Maddon named 2011 American League Manager of the Year

ST. PETERSBURG, FL—Tampa Bay Rays Manager Joe Maddon has been named 2011 American League Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.  It marks his second AL Manager of the Year Award in a span of four seasons, after earning the same honor in 2008. 

Maddon received 26 of the 28 first-place votes on the AL ballot and now has two of the three highest totals in the history of the AL Manager of the Year voting.  He received 27 first-place votes in 2008, tying the record set by Tom Kelly of the Minnesota Twins in 1991.

Since the Manager of the Year awards began in 1983, Maddon becomes the 12^th in either league—and seventh in the AL—to win the honor multiple times.  He is one of four active managers to be named Manager of the Year two or more times, joining Mike Scioscia, Jim Leyland and Dusty Baker. 

Maddon, who has compiled a 495-477 (.509) record in his six seasons as Rays manager, joins Baker as the only two to win the award twice in their first six seasons of managing.  Only three managers in baseball have been at their post longer:  Scioscia (12 seasons with the Los Angeles Angels), Ron Gardenhire (10 seasons with the Minnesota Twins) and Charlie Manuel (seven seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies).

In 2011, Maddon led the Rays to their fourth consecutive winning season and their third postseason appearance in the past four years. The Rays overcame a nine-game deficit in the Wild Card standings on September 3 to make the playoffs, the most games any team has overcome in September to advance to the postseason.

The Rays have averaged 90 wins over the last four seasons (2008-11) after averaging 90-plus losses the previous four seasons. Only four other teams in major league history can make that claim: the 1987-94 Atlanta Braves, the 1971-78 Philadelphia Phillies, the 1964-71 Kansas City/Oakland A’s and the 1997-2004 Minnesota Twins.