Kirk Gibson Named National League Manager of the Year
11/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Nov. 16, 2011
Former Michigan State All-American Kirk Gibson has been named the 2011 National League Manager of the Year, the Baseball Writers' Association of America announced Wednesday.
In his first full season as a manager, Gibson led the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 94-68 record and an NL West title. The 94 wins were a 29-game improvement from 2010, when the Diamondbacks finished in last place with a 65-97 mark.
In the NL Divisional Playoffs, Arizona fell in five games to Milwaukee.
Gibson received 28 of a possible 32 first-place votes for 152 points.
According to Elias Sports Bureau, Gibson is just the fourth major leaguer to win both an MVP award (Los Angeles Dodgers, 1988) and a Manager of the Year Award.