Oakland Athletics Bob Melvin AL Manager of The Year

Melvin edged Orioles manager Buck Showalter for AL Manager of the Year

Bob Melvin of the Oakland Athletics was chosen As the American League Manager of the Year edging out Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter. Melvin received 16 first-place votes for a total of 116 points. Showalter received 12 first-place votes and 108 points.

Melvin led the A’s to a 94-68 record topped off by three game sweep of the then first-place Texas Rangers to win the American League West. The Athletics were as many as 13 games off the American League West lead heading into July. They were 57-26 the rest of the way, including a club-record 19-5 in July. It is the second manager of the year award for Melvin who guided the Arizona Diamondbacks to the 2007 National League West title.

Before the season, general manager Billy Beane had traded away All-Star starters Gio Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill plus closer Andrew Bailey to slash payroll, But the emergence of 32-homer man Josh Reddick and Yoenis Cespedes, combined with a young pitching staff, that included Tommy Malone, Jarrod Parker, A.J. Griffin and Brandon McCarthy helped the A’s emerged as a force in the American League West.  Melvin got production from nearly every player on the roster.

In Showalter’s second full season in Baltimore, the Orioles – a consensus pick to finish in the AL East cellar – went from 93 losses a year ago to 93 wins, batting for the division crown until the second-to-last day of the regular season. It was Showalter’s fourth top two finish in the American League manager of the year race.