Washington Nationals Davey Johnson – NL Manager of the Year

Nationals Manager Davey Johnson led the Washington to 98 wins in 2012

Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson was out of baseball for more than 11 years and pushing 70 years old. The Nationals reached out to Johnson in 2011 to become their manager. Johnson proved in 2012 that his absence from the game or being a seasoned citizen didn’t affect his ability to manage.

Johnson convincingly won the National League Manager of the Year award presented by the Baseball Writers Association of America, beating out finalist Dusty Baker of the Cincinnati Reds and Bruce Bochy of the San Francisco Giants. Johnson led the Nationals  to 98 wins and improvement of 18 games over 2011.

Johnson received 23 of 32 first-place votes. Baker received 77 and Bochy 61. Johnson handle a mostly young team, including outfielder Bryce Harper, pitching Stephen Strasburg and shortstop Ian Desmond with ease. “From the first day I was a manager, I always was candid. It’s my job to make sure everybody knows what’s expected of them. Successful managers let guys play, have patience and let them develop.”

Harper won National League Rookie of the Year on Monday. Gio Gonzalez is a finalist for the National League Cy Young Award

Veterans such as Adam LaRoche, Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth added to a perfect blend of youth and veterans. Johnson has won five previous division titles with the Orioles, Reds and Mets plus the 1986 World Series with the Mets.