NEW YORK — The Los Angeles Angels could have crumbled when pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed in a car accident in April, overcome by waves of grief and sadness.
Mike Scioscia kept them moving forward.
“There wasn’t one defining moment,” he said. “I think as the season started to evolve guys found that sense of purpose to play baseball again and they played it at a very, very high level.”
For his deft touch during a trying season, Scioscia won the AL Manager of the Year award on Wednesday for the second time. Jim Tracy of Colorado was selected for the NL honor.
Tracy became the second manager to win the award after taking over during the season, joining Jack McKeon for Florida in 2003. Less than an hour after the award was announced, the Rockies said Tracy had been rewarded with a three-year contract.
“What we’re talking about this afternoon, it’s probably as flattering an experience as I’ve come to realize during the course of my professional career in athletics,” Tracy said. “And obviously a new contract is extremely exciting. But what is more intriguing for me is what is still out there for our ballclub.”
Tracy received 29 first-place votes and two seconds for 151 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Scioscia got 15 first-place votes, 10 seconds and one third for 106 points.
The Rockies promoted Tracy from bench coach after Clint Hurdle was fired in late May and won the wild-card race. Scioscia and the Angels paid tribute to Adenhart with their fifth AL West title in six years.
Ron Gardenhire finished second in the AL voting for the second straight year and fifth time during his eight seasons as Minnesota manager. He also placed third in 2002, when Scioscia was honored for the first time, but has never won the award. Tony La Russa of the Cardinals, a four-time winner, was a distant second in the NL with 55 points.
Colorado was 18-28 and 14 1/2 games behind NL West-leading Los Angeles when general manager Dan O’Dowd dismissed Hurdle on May 29 and offered the job to Tracy.
There was no Rocktober this year — Colorado lost to Philadelphia in the division series — but it was still quite the turnaround for the club and Tracy, who was fired after leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 68-94 record in 2007.
The 53-year-old Tracy was out of baseball before becoming the Rockies’ bench coach in November 2008.
Scioscia managed the Angels to their third consecutive division title during one of his most difficult seasons in the dugout. Los Angeles has earned six postseason berths in the last eight years under Scioscia, who was a catcher for the Dodgers for 13 seasons and retired in 1994.
The Angels used 14 starting pitchers and played without sluggers Torii Hunter and Vladimir Guerrero for long stretches due to injuries. The team’s biggest challenge was moving past the sorrow it felt after Adenhart’s death.
“For a long time, it wasn’t easy for our club,” Scioscia said.
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Associated Press
Scioscia, Tracy win Manager of the Year
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