Managers of the year

AL: Bob Melvin, Oakland

Why he won: Oakland manager Bob Melvin and Baltimore’s Buck Showalter were either first or second on all 28 ballots — but Melvin got 16 first-place votes and won the award.

Melvin, 51, got both first-place votes from Kansas City which, effectively, provided his winning margin.

The A’s registered a 20-game improvement in Melvin’s first full season despite overhauling their rotation. Oakland won the AL West title by ending the season with a three-game sweep over Texas, which reached the World Series in the two previous seasons.

Melvin won the National League award in 2007 at Arizona and joins this year’s NL winner, Washington’s Davey Johnson, as one of six managers to win the award in each league.

Showalter led the Orioles to a 24-game improvement and into the postseason as a wild-card entry. He was seeking to join Tony La Russa as the only manager to win the award for three different teams. Showalter won in 1994 with the Yankees and in 2004 with the Rangers.

In his words

“Boy,” Melvin said, “there were some things that happened this year that I’d never seen before.”

The Kansas City Chapter's ballots

Nicole Poell, Kansas City Star: Melvin, Showalter, Washington.

Bob Dutton, Kansas City Star: Melvin, Showalter, Ventura.

Previous winners

1983: Tony La Russa, Chicago; 1984: Sparky Anderson, Detroit; 1985: Bobby Cox, Toronto; 1986: John McNamara, Boston; 1987: Sparky Anderson, Detroit; 1988: Tony La Russa, Oakland; 1989: Frank Robinson, Baltimore.

1990: Jeff Torborg, Chicago; 1991: Tom Kelly, Minnesota; 1992: Tony La Russa, Oakland; 1993: Gene Lamont, Chicago; 1994: Buck Showalter, New York; 1995: Lou Piniella, Seattle; 1996 (tie): Johnny Oates, Texas, and Joe Torre, New York; 1997: Davey Johnson, Baltimore; 1998: Joe Torre, New York; 1999: Jimy Williams, Boston.

2000: Jerry Manuel, Chicago; 2001: Lou Piniella, Seattle; 2002: Mike Scioscia, Anaheim; 2003: Tony Peña, Royals; 2004: Buck Showalter, Texas; 2005: Ozzie Guillen, Chicago; 2006: Jim Leyland, Detroit; 2007: Eric Wedge, Cleveland; 2008: Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay; 2009: Mike Scioscia, Los Angeles; 2010: Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota; 2011: Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay.

NL: Davey Johnson, Washington

Why he won: Davey Johnson, 69, put himself on the spot in spring training by saying he should be fired if the Nationals, a perennial also-ran, didn’t reach postseason. Turns out, he knew his club better than anybody.

Washington responded to Johnson’s expectations by winning 98 games — the most in the National League — and posting its first winning season in the eight years since the franchise relocated from Montreal.

Johnson received 23 of the 32 first-place votes in easily outdistancing the managers from the NL’s two other division winners: Cincinnati’s Dusty Baker and San Francisco’s Bruce Bochy. Baker and Bochy are previous winners.

The award is the second in Johnson’s career; he also won the American League honor in 1997 at Baltimore. He and Oakland’s Bob Melvin join Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa, Jim Leyland and Lou Piniella as the only managers to win the award in both leagues.

In his words

“I was saying the truth (in spring training),” Johnson said. “If we didn’t win the division, I thought I’d get fired.”

Previous winners

1983: Tommy Lasorda, Los Angeles; 1984: Jim Frey, Chicago; 1985: Whitey Herzog, St. Louis; 1986: Hal Lanier, Houston; 1987: Buck Rodgers, Montreal; 1988: Tommy Lasorda, Los Angeles; 1989: Don Zimmer, Chicago.

1990: Jim Leyland, Pittsburgh; 1991: Bobby Cox, Atlanta; 1992: Jim Leyland, Pittsburgh; 1993: Dusty Baker, San Francisco; 1994: Felipe Alou, Montreal; 1995: Don Baylor, Colorado; 1996: Bruce Bochy, San Diego; 1997: Dusty Baker, San Francisco; 1998: Larry Dierker, Houston; 1999: Jack McKeon, Cincinnati.

2000: Dusty Baker, San Francisco; 2001: Larry Bowa, Philadelphia; 2002: Tony La Russa, St. Louis; 2003: Jack McKeon, Florida; 2004: Bobby Cox, Atlanta; 2005: Bobby Cox, Atlanta; 2006: Joe Girardi, Florida; 2007: Bob Melvin, Arizona; 2008: Lou Piniella, Chicago; 2009: Jim Tracy, Colorado; 2010: Buddy Black, San Diego; 2011: Kirk Gibson, Arizona.

2012 BBWAA award winners/announcement schedule

AL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year: Mike Trout, Los Angeles

NL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year: Bryce Harper, Washington

AL Manager of the Year: Bob Melvin, Oakland

NL Manager of the Year: Davey Johnson, Washington

Today: AL and NL Cy Young Award

Thursday: AL and NL Most Valuable Player