Pat Murphy and Stephen Vogt claim Manager of the Year honors for the second straight season. But does their repeat victory expose a troubling pattern in baseball's competitive landscape?

The Milwaukee Brewers posted the best regular season record in baseball despite bottom-tier payroll, while the Cleveland Guardians mounted a historic comeback from 11 games back on September 4th. Both franchises continue operating with payrolls in the bottom third of MLB, even as championship windows remain wide open. The analysis breaks down why the Manager of the Year award consistently rewards "overachieving" teams rather than those meeting high expectations, and examines the payroll crisis facing competitive clubs. With Cleveland's title drought stretching back to 1948 and Milwaukee's to 1957, the discussion challenges both organizations to invest in their rosters before these opportunities vanish.

Discover why these back-to-back wins reveal more about ownership failures than managerial excellence, and what it means for baseball's competitive balance.

Check out the In Memoriam Video - https://youtu.be/ISl3VGJmjrc?si=-06A-KejhbjQp4X7

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