NEW YORK, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- Joe Girardi, fired after leading the Florida Marlins to a 78-84 record, was voted baseball's National League manager of the year.
Jim Leyland, who guided the Detroit Tigers to 95 regular-season victories and the World Series, won the American League manager of the year award.
Leyland picked up 19 first-place votes, seven seconds and two thirds in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America to pick up his third manager of the year award. He won in 1990 and 1992 while leading the Pittsburgh Pirates and joins Tony LaRussa, whose Cardinals beat the Tigers in the World Series, and Bobby Cox as the only people to win the honor in both leagues.
Likely more rare is an award for a manager of a team with a losing record and who was fired. But Girardi was listed first on 18 ballots, second on six and third on three others to win. New York Mets Manager Willie Randolph was second followed by San Diego's Bruce Bochy and Los Angeles's Grady Little.
Minnesota Manager Ron Gardenhire was second in the American League voting followed by Oakland's Ken Macha, who was also fired, and the New York Yankees' Joe Torre.
