Despite a Red Sox-record 108 regular-season victories, Alex Cora came up short in the American League Manager of the Year voting announced Tuesday, finishing second to Bob Melvin of the Oakland Athletics.
Melvin led the A’s to a 97-65 record and an A.L. Wild Card Game berth (where they lost to the Yankees), a year after they were 75-87. He did it with the lowest payroll in baseball at $62.65 million. Cora's Red Sox have more than three times that at $206 million.
Melvin had 18 first-place votes to seven for Cora. Keep in mind that the voting by select members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America is conducted before the postseason.
Melvin was previously voted A.L. Manager of the Year with the Seattle Mariners in 2012 and won the National League award as Arizona Diamondbacks manager in 2007.
The other finalist was Kevin Cash of the Tampa Bay Rays, like Melvin a former catcher who counted the Red Sox among the teams he played for. Cash turned the Rays around to finish 90-72 after a 3-12 start and an 80-82 finish in 2017.
Only two Red Sox managers have been named A.L. Manager of the Year: Jimy Williams in 1999 and John McNamara in 1986.
Brian Snitker of the Atlanta Braves was named the 2018 N.L. Manager of the Year.
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