Manager of the Year

I don't really have many words for the manager of the year award as I both don't really care and don't assume any of y'all do either but I'll share a few thoughts...

As far as the award itself is concerned, manager of the year logic is very closely associated to some MVP logic in that you need the following qualifications:

• Winning team. How can you be the most valuable if you're team doesn't win? While I have issue with that statement regarding the MVP, it's actually pretty appropriate with managers. It's hard to imagine someone being deserving of the award if their team didn't manage their team to a winning record. 
• Do a lot with less. Managers and players often get bonus points for winning (even at a lower rate) with less. The Yankees are supposed to win so Girardi won't get credit. Alternatively, you'll often hear people claim that LeBron James shouldn't be allowed to win the MVP award with a player of Dwyane Wade's caliber on his team. To each his own. 
• Difference Maker. If a team hires a different manager and that team improves, the manager will get credit. 

Now I don't necessarily agree with the above needing to be true in order for a player or manager to win some offseason hardware, but it certainly exists in people's minds. 

With that said, here are the choices:

American League

The finalists are Buck Showalter, Bob Melvin and Robin Ventura. Melvin and Showalter led their teams to the postseason while Ventura missed, finishing three games behind the Tigers. In a vacuum that shouldn't exclude Ventura, but in a weak division with a pretty good team he should get a nice pat on the back but not an award. 

Showalter's as deserving as anyone, leading the lowly Orioles back to the postseason and gets extra bonus points for managing the bullpen the way he did. Also, although I didn't expect either team to be playing in October, the A's won the division and finished with a much higher run differential (+99 compared to the O's +7). I suppose one could make the case that Buck's intangibles was the deciding factor in the Orioles winning all of those close games but in the end Melvin shuffled a young team to a division title over the perceived best team all year - Texas. Both are deserving, but I'd go Melvin, Showalter, skip a few lines, Ventura. 

National League

The finalists are Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy and Davey Johnson. Basically, if you won the division in the National League you'll have a chance to win manager of the year as Reds, Giants and Nationals all won their respective divisions. 

Unlike the American League where it was a close battle this one is pretty obvious for me - Davey Johnson. With no disrespect to Dusty Baker (although I bash him as often as he ruins pitching arms) and Bruce Bochy,  the Nationals finished with the best record and run differential in baseball all while losing their ace (Stephen Strasburg) for the stretch run, and losing Jayson Werth, Mike Morse and Ryan Zimmerman to injuries for long stretches. 

Also, Johnson showed his ability and flexibility in managing a bullpen turning to four separate closers during the course of the season (Brad Lidge, Henry Rodriguez, Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen).  If I had a vote I'd go Johnson, Baker, Bochy. 

UPDATE: Melvin and Johnson won - it looks like I'm agreeing with the voters! Although the real test will be  Trout v. Miggy.