Eastern League Manager of the Year Award

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

SportBaseball
LeagueEastern League
Awarded forBest regular-season manager in the Eastern League
CountryUnited States
Canada
Eastern League
Manager of the Year Award
SportBaseball
LeagueEastern League
Awarded forBest regular-season manager in the Eastern League
CountryUnited States
Canada
Presented byEastern League
History
First awardFrank Lucchesi (1962)
Most wins
Most recentReid Brignac (2025)

The Eastern League Manager of the Year Award is an annual award given to the best manager in Minor League Baseball's Eastern League based on their regular-season performance as voted on by league managers.[1] Broadcasters, Minor League Baseball executives, and members of the media have previously voted as well.[2] Though the league was established in 1938,[3] the award was not created until 1962.[4] After the cancellation of the 2020 season,[5] the league was known as the Double-A Northeast in 2021 before reverting to the Eastern League name in 2022.[6][7]

Four managers have won the award twice: Bill Dancy, Brad Komminsk, Matt Walbeck, and Dusty Wathan. Wathan won the award in consecutive years (2015 and 2016).

Eight managers from the Reading Fightin Phils have been selected for the Manager of the Year Award, more than any other team in the league, followed by the Akron RubberDucks (5); the Binghamton Rumble Ponies and Harrisburg Senators (4); the Albany-Colonie Yankees, New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Trenton Thunder, and West Haven Yankees (3); the Chesapeake Baysox, Elmira Pioneers, Erie SeaWolves, Glens Falls Tigers, Pittsfield Red Sox, Portland Sea Dogs, and Trois-Rivières Aigles (2); and the Altoona Curve, Binghamton Triplets, Bristol Red Sox, Charleston Indians, Hartford Yard Goats, Holyoke Millers, London Tigers, Lynn Sailors, New Britain Rock Cats, New Haven Ravens, Québec Carnavals, Somerset Patriots, Vermont Mariners, Waterbury Giants, Waterbury Pirates, Williamsport Grays, and York Pirates (1).

Nine managers from the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball (MLB) organizations have won the award, more than any others, followed the Cleveland Guardians organization (6); the Boston Red Sox organization (5); the Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, and Washington Nationals organizations (4); the Cincinnati Reds and Seattle Mariners organizations (2); and the Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, and San Francisco Giants organizations (1).

A man in a white baseball jersey
Frank Lucchesi won the first Eastern League Manager of the Year Award in 1962.
A man in a white baseball jersey and cap
Earl Weaver, the 1964 winner, led the Baltimore Orioles to win the 1970 World Series and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.[8]
A man in a black baseball jersey, white pants, and black cap
Buck Showalter, the 1989 winner, has been selected four times for Major League Baseball Manager of the Year Awards (1994, 2004, 2014, and 2022).[9]
A man in white baseball pants, a black jacket, and black cap
Jim Tracy, who won in 1993, was chosen as the 2009 National League Manager of the Year.[10]
A man in a white baseball jersey with red undersleeves and cap
Dusty Wathan won the award back-to-back in 2015 and 2016.
Key
League The team's final position in the league standings
Division The team's final position in the divisional standings[a]
Record The team's wins and losses during the regular season
(#) Number of wins by managers who won the award multiple times
^ Indicates multiple award winners in the same year
* Indicates league champions
Winners
Year Winner Team Organization League Division Record Ref(s).
1962 Frank Lucchesi Williamsport Grays Philadelphia Phillies 1st — 83–57 [11][12]
1963 Johnny Lipon Charleston Indians* Cleveland Indians 1st — 83–57 [13][14]
1964 Earl Weaver Elmira Pioneers* Baltimore Orioles 1st — 82–58 [15][16]
1965 Eddie Popowski Pittsfield Red Sox* Boston Red Sox 1st — 85–55 [17][18]
1966 Darrell Johnson Elmira Pioneers* Baltimore Orioles 1st — 88–51 [19][20]
1967 Jack Reed Binghamton Triplets* New York Yankees 1st 1st 82–58 [21][22]
1968 Billy Gardner Pittsfield Red Sox Boston Red Sox 1st — 84–55 [23][24]
1969 Joe Morgan York Pirates* Pittsburgh Pirates 1st — 89–50 [25][26]
1970 Red Davis Waterbury Pirates* Pittsburgh Pirates 1st — 79–62 [27][28]
1971 Jim Snyder Trois-Rivières Aigles Cincinnati Reds 1st 1st 78–59 [29][30]
1972 Karl Kuehl Québec Carnavals Montreal Expos 4th 3rd 75–64 [31][32]
1973 Doc Edwards West Haven Yankees New York Yankees 4th 2nd 72–66 [33][34]
1974 Stan Williams Bristol Red Sox Boston Red Sox 1st 1st 74–61 [35][36]
1975 Bob Wellman Reading Phillies Philadelphia Phillies 1st — 84–53 [37][38]
1976 Roy Majtyka Trois-Rivières Aigles Cincinnati Reds 1st 1st 83–55 [39][40]
1977^ Mike Ferraro West Haven Yankees* New York Yankees 1st 1st 86–52 [41][42]
Andy Gilbert Waterbury Giants San Francisco Giants 3rd 2nd 77–63 [42][43]
1978 Lee Elia Reading Phillies Philadelphia Phillies 2nd — 79–57 [44][45]
1979 Stump Merrill West Haven Yankees* New York Yankees 1st — 83–56 [46][47]
1980 Lee Sigman Holyoke Millers* Milwaukee Brewers 2nd (tie) 1st 78–61 [48][49]
1981 Jim Mahoney Glens Falls White Sox Chicago White Sox 1st 1st 83–52 [50][51]
1982 Mickey Bowers Lynn Sailors Seattle Mariners 2nd 1st 82–57 [52][53]
1983 Bill Dancy (1) Reading Phillies Philadelphia Phillies 1st — 96–44 [54][55]
1984 Keith Lieppman Albany-Colonie A's Oakland Athletics 1st — 81–57 [56][57]
1985 Barry Foote Albany-Colonie Yankees New York Yankees 1st — 82–57 [58][59]
1986 Bob Schaefer Glens Falls Tigers Detroit Tigers 4th — 67–71 [60][61]
1987 Dave Trembley Harrisburg Senators* Pittsburgh Pirates 2nd — 77–63 [62][63]
1988 Rich Morales Vermont Mariners Seattle Mariners 2nd — 79–60 [64][65]
1989 Buck Showalter Albany-Colonie Yankees* New York Yankees 1st — 92–48 [66][67]
1990 Chris Chambliss London Tigers* Detroit Tigers 2nd — 76–63 [68][69]
1991 Mike Quade Harrisburg Senators Montreal Expos 1st — 87–53 [70][71]
1992 Steve Swisher Binghamton Mets* New York Mets 2nd — 79–59 [72][73]
1993 Jim Tracy Harrisburg Senators* Montreal Expos 1st — 94–44 [74][75]
1994 Dave Jauss Harrisburg Senators Montreal Expos 1st 1st 88–51 [76][77]
1995 Bill Dancy (2) Reading Phillies* Philadelphia Phillies 3rd (tie) 1st (tie) 73–69 [54][78]
1996 Carlos Tosca Portland Sea Dogs Florida Marlins 2nd 1st 83–58 [79][80]
1997 Al LeBoeuf Reading Phillies Philadelphia Phillies 4th 3rd 74–68 [81][82]
1998 John Gibbons Binghamton Mets New York Mets 2nd 2nd 82–60 [83][84]
1999 DeMarlo Hale Trenton Thunder Boston Red Sox 1st 1st 92–50 [85][86]
2000 Gary Varsho Reading Phillies Philadelphia Phillies 1st 1st 85–57 [87][88]
2001 Stan Cliburn New Britain Rock Cats*[b] Minnesota Twins 1st 1st 87–55 [90][91]
2002 Brad Komminsk (1) Akron Aeros Cleveland Indians 1st 1st 93–48 [92][93]
2003 Marty Pevey New Haven Ravens Toronto Blue Jays 2nd 1st 79–63 [94][95]
2004 Mike Basso New Hampshire Fisher Cats* Toronto Blue Jays 2nd 1st 84–57 [96][97]
2005 Torey Lovullo Akron Aeros* Cleveland Indians 1st 1st 84–58 [98][99]
2006 Tim Bogar Akron Aeros Cleveland Indians 1st 1st 87–55 [100][101]
2007 Matt Walbeck (1) Erie SeaWolves Detroit Tigers 1st 1st 81–59 [102][103]
2008 Brad Komminsk (2) Bowie Baysox Baltimore Orioles 2nd 1st 84–58 [92][104]
2009 Mike Sarbaugh Akron Aeros* Cleveland Indians 1st 1st 89–53 [105][106]
2010 Matt Walbeck (2) Altoona Curve* Pittsburgh Pirates 2nd 1st 82–60 [102][107]
2011 Sal Fasano New Hampshire Fisher Cats* Toronto Blue Jays 2nd 1st 77–65 [108][109]
2012 Tony Franklin Trenton Thunder New York Yankees 2nd 1st 79–63 [110][111]
2013 Pedro Lopez Binghamton Mets New York Mets 1st 1st 86–55 [112][113]
2014 Billy McMillon Portland Sea Dogs Boston Red Sox 1st 1st 88–54 [114][115]
2015 Dusty Wathan (1) Reading Fightin Phils Philadelphia Phillies 1st 1st 80–61 [116][117]
2016 Dusty Wathan (2) Reading Fightin Phils Philadelphia Phillies 1st 1st 89–52 [116][118]
2017 Bobby Mitchell Trenton Thunder New York Yankees 1st 1st 92–48 [119][120]
2018 John Schneider New Hampshire Fisher Cats* Toronto Blue Jays 4th 2nd 76–62 [121][122]
2019 Buck Britton Bowie Baysox Baltimore Orioles 5th 3rd 76–64 [123][124]
2020 None selected (season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic) [5]
2021 Rouglas Odor Akron RubberDucks* Cleveland Indians 1st 1st 73–46 [125][126][127]
2022 Dan Fiorito Somerset Patriots* New York Yankees 1st 1st 83–53 [128][129][130]
2023 Gabe Alvarez Erie SeaWolves* Detroit Tigers 3rd 1st 75–62 [131][132][133]
2024 Bobby Meacham Hartford Yard Goats Colorado Rockies 4th 2nd 76–60 [134][135]
2025 Reid Brignac Binghamton Rumble Ponies* New York Mets 1st 1st 90–46 [136][137]

Wins by team

Active Eastern League teams appear in bold.

Team Award(s) Year(s)
Reading Fightin Phils (Reading Phillies) 8 1975, 1978, 1983, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2015, 2016
Akron RubberDucks (Akron Aeros) 5 2002, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2021
Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Binghamton Mets) 4 1992, 1998, 2013, 2025
Harrisburg Senators 1987, 1991, 1993, 1994
Albany-Colonie Yankees (Albany-Colonie A's) 3 1984, 1985, 1989
New Hampshire Fisher Cats 2004, 2011, 2018
Trenton Thunder 1999, 2012, 2017
West Haven Yankees 1973, 1977, 1979
Chesapeake Baysox (Bowie Baysox) 2 2008, 2019
Elmira Pioneers 1964, 1966
Erie SeaWolves 2007, 2023
Glens Falls Tigers (Glens Falls White Sox) 1981, 1986
Pittsfield Red Sox 1965, 1968
Portland Sea Dogs 1996, 2014
Trois-Rivières Aigles 1971, 1976
Altoona Curve 1 2010
Binghamton Triplets 1967
Bristol Red Sox 1974
Charleston Indians 1963
Hartford Yard Goats 2024
Holyoke Millers 1980
London Tigers 1990
Lynn Sailors 1982
New Britain Rock Cats 2001
New Haven Ravens 2003
Québec Carnavals 1972
Somerset Patriots 2022
Vermont Mariners 1988
Waterbury Giants 1977
Waterbury Pirates 1970
Williamsport Grays 1962
York Pirates 1969

Wins by organization

Notes

References

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