Harper, Maddon Earn WFBL Honors

Post date: Sep 21, 2015 3:49:11 PM

Bryce Harper won the WFBL Schmidt Award as Top Offensive Player, Joe Maddon the Dallas Green Award as Manager of the Year

Athletics outfielder Bryce Harper was honored today by the WFBL as it's 2015 Mike Schmidt Award winner as the league's Offensive Player of the Year. Earlier in the week, skipper Joe Maddon was honored as the league's Dallas Green Award winner as the Manager of the Year.

It is said that "to the victor go the spoils", and that was certainly the fact in Maddon's case. The skipper, who took over last May as the team was floundering and nearly won the Owens/East in 2014 before finishing a half game short, found that extra game this season.

Predicted to finish in 4th place in pre-season GM polling, thanks largely to season-ending injuries and big trades that decimated the starting rotation before the season had even begun, the A's instead went out and won their first Pennant in 8 years.

"Winning that Pennant was outrageous," said Maddon. "It was more than we had any right to hope when the year opened, especially after we lost the first two within out division back in April. For the team to persevere, come back, fight for the lead, and then hang on at the end in this tough division, I have nothing but admiration and respect for these guys. Awards are nice, this is nice. But this is icing on the cake. That night we clinched, that party...that was the cake, and it was delicious."

Maddon joins a sort of Athletics growing fraternity of Green Award winners. Paul Molitor received the honor back in 2002, and Maddon's immediate predecessor, Buck Showalter, received the honor in 2008. But skippers then went on to lead their clubs to a WFBL Championship in those postseasons.

For Harper, the win is big personally and for the team. His teammate, Mike Trout, finished as the Schmidt Award runner-up in each of the last two seasons. Harper won a narrow balloting process over Josh Donaldson of Alabama.

"Josh and Goldy (Vancouver 1st baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who finished 3rd) are great, great players. I'm so honored and humbled to receive this award," said Harper. "Especially with it named after a Philly icon like Schmidty, who is with us every spring to help out with coaching. Tremendous."

Trout was asked to comment, after coming so close in recent years, and had nothing but praise for his friend and teammate. "Bryce works his butt off. He always has, and we always knew in this locker room that he was one of the best players in the game. He finally stayed healthy this year and proved that to everybody. Nothing but love and respect for him."

T"he honors and awards are great," said GM Matt Veasey. "But now our focus is going completely on next week, and the playoff Semi-Finals. These guys will be ready, I can guarantee you that. They worked too hard for this shot. I have to believe that you'll see our best foot forward here in front of our great fans at Liberty Bell Park, who waited for this for a long time."