Post-season awards 1: Manager

1. Ozzie is losing the AL Manager of the Year award (which is probably a good thing for him, look at who has won the last 5: Showalter, Pena, Scioscia, Piniella, Manuel. A total of 1 is currently managing a winning team, 2 are still managing the same team, and 3 are still managing any team). But who is moving to take the award from him? Wedge has the second-half surge, but it's not like his team was a surprise, I think it was actually the early sucking that was the surprise. Francona, Torre and Scioscia are coaching teams that were in the playoffs last year to about the same. Macha overcame early sucking in a rebuilding year to contend, so I'd say it's between him and Wedge.

2. In the NL, I don't know if I could argue with Bobby Cox winning it again, despite having a team that made the playoffs last year. This was at least the second season in a row that they weren't supposed to make the playoffs. If so, he would be the first guy to win the award for consecutive seasons. LaRussa keeps his team a well-oiled machine and Frank Robinson turned around the Expos/Nats, but I think they faded a bit too much down the stretch for him to win it. Hmmm, they're only 2.5 back. Forget it, I think Frank wins it, first guy to win AL and NL manager of the year, and he'll break Bobby Cox's record for time between awards. (Cox had 13, Frank would be 16.)

2a. Ned Yost finally getting the Brewers over .500 should see some attention, too.

3. Manager of the year award is for the team that best outperforms expectations/payroll, right? Which manager makes the fewest stupid, stupid decisions? I know from watching other games that Gardy isn't the only one, but I don't know if he's even particularly bad, or who doesn't drive his team's fans mad with decisions.