NEW YORK -- Kirk Gibson and Joe Maddon won Manager of the Year awards Wednesday -- one for overseeing a worst-to-first turnaround that lasted all season, the other after a frantic playoff push in the final month. Gibson was a clear choice in the NL for guiding the Arizona Diamondbacks to the West title. A former MVP as a rough-and-tumble outfielder, Gibson was honored in his first full season as a big league manager. Maddon won the AL award for the second time. He was an easy pick after helping the Tampa Bay Rays overcame a nine-game deficit to beat out Boston for the wild-card spot on the last day of the regular season. It was the biggest rally any team had made in September to claim a playoff berth. Source:ESPN
