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Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers has topped Joe Maddon and Dusty Baker to win the National League Manager of the Year Award.After taking over for Don Mattingly this past season, Roberts continued the Dodgers trend of playoff appearances by guiding the club to a 91-71 record and a fourth consecutive NL West title. The Dodgers have now reached the postseason in four consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history.I think, you know what, its about the process, and I think this is actually the first day Ive had a chance to reflect on what happened from the first day of spring training to now, Roberts said. And even after the postseason, I didnt really play the season out in my head too much. But I think to set goals, to play every out and try to get better, I think that as a group, as an organization, we did that. Obviously we came up short in the sense of winning a world championship, but Im just proud of the way our guys battled adversity all year.As much as the teams on-field success defined Roberts rookie season as a manager, so did the player injuries he was forced to overcome. The Dodgers broke camp in spring training with 10 players on the disabled list, believed to be a record to open a season.It did not get any better for the Dodgers, as 28 players ultimately hit the disabled list, the most players any club has put on the DL in the past 30 seasons. The list of injured players included staff ace Clayton Kershaw, who was lost for 75 days after a back injury in late June.Did I expect us to have the injuries that we did? I think when you look at it from that lens, [the season was] more challenging [than expected], Roberts said. But I think that the support that I had completely exceeded what my anticipation was. The relationship with the front office, the coaches, the way that the players bought into us, made this whole season considerably easier than I anticipated.I think the focus on the day-to-day, and not getting even ahead to tomorrow or the next day, made it a lot easier. And I think that at any point of the season, [if] I would have stepped back and looked at the expectation or the injuries, it would have felt daunting, but it never really felt that way, even in late June when we were eight games back.Instead of the team collapse that was predicted, the Dodgers turned an eight-game NL West deficit at the time of Kershaws June 26 injury into a division-title-clinching celebration one week before the regular season was completed. The Dodgers ended up winning the division over the San Francisco Giants by four games.Roberts also gave credit to Terry Francona of the Cleveland Indians, who won the American League Manager of the Year Award. Roberts played for Francona when Francona was Bostons manager.He definitely influenced me, and I think that the way he related to players, his relationship to the front office and fans, Roberts said. To me, the main thing with Tito is that he just let players play, and when you as a coach or manager can empower your players, it goes a long way. From Tito to a lot of different managers and coaches that Ive had the great pleasure of being around, helped me form, I guess my managing, I guess, style.Roberts becomes just the second Dodgers rookie manager to lead the team into the postseason after Tommy Lasorda in 1977 and only the sixth rookie manager to ever win the award.The Dodgers won 90-plus games for the fourth consecutive season, a feat that had been accomplished just one other time in franchise history, when they won 90-plus games in six consecutive seasons from 1951 to 56. Clearance Running Shoes Australia . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings. Clearance Running Shoes .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. http://www.wholesalerunningshoesaustralia.com/ . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. Cheap Running Shoes Website . The Oilers come in having lost five in a row (0-4-1) and 16 of their last 20 games, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. Cheap Running Shoes Australia . The CFLs leading rusher kept adding to his gaudy numbers this season and scored the winning touchdown with just over two minutes to play. The New Westminster, B.C., native plowed three yards into the end zone for the last score of a heated, see-saw battle between the two teams with the best records in the CFL. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Kyle Busch has been to victory lane 15 times this season. Only four of the trips were in his Sprint Cup car.Those other 11 wins came in NASCARs two lower-tier national series, much to the chagrin of die-hard race fans who believe the Xfinity and Truck Series should be for newcomers and development drivers.On Wednesday, NASCAR announced a limit beginning next season for how many times veteran Cup drivers can moonlight at the lower level. A Cup driver with more than five years full-time experience will be restricted to 10 races in the Xfinity Series and seven races in the Truck Series.Veterans will also be prohibited from competing in the regular-season finale and all Chase races. And in the Xfinity Series, veterans will not be allowed to race in the four Xfinity Dash 4 Cash bonus events.The updated guidelines will elevate the stature of our future stars, while also providing them the opportunity to compete against the best in professional motorsports, NASCAR senior vice president Jim Cassidy said. These updated guidelines are the result of a collaborative effort involving the entire industry, and will ultimately better showcase the emerging stars of NASCAR.Busch for years has dominated the Xfinity and Truck Series via participation either with Joe Gibbs Racing or his own Kyle Busch Motorsports. Most owners use Cup stars in some capacity to sell sponsorships that help support their teams. Team Penske often uses Brad Keselowski or Joey Logano in Xfinity races to help develop personnel. JR Motorsports has fielded a star car as a way to bring in enough revenue to complement its full-time Xfinity team.But fans have grown weary of Cup drivers dominating. Cup drivers have won 18 of 30 Xfinity Series races this year, and three of 19 Truck races.Many younger drivers took to Twitter to comment on the new rule, including Chase Elliott, a rookie in the Cup Series and former Xfinity Series champion.I enjoyed the opportunity to race those guys as often as I could, he wrote . Youd race `em anyway at some point if you move on. Makes you better.TOYOTA TEAMWORKThe first task for Joe Gibbs Racing was to get all four of its cars into the third round of NASCARs playoffs.Now the real job becomes a balancce on maintaining harmony in the Toyota camp as all four drivers compete for a slot in NASCARs championship-deciding race.dddddddddddd Four drivers will race for the title next month at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and odds are highly against JGR getting all four slots.Reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth claimed four of the eight spots in the third round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.The final four will be decided at the next three races, at Martinsville Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway. Gibbs believes this round is more about winning and less dependent on strategy and teamwork.Everybodys geared up. Youre going to have to try and win a race, the team owner said. Everybody is going to be going for a win and thats what youre going to see from here on out.Three of the Gibbs drivers laid back last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway and simply turned laps in a successful effort to coast into the next round. Only Hamlin had to actually race, and he squeezed through on a tiebreaker.Hamlin preferred racing with everything on the line, and Gibbs believes his drivers would prefer to go for broke rather than race for points.I think really guys would rather be in the situation where they feel like theyve got to go win, Gibbs said. I think the drivers kind of all feel that way.PENSKE PARTY?Its been yearlong celebration at Team Penske of Roger Penskes 50th season in auto racing. This banner year has already been highlighted by an IndyCar Series title, and the organization has a chance to make it a clean sweep.Joey Logano won at Talladega Superspeedway to advance into the third round of NASCARs playoffs, giving Penske a shot at a second Cup title.A blown engine for Brad Keselowski at Talladega left Penske with only Logano still in the hunt.The good news is you dont have four people that youre trying to work with going into the Chase, Penske said. We can put all our efforts on one car, Joey. Of course, Brad is one of the biggest supporters on the team for Joey. I think that will pay dividends for us. ' ' '