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NEW YORK -- Two championships and eight successful seasons in Boston brought Terry Francona exactly zero first-place votes in Manager of the Year balloting. Isco Jersey . It took him one year with the surprising Cleveland Indians to bag the prize. Francona and Clint Hurdle of the Pittsburgh Pirates won the Manager of the Year awards Tuesday after guiding their small-budget teams to charming turnarounds. In a close vote by the Baseball Writers Association of America panel, Francona edged old friend John Farrell of the World Series champion Red Sox 112 points to 96 for the American League honour. "I have a feeling he wouldnt trade what they did for this any day of the week," Francona said on a conference call from Tucson, Ariz. Hurdle was a runaway winner in the NL, selected first on 25 of 30 ballots after taking the Pirates to the playoffs in their first winning season since 1992. "It is so rewarding for me to see whats happened, the synergy in the city," Hurdle said in Pittsburgh. "To be a small part of a group thats able to bring joy at so many different levels -- thats whats rewarding to me in life." It was the first Manager of the Year award for Francona even though -- in an interesting twist -- he steered the Red Sox to World Series titles in 2004 and 2007. During his initial season with the Indians, he directed them to a 24-win improvement and a late surge that produced their first playoff berth in six years. Cleveland lost the AL wild-card game to Tampa Bay, but voting is conducted before the post-season. Francona said he called Farrell, a longtime colleague and his former pitching coach in Boston, on Tuesday morning because he thought it was funny they were up against each other as finalists. If they heard such news years ago, Francona said, "both of us would have laughed each other out of the room." Hurdle also was quick with a self-deprecating joke after he won. "Theres guys laughing all over the place," he said in an interview on MLB Network. "The players know so many times this season wed have a big series, getting together just trying to break the ice Id tell them, Hey, look guys, youve got to step it up, play big this week because Im going to get outmanaged. I can tell you one thing thats going to happen: Ill get outmanaged. So really step it up. And they did. They believed me every series." Just like Francona, the 56-year-old Hurdle won Manager of the Year for the first time. His highest finish had been third in 2007, when he led Colorado to the World Series. Don Mattingly of the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers came in second and Fredi Gonzalez of the NL East champion Atlanta Braves was third. "Im grateful," Hurdle said. "But its kind of weird." The only other Pittsburgh manager to win was Jim Leyland in 1990 and 1992, the bookends to three consecutive division titles for the Pirates. After that, they endured a record 20 straight losing seasons -- the longest drought in any of the four major professional sports -- before going 94-68 this year to capture an NL wild card. Riding a wave of excitement from a rejuvenated fan base in a city finally enthralled by baseball again, Pittsburgh beat Cincinnati in the wild-card game before losing to league champion St. Louis in a division series that went the full five games. "I know were scratching the surface of something thats dynamic," said Hurdle, who has managed the Pirates for three seasons. Hurdle was chosen second on the other five ballots and was the only manager picked on every one. He had 140 points in the 5-3-1 scoring system to 68 for Mattingly, who received two first-place votes. Gonzalez got three firsts and 43 points. Mike Matheny of the Cardinals was the only other skipper to appear on an NL ballot. He was tabbed second by four voters and third by seven. The 54-year-old Francona garnered 16 first-place votes to 12 for Farrell, who lifted the Red Sox from last place to first in the AL East in his debut season as their manager. Boston won 97 games, tied for most in the majors, one year after going 69-93 under Bobby Valentine. Bob Melvin, last years winner, received the other two first-place votes and came in third after his low-payroll Oakland Athletics won their second consecutive AL West crown. Francona never received a first-place vote during eight seasons as manager of the Red Sox. He had never finished higher than fourth for this award in 12 years as a big league skipper, including his stint with Philadelphia. After a messy split from the Red Sox following their 2011 collapse, Francona spent a year in broadcasting that he said helped him become more patient and less stubborn. This season with the Indians was among his most fun in baseball, he said, and he loves the people he works for because when challenges arise "we tackle them together." "Boston is, youre not really supposed to ever lose a game, and thats difficult to do," Francona said, adding the job there is "to manage all the noise thats around the team so the guys can play." "You cant have all that passion and not have some of the headaches that come with it," he explained. "Its a little different in Cleveland because its more just baseball, which I enjoy." Cy Young Award winners will be announced Wednesday evening, and MVPs on Thursday. Jordi Alba Jersey . Viewers in the Canadiens region can watch the game on TSN Canadiens at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The game can also be heard on TSN Radio Montreal 690. The Calgary Flames will see if they can take their recent hot streak on the road when they shoot for a sixth consecutive win Monday night in Montreal. Saul Niguez Spain Jersey . The Maple Leafs will play on the road for the first time this season after dropping home contests to Montreal and Pittsburgh to begin the campaign. After losing a one-goal decision to the Canadiens on Wednesday, they were bested 5-2 on Saturday by the Penguins.Transcript:"On December 2nd I received a fax from Commissioner Paul Tagliabue informing me the Bills are being fined $50,000 for criticism on my part of officiating in the last moments of our game with New England. I described two calls, back-to-back, as probably the worst I have witnessed in the 60 years I have watched pro football. Those two calls cost the Bills a very important game, one in which out team fought back very courageously from a substantial deficit. Society today is more enlightened. Fair comment and criticism are rampant. The entire media as a unit is frank and the millions watching a game are frank. But the Commissioner lecturing to me as if I were a novice, instead of one who has been involved in football infinitely longer than he has, contends that criticizing a call has "destructive and corrosive effects on thhe game. Dani Carvajal Jersey. "What is more destructive and corrosive – errant calls in front of millions of viewers or my statements of opinion? People all over the country registered shock at the way officials, however honourable their purpose, took the game away from us. Even the league has admitted to us that the calls near the conclusion of the game were incorrect. On Monday morning the Commissioner can sermonize on destruction and corrosion, but he has never experienced the pain of blowing a crucial game due to officiating. I have yet to decide whether or not I will pay or challenge the fine. But, at 80, I do know I dont need pompous lectures from the Commissioner and I feel that the $50,000 is not only unwarranted, but punitive in nature. The next time he may ask me to sit in corner." Ralph Wilson was a boss. Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys From China Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Hockey Jerseys China Nike Baseball Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys China Cheap Football Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys CanadaWholesale NHL Jerseys Canada Wholesale Nike MLB Jerseys Canada Cheap NBA Jerseys Authentic Canada Stitched Soccer Jerseys Canada Cheap Jerseys Canada NFL ' ' '