a just reward

Buck Showalter, who came up short in the American League manager of the year voting by the baseball writers, earned some hardware today, claiming the GIBBY (Greatness in Baseball Yearly) award for best manager given by mlb.com. Former Mississippi State star Showalter steered Baltimore to a stunning 93-69 finish and a wild card berth. Showalter, known as a disciplinarian, reportedly loosened his reins a bit this year and it seemed to work with these Orioles, who snapped a streak of 14 straight losing seasons. Former Jackson Mets star Billy Beane (Oakland GM) won the GIBBY for top executive. The awards are voted on by media, MLB front-office personnel, ex-players, fans and the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). P.S. Former Delta State standout Eli Whiteside was claimed off waivers by Toronto from the New York Yankees. … Noticed that ex-DSU player Edwin Maysonet, who got some big league time with Milwaukee this year, is playing in his native Puerto Rico this winter. He is a free agent. … Atlanta prospect Evan Gattis, a 2012 Mississippi Braves catcher/left fielder, now has nine homers in 157 at-bats in the Venezuelan Winter League.