Mattingly among worthy NL MOY Award candidates

You could do worse than just giving the National League Manager of the Year Award to Bruce Bochy or Joe Maddon every season. They’re at the top of their field and this year their teams are at the top of the NL.

Why even hold a vote if you’re going to do that? Just flip a coin.

Look beyond the most obvious choices and you’ll find another set of deserving candidates. The ones I’m looking at are all in their first full season with either their team or their current set of responsibilities.

Hardware Hopefuls

• AL MVP • NL MVP

• AL Cy Young • NL Cy Young

• AL Rookie of the Year • NL Rookie of the Year

• Friday: AL Manager of the Year • Friday: NL Manager of the Year

• AL MVP • NL MVP

• AL Cy Young • NL Cy Young

• AL Rookie of the Year • NL Rookie of the Year

• Friday: AL Manager of the Year • Friday: NL Manager of the Year

Here’s my early NL Manager of the Year ballot:

1. Don Mattingly, Marlins Despite what you may have heard or read from some people who didn’t like his double switches or his bullpen choices, the former Yankees first baseman and 1985 American League MVP Award winner did excellent work with the Dodgers. Mattingly’s teams had winning records five years in a row, including at least 92 wins each of their last three years.

Mattingly always seemed under the gun at Chavez Ravine, and he has settled in nicely after moving to Miami. He’s a baseball man, not a showman, and …

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