In 2011, four of the five AL East teams finished .500 or better (with the exception of Baltimore) and the division accounted for the league’s Wild Card participant for the fifth-straight season and the eighth time in the past 10 years. Whats more is that under the MLB’s new playoff format, three of the five American League playoff teams last season would have come from the division.
So, as the 2012 season fast approaches, each of the five managers within the division have a very tough road ahead of them.
Joe Girardi led the Yankees to another division crown in 2011, the club’s seventh since 2002 and Girardi’s second during his four year tenure. The Yankees are favorites once again to take the division crown, even amidst continuing questions about their bullpen, but could face a serious challenge from last year’s wild-card sweetheart Tampa Bay Rays.
The Rays snuck their way into the playoffs last season, on an improbable run through September that saw them overtake the struggling Red Sox on the final day of the season. Joe Maddon was behind the charge as the Rays went 17-10 in September. The two-time AL Manager of the Year (2008, 2011) has led the Rays to the playoffs in three of his five seasons in Tampa Bay, including two division titles and a World series appearance.
Bobby Valentine was hired by the Red Sox following a disastrous end to the 2011 season, replacing long-time skipper and two-time World Series champion Terry Francona. Valentine has had success in the majors before, both with the Texas Rangers and more famously with the New York Mets. Valentine led the Mets to two National League Championship Series and a World Series berth in 2000. He brings over a very different style to Boston and is viewed by many as a welcome addition of life into the Red Sox clubhouse.
In his first season at the helm, John Farrell oversaw a solid campaign with the Toronto Blue Jays. With Farrell’s leadership, the Blue Jays finished the season 81-81 and failed to match their 85-win total from 2010.
Buck Showalter, who became the new manager of the Baltimore Orioles before the 2011 season, guided the Orioles to one of the worst records in baseball. The final standings may show a lackluster bunch in Baltimore, but Showalter was able to motivate his players to a 12-5 record over the Orioles’ final 17 games, including the 9th inning comeback over the Red Sox in game-162.
Given their resumes and recent history, who do you think is the best manager of the bunch?
