There might not have been a Beltway World Series this year, but the managers of the Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Nationals have earn each league’s top honors for skippers.
Buck Showalter guided the Orioles to their first AL East pennant since 1997. It is Showalter’s third time winning this honor and has done so with three different teams, a feat only matched by Tony La Russa. He won it previously in 1994 while managing the New York Yankees and with the Texas Rangers in 2004. Showalter beat longtime Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia and Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost for the award.
Meanwhile, in his first season as a big league manager, Matt Williams led the Washington Nationals to the NL East pennant and the best overall record in the NL. The Nationals re-emergence following a disappointing campaign in 2013 under Davey Johnson. Oddly enough, Johnson earned the award in 2012 when the Nats won their first NL East title. Williams bested Pittsburgh Pirates skipper Clint Hurdle and San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy.