Colorado Rockies executive vice president and general manager Dan O’Dowd was voted Sporting News’ 2009 Major League Baseball Executive of the Year by a panel of 31 MLB general managers and assistant general managers. He was presented with the award Monday night at the MLB general managers' meetings in Chicago .
O’Dowd’s Rockies finished 92-70 and won the National League Wild Card. The 92 wins were a franchise-best, two more than Colorado won in 2007 when it reached its first World Series.
The Rockies ’ turnaround was among the best stories of the 2009 season. After an 18-28 start, O’Dowd fired manager (and good friend) Clint Hurdle, replacing him with Jim Tracy. O’Dowd called the decision to fire Hurdle the most agonizing move of his 27 years in baseball.
“To make that decision, which I knew was the right decision, was emotionally very difficult. And draining, to be frank,” O’Dowd told Sporting News. “I wanted to handle it the exact same way as I would want to be trea...
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