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                                                                                                       SPORTS Thursday 12 November 2020
            Kevin Cash, Don Mattingly win Manager of the Year awards



            By JAY COHEN
            AP Sports Writer
            By  the  time  Kevin  Cash
            pulled  Tampa  Bay  ace
            Blake  Snell  from  the  last
            game  of  the  World  Series,
            he  had  already  been  vot-
            ed Manager of the Year in
            the American League.
            Even if he ended up losing
            the biggest prize.
            It  was  a  Sunshine  State
            sweep  for  skippers  Tues-
            day night, with Miami's Don
            Mattingly winning NL Man-
            ager of the Year and Cash    In these 2020 file photos, Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash, left, poses for a photo. Cash was named AL manager of the year
            receiving the AL award.      Tuesday night, Nov. 10, 2020; and Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly, right,  poses for a photo. Mattingly won the NL Manager
            Long  regarded  as  one  of   of the Year award on Tuesday night.
            baseball's  brightest  young                                                                                                    Associated Press
            minds,  Cash  guided  the
            thrifty  Rays  to  an  AL-best  come, that's for sure," Cash  season in his fifth year with  Cubs.                  tion."
            40-20  record  during  the  said with a chuckle.          the  club.  The  former  New  The  Cy  Young  Awards  will  Cash, who turns 43 on Dec.
            pandemic-shortened  sea-     "That  decision  was  not  re-  York Yankees first baseman  be  announced  by  the  6,  hit  .183  with  12  homers
            son.  But  he  was  roundly  flective  of  my  confidence  and captain had a winning  BBWAA  on  Wednesday  and  58  RBIs  in  246  major
            criticized for pulling a domi-  in Blake. It was very reflec-  record  in  each  of  his  five  night, followed by the MVPs  league games as a catch-
            nant Snell in the sixth inning  tive  of  my  confidence  in  seasons as manager of the  on Thursday.               er  for  five  teams,  includ-
            of  the  decisive  Game  6  Nick, and that's (what) I felt  Dodgers.                   After  losing  105  games  a  ing  Tampa  Bay.  After  his
            of  the  Fall  Classic  against  was,  at  the  moment,  the  Mattingly, the first Manager  year  ago,  Miami  had  its  playing  career  ended,  he
            the champion Los Angeles  best  chance  for  us  to  win  of  the  Year  for  the  Marlins  2020  season  nearly  de-  worked  as  an  advance
            Dodgers.                     the game."                   since  Joe  Girardi  in  2006,  railed by a coronavirus out-  scout  for  Texas  and  Toron-
            "Have  I  reflected  on  it?  Voting by the Baseball Writ-  was the AL MVP in 1985. He  break during the first week-  to before joining manager
            There's not a day that goes  ers' Association of America  became the fifth person to  end of play. The team had  Terry  Francona's  staff  in
            by that I don't reflect on it,"  concluded  before  the  be-  win both MVP and Manag-  to  make  174  roster  moves  Cleveland  as  the  bullpen
            Cash said. "Being in this po-  ginning of the playoffs. Rick  er of the Year.          but still managed the fran-  coach.
            sition we owe it to ourselves  Renteria, let go by the Chi-  "They're  just  different.  The  chise's  first  winning  record  The  Tampa,  Florida,  native
            and  more  importantly  our  cago  White  Sox  after  the  first one feels personal and  since 2009.                and Florida State alum was
            players  to  continue  to  re-  team  made  the  postsea-  this  one  feels  more  like  a  The  steady  hand  of  the  hired  as  Tampa  Bay  man-
            flect on those decisions."   son  for  the  first  time  since  team thing," Mattingly said,  59-year-old   Mattingly  ager  the  day  before  his
            After Snell exited, the Dodg-  2008, finished second in the  "and that's why I'm proud of  played  a  big  role  in  the  37th  birthday.  He  finished
            ers rallied against Nick An-  AL,  followed  by  Toronto's  it because we've struggled  turnaround,  which  contin-  third in balloting for AL Man-
            derson  and  went  on  to  a  Charlie Montoyo.            for a couple years and for  ued  in  the  playoffs.  Miami  ager of the Year in each of
            3-1  victory.  Cash  said  he  Mattingly led the Marlins to  us  to  move  forward  is  im-  eliminated  the  NL  Central  the past two seasons. He is
            has  had  multiple  conver-  their  first  playoff  appear-  portant, and I think this is a  champion  Cubs  in  the  first  the franchise's first winner of
            sations  with  many  people  ance  since  2003  despite  sign  that  we're  heading  in  round before getting swept  the award since Joe Mad-
            within  the  game  since  the  dealing  with  a  COVID-19  that direction."            by the Atlanta Braves in the  don in 2011.
            loss and has received a lot  outbreak that paused their  San  Diego's  Jayce  Tingler  Division Series.             "There  is  a  sense  of  pride
            of positive support.         season  and  ravaged  the  finished  second  behind  "Over  100  losses,  that's  the  being  a  Tampa  guy,"  said
            "Yes, I would do it the same  roster.                     Mattingly  in  balloting  by  tough part," Mattingly said.  Cash,  who  is  454-416  in  six
            way all over again. I would  The  Marlins'  31-29  record  the  BBWAA,  followed  by  "It just feels good that we're  years  as  manager  of  the
            plead  for  a  different  out-  was Mattingly's first winning  David Ross of the Chicago  moving  in  the  right  direc-  Rays.q

            Hawks add former Pacers coach McMillan to Pierce's staff



            ATLANTA  (AP)  —  Atlanta  tory  total  in  franchise  his-  "This is a unique opportuni-
            Hawks  coach  Lloyd  Pierce  tory,  but  that  success  was  ty that will benefit me, our
            added former Indiana Pac-    marred by a 3-16 record in  coaching staff and our en-
            ers  coach  Nate  McMillan  the postseason.               tire roster," Pierce said in a
            to  his  staff  on  Wednesday  The  Pacers  hired  former  statement.
            as an assistant.             Toronto    assistant   Nate  "In  his  16  years  as  a  suc-
            McMillan has a 661-588 re-   Bjorkgren to replace McMil-  cessful  NBA  head  coach,
            cord  in  16  seasons  as  an  lan.                       his  teams  have  emulated
            NBA coach, including with  They finished 45-28 last sea-  his  playing  style  and  per-
            Seattle (2000-05) and Port-  son and were swept by Mi-    sonality.  They've  always
            land (2005-12). He was the  ami in the first round of the  been disciplined, competi-
            Pacers'  coach  from  2016  playoffs.                     tive,  played  together  and
            through 2020.                Pierce  said  his  "extensive  won at a high level. I have
            McMillan  was  fired  by  In-  conversations"  with  McMil-  great respect for Nate as a
            diana  on  Aug.  26.  His  re-  lan focused on the "value,  man and as a coach, and    In  this  March  8,  2020,  file  photo,  then-Indiana  Pacers  head
            cord  in  four  seasons  with  expertise  and  experience  I feel fortunate to welcome   coach Nate McMillan directs his team during the first half of an
            the  Pacers  was  183-136.  It  he would add as we look to  him to our staff and to the   NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas.
            was  the  fourth-highest  vic-  progress next season."    Hawks."q                                                              Associated Press
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