The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) has named Joe Maddon of the Cubs the 2015 National League Manager of the Year. Maddon got 18 first-place votes to beat Cardinals manager Mike Matheny (nine first-place votes) and Mets manager Terry Collins (with three first-place votes).
Pirates manager Clint Hurdle came in fourth.
Maddon helped expedite the Cubs’ return to prominence in his first year on the job, guiding a 97-65 regular-season team to a win over the rival Cardinals in an explosive NLDS. He won American League Manager of the Year two times with the Rays but said Tuesday night on a live stream from a bar that “it’s a players game, man.”
“I want to thank the baseball writers, it’s kind of staggering,” Maddon said on MLB Network with a fireplace directly behind him and friends cheering in the background. “I want to congratulate TC (Terry Collins) and Mike (Matheny). And even Jeff Banister on the other side.”
Banister was named the 2015 Manager of the Year for the American League.
