Maddon, Piniella earn managerial honors

Sports Digest

November 13, 2008

Joe Maddon easily won the American League Manager of the Year award yesterday after guiding the Tampa Bay Rays from baseball's basement to the World Series. Lou Piniella of the Chicago Cubs took the National League honor. Maddon, who succeeded Piniella as Tampa Bay manager in 2006, was a runaway winner in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. He received all but one of the 28 first-place votes - the other went to the Minnesota Twins' Ron Gardenhire. There has not been a unanimous winner for Manager of the Year. Tampa Bay had not won more than 70 games in a season before Maddon, 54, led a young team that finished in last place a year ago to a 97-65 record and the AL East title. Piniella, 65, led the NL Central champion Cubs to the league's best record and beat out Charlie Manuel of the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies to earn his third Manager of the Year award and first in the NL. The fiery Piniella also won in 1995 and 2001 with the Seattle Mariners. He became the fourth manager to win in both leagues, joining Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa and Jim Leyland.

More Rays: Center fielder B.J. Upton had surgery on his left shoulder this week, and Tampa Bay expects him to be ready by Opening Day.

Athletics-Rockies: Oakland completed its trade with Colorado for All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday. The Rockies received right-handed reliever Huston Street, left-handed starter Greg Smith and promising outfielder Carlos Gonzalez from the A's. The clubs reached a tentative agreement Monday but had to wait for the results of physicals and other details to be worked out. Holliday, a two-time All-Star and runner-up for the 2007 NL Most Valuable Player award, is due to make $13.5 million next season and then will be eligible to become a free agent. He hit .321 with 25 homers and 88 RBIs last season, and he has 128 homers and 483 RBIs in five seasons.

Et cetera: Left-hander Damaso Marte and the Yankees agreed to a three-year, $12 million contract that includes a club option for 2012. New York last week declined a $6 million option on the reliever, 33, choosing to pay a $250,000 buyout. ... Athletics bench coach Don Wakamatsu and Padres Triple-A manager Randy Ready interviewed to be the Mariners' manager. ... ... Former major leaguers Al Leiter and Harold Reynolds were hired as studio analysts for the MLB Network, which launches Jan.1.

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Maddon, Piniella earn managerial honors

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