Don Mattingly takes 2nd place in NL Manager of the Year, confirms extension talks

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly finished second in the 2013 National League Manager of the Year voting to Clint Hurdle of the Pirates, the Baseball Writers Association of America announced on Tuesday. Mattingly also confirmed in a television interview that he and the Dodgers are working toward a multi-year contract extension.

Mattingly was named on 26 of 30 ballots, receiving two first-place votes, 17 second-place votes, and seven third-place votes. Mattingly's first-place votes came from Katsushi Nagao of Kyodo News, voting from the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA; and from Dennis Deitch of the Delaware Co. Daily Times, from the Philadelphia chapter.

Hurdle ran away with the award, with 25 first-place votes and five second-place votes. He led the Pirates to the playoffs, and their first winning season since 1992. Fredi Gonzalez of the Braves finished third, with Cardinals skipper Mike Matheny finished fourth.

Only four managers received votes, and all were from National League playoff teams.

BBWAA members, two per city in each league, voted for Manager of the Year, with points awarded on a 5-3-1 basis.

Mattingly's Dodgers finished 92-70 and won the National League West for his first playoff appearance in three seasons as manager. Mattingly came close to getting fired after the Dodgers started 30-42 and were mired in last place. But a run of 42-8 and 53-13 drove the Dodgers into the playoffs.

Tommy Lasorda is the only Dodger to win NL Manager of the Year, which has been awarded since 1983. Lasorda won in both 1983 and 1988. Besides Mattingly, Jim Tracy in 2001 was the only other Dodgers manager to finish second.

The NLDS win over the Braves triggered Mattingly's 2014 option, but on Oct. 21 Mattingly said he didn't want to be a lame duck for a second consecutive season. Mattingly and the club have since been quietly working on an extension, which he alluded to on MLB Network on Tuesday.

"We're in talks right now and things are going good. There is no real hurry or rush for me at this point, or I don't think for the Dodgers either," Mattingly said. "Things are good, we're just working, moving forward, trying to put something together for the long term."

Cy Young Award winners in both leagues will be announced on Wednesday, with Clayton Kershaw the runaway favorite in the National League. The final awards, Most Valuable Player in each league, will be awarded on Thursday.