Dusty robbed in Manager of the Year voting

Dusty lost the Manager of the Year in the National League to San Diego Padres manager Bud Black by one point. Each voter names a first, second, and third place manager. Dusty got only 13 first place votes to 16 for Black, but was named on 27 ballots to Black's 25.

Black no doubt won the award because no one expected the Pads to do anything this year and they finished one game out, being eliminated on the last day of the season. But his team had a 6 1/2 game lead in late August, lost ten in a row down the stretch, and finished up 14-17 in the last month or so. In his favor, the manager has the most day-to-day impact with bullpen use, and Bud's bullpen was the league's best. There may still be some anti-Baker bias out there, as well, as a lot of national writers are down on him for his perceived overuse of young pitchers in Chicago. Of course, that had nothing to do with this season, but impressions are what they are.

I am very disappointed for Dusty. I think his fingerprints were all over the Reds' division crown. To me, the fact the Reds made the playoffs carried the day on a close vote. But if you think I'm disappointed now, wait until Joey Votto gets robbed on Monday.