Happy Wednesday,
Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson here. This week's questions will be answered below. Thanks, and please don't be shy about sending in any questions or comments you want to see tackled. Have a great rest of your week!Â
Got a question? Email me here (bfrederickson@post-dispatch.com) or find me on X (formerly known as Twitter) at and hashtag your question with #BF5.
Happy Wednesday, folks. Before diving into your questions, here are my latest columns, in case you missed them . . .Â
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MIZ, via Twitter (X) . . .Â
Comment: Debating between Pat Murphy and Mike Shildt for manager of the year in the National League is insane. But not surprising considering how ×îÐÂÐÓ°ÉÔ´´ media adores him.
BF: I voted on this one this year. Murphy did get my first-place vote. What he accomplished in Milwaukee, considering how we all wrote off the Brewers after Craig Counsell left for the rival Cubs, put him over the top. And remember, Milwaukee recently lost front office leader David Stearns to the Mets, too. And yet, the Brewers under Murphy continued to dominate the National League Central. That said, I don't think it's silly to think Shildt had a case. At all. The Padres tragically lost their beloved owner. They lost a Cy Young Award winner (Blake Snell) to free agency. They traded away Juan Soto. They had bad injury luck, including to star Fernando Tatis Jr. And still Shildt's San Diego team gave the Dodgers a real scare, even beating them more times than not in the regular season. That was worth of serious consideration. I had Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts third, after Shildt (second) and Murphy (first) on my ballot. It's important to note the votes are due before the postseason starts. Why Roberts? Under as much win-now pressure any manager has ever faced, he delivered.Â
And from Goo Bird, via Twitter (X) . . .Â
Comment: So, you didn't give Cardinals manager Oli Marmol his third-place vote?
BF: Nope. And I don't know who did. Marmol had a better season than many in Cardinal Nation want to admit, but he didn't belong in MOY conversation in my opinion. I guess someone disagreed!
