Rob Carr
Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson won the 2012 National League Manager of the Year Award on Tuesday, the second time he has won the award in his 16-season managerial career. Johnson won with 23 first-place votes out of 32 total votes, with Dusty Baker finishing second, and Bruce Bochy finishing third.
Johnson managed the Nationals to a 98-64 record and their first division title since 1981, and you can argue that one doesn't count because a) it was a half-season title that came under weird, strike-shortened rules, and b) it happened in a different country. It was the Nationals' first winning season since moving to Washington, and it followed an 80-81 finish the season before. Johnson last won the award in 1997 with the Orioles, and he becomes the fifth manager to win the award in both leagues, following Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox, Jim Leyland, and Lou Piniella.
Baker's Reds finished with a 97-63 record, their best record since the Big Red Machine back in 1976, and Baker picked up five first-place votes to finish in second. Bruce Bochy led the Giants to a division title over the Dodgers, and he finished third; the voting took place before the postseason, in case you were wondering.
The full voting:
| Name, Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davey Johnson, Nationals | 23 | 4 | 4 | 131 |
| Dusty Baker, Reds | 5 | 14 | 10 | 77 |
| Bruce Bochy, Giants | 4 | 10 | 11 | 61 |
| Fredi Gonzalez, Braves | 4 | 5 | 17 | |
| Bud Black, Padres | 1 | 1 | ||
| Mike Matheny, Cardinals | 1 | 1 |
The writer who left Johnson off her ballot? Toni Ginnetti of the Chicago Sun-Times. In favor of ... Fredi Gonzalez. Get her, Internet!


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