Sorry Charlie but Lou Piniella is the winner of the 2008 National League Manager of the Year Award. As a Phillies fan I feel for Charlie that he didn't secure the hardware but as a fan of baseball I understand why Piniella received the award over the World Series Champion Charlie Manuel.

Manuel did lead the Phillies to the NL East title, the National League pennant and then the World Series title but none of this counts towards the voting for the award, which is completed at the end of the regular season. Manuel did not put together as strong as a regular season as Piniella but still warranted the award despite grabbing a second straight NL East crown after a late season run to catch the Mets.

The Cubs won a league best 97 games in 2008 only to lose in the first round of the playoffs to the Los Angeles Dodgers three games to none. This was the second consecutive playoff appearance for the Cubs, which resulted in two straight sweeps in the first round. But it also was the first time that the franchise made consecutive playoff appearances since 1907-08.

Manuel came in second to Piniella, who finished with 103 total points to Manuel's 67 points. Piniella garnered 15 first place votes to Manuel's eight. But none of this really matters, at least not to Phillies fans. Why? Because Charlie led the Phillies to their first World Series title since 1980 and the franchise's second overall.

So, Phillies fans, Charlie got the last laugh you see. As much as Manuel would have loved to win the award but you can be sure that Manuel prefers the World Series trophy and subsequent ring over the NL Manager of the Year Award as nice as that honor sounds.

So, where does Charlie go from here? He had an hour long conversation with his agent in his clubhouse office not long after the Phillies won the World Series and expressed to his agent and the organization that he wants to retire as manager of the Phillies. Manuel has been at the helm of this team since 2005 and will be entering his fifth season in 2009 as the Phillies skipper.

Despite not winning the 2008 NL Manager of the Year Award, Charlie Manuel still deserves a hearty congratulations for the job he did with the Phillies in 2008, leading his group to a World Series title. Not every award matters, even though deep down it does to the players and coaches involved, but the one piece of hardware that matters most is the World Series trophy. Now, Manuel can finally say he is a winner, a World Champion.

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