Washington Nationals manager Matt Williams. Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Washington Nationals first-year manager Matt Williams was named the 2014 National League Manager of the Year on Tuesday. He became the fourth manager to win in his first year.
Williams beat out San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy and the Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle for the honor, which is voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Williams received 18 first-place votes with Hurdle, who won the award last year, finishing second with eight first-place votes. Bochy got three first-place votes.
Williams guided the Nationals to the NL East title by an overwhelming 17 games and the best regular-season record in the NL with 96 wins.
“I just know we have very capable guys,” Williams said. “There is an award for the Manager of the Year, but it should be Staff of the Year, because everybody was on the same page from the first day of Spring Training to the very last out (of the NL Division Series).”
Williams becomes the second manager in Nationals history to win the award after Davey Johnson in 2012.
