A's Bob Melvin named 2012 AL Manager of the Year

On Tuesday Oakland Athletics skipper Bob Melvin was named the 2012 AL Manager of the Year after leading his team to its first playoff berth since 2006.

Melvin narrowly edged out Baltimore's Buck Showalter to take home the award. He finished with 116 points overall and 16 first place votes, while Showalter totaled 12 first place votes and 108 points overall.

Under Melvin, the A's had one of the most stunning turnarounds in recent baseball history during the 2012 season. The club overcame a 13-game deficit to win the AL West crown, and in the process clinched its first playoff berth since 2006. With a 94-68 record, the A's finished with 20 more wins in 2012 than they had in 2011.

For Melvin it was the second time he won the award, first accomplishing the feat while managing the Diamondbacks in 2007. He becomes the 14th manager to win the award multiple times, and the sixth to win it in both leagues.