Showalter Honored for Turnaround

Post date: Sep 5, 2012 12:13:19 AM

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A's skipper Buck Showalter has won the 2012 WFBL Dallas Green Award

The Philadelphia Athletics embarked on a major rebuilding program just a year and a half ago, one that saw many former stars shipped out of town in exchange for high-ceiling prospects and draft choices. The 2011 result was a fairly predictable record of 6-16 and a slip towards the bottom of the league. Coming into 2012 the club was still picked for 4th place in the Owens/East Division by the pre-season experts panel, with some thinking they would be hard-pressed to manage even that high a finish. The general consensus was that the A's had talent coming, but that it would take another year or even two before they returned to contending.

Flash forward six months, and the A's have finished up a 17-5 turnaround that very nearly saw them win the Pennant (they tied Montreal, but lost out on the tiebreaker.) For driving and guiding the club to this remarkable and speedy turnaround, manager Buck Showalter was honored as the WFBL's 2012 Dallas Green Award winner as the league's Manager of the Year. He becomes the 2nd winner of the award in franchise history, and the first in a decade. Paul Molitor won back in 2002 after guiding that team to a Pennant.

When asked what he thought were the pivotal keys to such an incredible turnaround from 6 wins one season to 17 the next, Showalter typically turned the attention and gave the credit to his players and his GM. "This all started with Matt Veasey's vision in rebuilding and acquiring the types of talented players you are seeing emerge here now, then having the courage to call up guys like Trout and Harper earlier than many thought and giving me the chance to play them every day" said Showalter. "Then the players themselves went out and executed the plan. Getting Strasburg back into the rotation, expanding that rotation with a strong draft, trading for guys like Lincecum and C.J. Wilson, fortifying the depth in our available Minors pitching so we have guys like Corey Kluber. Having a Trout emerge as a superstar, seeing what Harper brings every game. Having Ian Desmond finally bust out. Matty Wieters taking on the Captain leadership role and running the locker room. All these things made the turnaround possible."

Typically missing was any blowing of his own horn, but Showalter's astute judgment in when to utilize certain players and pitchers, when to make moves, where to bat guys in an ever-changing lineup as young players emerged and as injuries mounted at times. It was this ability to push the right buttons that made a pivotal difference as well, and for that the league has honored him. Buck Showalter turned 56 years old in May. He has a contract to manage the team through the 2016 season. This is his 8th season at the helm of the Athletics, and the team has an overall regular season record of 111-63-2 in that time. He guided the club to Pennants in 2005-07, and to the 2008 WFBL Championship.