Congratulations to Blake Butera on being named Carolina League Manager of the Year for his efforts with the Charleston RiverDogs, the Single-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. This is the second time he has won the honor. Butera is an assistant with Team Italy in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Butera guided the team to a franchise record 88 wins and their second straight title. The organization had not won a title prior to Butera’s arrival in the Holy City.

Only the Nashville Sounds, who played 17 more games than the RiverDogs finished with more wins among Minor League Baseball’s 120 teams. Despite the promotion of 15 players throughout the season, the RiverDogs led the Carolina League with a team batting average of .254 and also paced the circuit in home runs and runs scored. The pitching staff also posted a league-best 3.67 earned runs average. In his two years managing the RiverDogs, he has put together a 170-82 record.