Indians Steven Vogt and Brewers Pat Murphy named AL and NL Managers of Year

Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy and Cleveland’s Stephen Vogt had the unenviable task of taking over for successful and well-liked predecessors when they were named managers of their respective teams during the offseason.Both proved to be naturals.Murphy won National League Manager of the Year on Tuesday after a stellar debut season with the Brewers, while Vogt took AL honors after leading the Guardians to 92 wins and a division title in his first year as a skipper at any level.The 40-year-old Vogt is the first to go from a major league player to Manager of the Year in just two years.The previous fastest was Joe Girardi from 2003 to 2006, when he won NL Manager of the Year with the Florida Marlins.“I got way more excited when any one of our guys hit a home run then I ever did myself or a big play or a strikeout,” Vogt said.

“I think that’s the beauty of this role and this job — it’s not about you.It’s about your players and it’s about their successes.”Murphy, 65, led the Brewers to a 93-69 record and an NL Central title and became the first manager in franchise history to win the award since it was introduced in 1983.

In the playoffs, Milwaukee lost to the New York Mets in a Wild Card Series.Murphy had an unusual career path to big league success — he was a longtime college coach at Notre Dame and Arizona State before moving to the professional ranks in 2010.He worked in the Padres’ minor league system until 2015 when he was hired to be Milwaukee’s bench coach under Craig Counsell, who played for Murphy at Notre Dame.After Counsell surprisingly left for the Cubs during the offseason, the Brewers quickly turned to Murphy.

The transition was nearly seamless.“I just didn’t want to let the Brewers down,” Murphy said.“From the ownership, to the front office, to the players and the coaching staff.

I didn’t want to let them down.I wanted to be prepared.

I wanted to do something to advance the needle a little bit.” Murphy received 27 of 30...