the Pirates improve from being 79-83 in 2012 to 94-68 a year later.
Both of this year’s winners of the award accomplished a feat similar to what Hurdle did four years ago.
Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo and Minnesota Twins manager Paul Molitor were named National League and American League Managers of the year, respectively, Tuesday.
In his first year as manager, Lovullo helped the D-Backs improve mightily. Arizona finished fourth in the NL West one year ago and turned things around to win the NL Wild Card game and make an appearance in the NLDS.
Molitor’s transformation was a little more impressive as he helped the Twins rebound from a 100-plus loss season to advance to the AL Wild Card game where they lost to the New York Yankees.
There were plenty of good candidates for these respective awards. Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts very well could have won the NL award for a second consecutive year while Colorado Rockies skipper Bud Black was a prime candidate for helping the Rockies reach the postseason.
In the AL, Cleveland Indians skipper Terry Francona would have been deserving of winning the award again while AJ Hinch would have been an obvious choice for leading the Houston Astros to a World Series championship.
However, I am glad to see Lovullo and Molitor receive the awards for helping turn around two struggling ball clubs. The award shouldn’t necessarily be given to the manager with the best team or the best players. In my opinion, it should be presented to a pair of managers who took some risks and helped make their ball club better due to their decision making abilities and expertise.
Hurdle was deserving for helping turn around the Pirates a few years back, and those two are just as deserving now for what they were able to accomplish in 2018.
Baseball talk on the web
- Speeding up games is on MLB’s agenda for 2018.
- Brandy Halladay delivered a riveting eulogy for her late-husband Roy Halladay Tuesday.
- The San Diego Padres are reportedly interested in Eric Hosmer.
Subscribe To Pirates Breakdown Radio
Our podcast feed has been reborn as Pirates Breakdown Radio. On one singular feed, you will find a variety of shows, interviews, quick hits and much more. All designed to keep Pittsburgh Pirates fans informed and entertained no matter where they are.
We are on all the major podcast platforms, including iTunes and Google Play. So whether or not you have an Android or an iPhone/iPad, click on the corresponding button below to get subscribed!
Download Our Mobile Apps
The introduction of our new FREE Mobile Apps gets fans closer to their favorite Pittsburgh Pirates coverage than ever before. Click here to learn about some of the features of our new app – or, if you just can’t wait, click the corresponding app store for your device and grab your copy now.
Thanks for checking us out here at Pirates Breakdown. Please make sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook for the best Pirates coverage all year long!
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
