Categories: NewsOpinion

Joe Maddon And Jeff Banister Named Managers Of The Year

Joe Maddon and Jeff Banister may be at different points in their careers, but they can both be called one of baseball’s best managers after the Baseball Writers’ Association of America named them the 2015 American League and National League Managers of the Year.

Maddon, who led the Chicago Cubs to the National League Championship Series, won the award previously as the manager of the Tampa Bay Rays. While he couldn’t help the Cubs break their infamous championship drought, he hopes to use this season as a springboard for the future.

“The spotlight is shining from Wrigley Field, and you just have to believe that’s going to attract other people who want to be there,” Maddon explained. “Obviously, a huge attraction is the fact we have not won a World Series in over 100 years. I think there’s a lot of competitive Major League players who would like to be a member of the first group that did that.”

Unsurprisingly, the manager shifted the praise away from himself towards the players. “At the end of the day,” Maddon said, “this is a players’ game. To be a steward of this wonderful group of young players, I feel very fortunate.”

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.

Banister, on the other hand, was in his first season as a professional manager after four season as a the Pirates’ bench coach. He guided the Rangers, who were without starter Yu Darvish since March in a worst-to first turnaround that culminated in a division title. Similarly to Maddon, Banister directed the spotlight away from himself. “It means a group of players showed up every day, beat some odds, were resilient, showed some grit, learned to play together and for each other on a nightly basis,” he said of the award. “I was most proud of that.”

“It’s an organizational award for me,” he continued. “It comes down to our coaching staff, our players, our development staff, our front office. I get to sit in this seat, I get to accept the award, but really and truly I get to accept the award for our entire organization.”
PHOTO: CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 20: Joe Maddon #70 of the Chicago Cubs speaks during a press conference prior to game three of the 2015 MLB National League Championship Series between the Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets at Wrigley Field on October 20, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Joe Kozlowski

Recent Posts

Paul George Exits With Knee Injury As 76ers Fall To 2-12 In Loss To Grizzlies

With their big three finally back in action Wednesday, the Philadelphia 76ers suffered another setback…

11 hours ago

VIDEO: Nike Pays Tribute to Rafael Nadal With 30-Foot Projection In Front of Eiffel Tower

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tny--EWynOQ Nike paid tribute to Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal with a 10-meter-tall animated display…

1 day ago

VIDEO: Rafael Nadal Gets Emotional Tribute as He Retires From Tennis

https://youtu.be/dtJoJz9hC48 Tennis legend Rafael Nadal bid a heartfelt goodbye to his devoted Spanish fans as he brought…

1 day ago

VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Olympic Fencer Eli Dershwitz Explains The Art Of Fencing

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DQ9Rxhnuer4 U.S. Olympic fencer Eli Dershwitz shed light on the critical skills necessary in fencing…

2 days ago

Two Bears Offensive Linemen Return To Practice, Caleb Williams Desperate For Blocking

Two offensive linemen for the Chicago Bears returned to practice, a massive step in the…

3 days ago

VIDEO: UFC Heavyweight Champion Performs Viral Trump Dance In New York

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/s2g9t_33Myw President-elect Donald Trump received a warm welcome from Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter Jon…

4 days ago