Tuesday's MLB: Melvin named top AL manager; Snitker takes NL honor

Oakland’s Bob Melvin was voted manager of the year for the third time, winning the American League honor after leading the A’s to the playoffs despite the lowest Opening Day payroll in the major leagues.

Atlanta’s Brian Snitker won the National League award following the Braves’ surprising first-place finish.

Melvin, 57, received 18 first-place votes, 19 seconds and one third for 121 points from the baseball writers. He is the eighth manager to win three or more times and is one shy of the record shared by Bobby Cox and Tony La Russa.

Snitker received 17 firsts, nine seconds and one third for 116 points, the only manager picked on every NL ballot. Milwaukee’s A 63-year-old baseball lifer who played in Atlanta’s minor league system from 1977-80, Snitker has spent 42 seasons with the Braves, managing at every level and serving as the big league third-base coach from 2007-13. He was managing at Triple-A Gwinnett when took over Atlanta in May 2016.

Kapler loses home

Phillies manager Gabe Kapler is among the homeowners who lost their house in Southern California’s wildfires.

Kapler told the Athletic his ex-wife and two sons lived in the Malibu house and evacuated last week. A friend sent him photos over the weekend showing only a steel staircase remained of the property, about a mile from the Pacific Ocean.

Kapler, a former Tiger, moved to Philadelphia after the Phillies hired him last October, but kept the house for his family.

He led the Phillies to an 80-82 record in his first season.

Around the horn

Major League Baseball is investigating claims made against the Mariners by the team’s recently fired training and conditioning director, who said team management had disparaged Latino players.

The Mariners denied the allegations in a statement on Monday following the social media postings from Lorena Martin in which she claimed general manager Jerry Dipoto, manager Scott Servais and director of player development Andy McKay had called Latino players “lazy, dumb and stupid, especially the Dominicans.” 

... Red Sox knuckleballer Steven Wright had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee for an injury that kept him out of the World Series.