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Scioscia, Torii lead way with awards

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By Lyle Spencer / MLB.com

11/23/09 3:30 PM EST

ANAHEIM -- Mike Sciosicia was presented the 2009 American League Manager of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, outpolling the Twins' Ron Gardenhire and the Yankees' Joe Girardi in the balloting by two writers in each AL city.

It is Scioscia's second Manager of the Year Award. He was the choice of the BBWAA in 2002, the Angels having claimed the franchise's first World Series title under his direction after entering the postseason as a Wild Card.

Angels first baseman Kendry Morales (.306 batting average, 34 homers, 108 RBIs) finished fifth in the American League Most Valuable Player balloting announced by the BBWAA. Minnesota's Joe Mauer was the runaway winner with 27 of 28 first-place votes, the only other first-place vote going to Detroit's Miguel Cabrera.

Angels third baseman Chone Figgins (.298 average, .390 on-base percentage, 114 runs, 42 steals) claimed a tie for 10th place in the voting with Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez. Figgins, who received three sixth-place votes, was named on nine ballots and registered 31 points.

Angels outfielder Bobby Abreu (.293 average, .390 OBP, 15 homers, 103 RBIs, 96 runs, 30 steals) was also named on nine ballots, tying Toronto's Aaron Hill for 12th with 23 points. Abreu drew two sixth-place votes.

Morales earned 171 points, drawing votes from 27 of 28 writers. Morales fell one point shy of Cabrera, who was named on all 28 ballots. Morales attracted three third-place votes, nine for fourth and 10 for fifth.

Replacing Mark Teixeira -- runner-up in the MVP balloting in his debut season for the Yankees -- at first base, Morales blossomed as a slugger near midseason, finishing second to Mauer in the AL in slugging percentage and third in extra-base hits.

While Morales received MVP votes for the first time in his first full Major League season, Figgins and Abreu both placed higher than at any time in their careers. Figgins drew MVP votes for the fourth time, while Abreu has attracted votes eight times.

Figgins' previous best was 17th place in 2005, the same year Abreu -- then playing for the Phillies -- finished 14th in the National League. That was Abreu's best MVP showing until this season, when he signed a one-year free-agent deal and emerged as a positive force and presence for the Angels on the field with his inspired play and in the clubhouse with his leadership.

Morales and Figgins both gave Abreu considerable credit for helping them forge career years. Abreu signed a two-year deal with an option for a third year after the season, while Figgins is in the free-agency marketplace for the first time.

In the Manager of the Year voting, Scioscia placed first on 15 of 28 ballots. He was second on 10 and third on one for 106 points, based on the 5-3-1 tabulation system. No manager was named on every ballot. Gardenhire collected six first-place votes and was the runner-up for the second straight year, and fifth time overall, with 72 points. Girardi, the 2006 National League Manager of the Year while with the Marlins, was first on four ballots and placed third. Seattle's Don Wakamatsu got two first-place votes and Texas' Ron Washington claimed one.

In an emotionally challenging season that opened with promising young starter Nick Adenhart's death on April 9 in an auto wreck, Scioscia steered the Angels to their third consecutive American League West title and fifth in six seasons. The club then swept nemesis Boston in the AL Division Series before a loss to the eventual champion Yankees in six games in the AL Championship Series.

Scioscia has taken six teams to the postseason in his first 10 seasons -- unprecedented in managerial history.

With a 900-720 record career, Scioscia owns a .556 career winning percentage. That has him tied with Bobby Cox and Girardi for the highest winning percentage among active managers. Scioscia is eighth in total wins among active skippers.

The only Angels field leader to be named AL Manager of the Year was Bill Rigney, who claimed the honor in 1962 from both The Associated Press and United Press International.

Center fielder Torii Hunter -- with his ninth Gold Glove and first Silver Slugger Award -- got the awards segment of the postseason rolling for the Angels.

Hunter's ninth consecutive Gold Glove, the first seven having come when he was with the Twins, left him three behind the all-time leaders in the outfield: Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente.

Hunter's Silver Slugger distinction was a career first. Vladimir Guerrero is the franchise leader with four Silver Slugger awards, with Garret Anderson and Troy Glaus each winning two.

The Angels have produced two AL Most Valuable Players -- Don Baylor in 1979 and Vladimir Guerrero in 2004.

The franchise has boasted one AL Rookie of the Year -- Tim Salmon in 1993 -- and a pair of AL Cy Young Award winners, Dean Chance in 1964 and Bartolo Colon in 2005.

Lyle Spencer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.