YORK, Pa. — Editor's note: The above video is from Sept. 29.
The York Revolution just brought home a trophy with a walk-off victory in a championship series sweep, but they aren't done winning for the season just yet.
The team announced today that its manager, Rick Forney, was crowned the Atlantic League Manager of the Year.
The winner is picked by a vote among managers and front-office executives with the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB).
“We are thrilled for Rick to be recognized for this prestigious honor by his peers in the Atlantic League,” said team president Eric Menzer. “As Rick said in his speech to the York faithful after winning the championship, the York team was willing to put in the extra work all season to improve their on-field performance. That work ethic reflects the attitude of Rick Forney and his coaching staff.”
Forney becomes the third Revolution manager to receive this honor, following Andy Etchebarren in 2011 and Mark Mason in 2014.
He is credited with maintaining a sense of calm leadership even through team shakeups. The Revs lost eight players to signings—including a team record six who were signed by major league affiliates during the season—but team leaders say Forney was always able to find replacements who fit the chemistry of the clubhouse and maintained focus.
Forney led the Revolution to their fourth Atlantic League championship with a franchise-best record of 80-45, a winning percentage of .640 which is the seventh-best winning percentage in ALPB history, team officials said.
The Revolution won the first half of the ALPB North Division on June 25, the earliest the Revs have ever clinched a playoff spot and the first time winning the first half since 2016. 2024 was the 9th overall playoff appearance for the Revolution and the first under Forney’s guidance, narrowly missing the playoffs in 2023 on a tiebreaker.
In the 2024 postseason, Forney had a record of 6-1 in defeating the Lancaster Stormers in the North Division series 3 games to 1 and then sweeping the Charleston Dirty Birds in the finals 3 games to none. The championship, won in walk-off fashion on Friday, Sept. 27, was York’s fourth in 17 seasons and Forney’s first with York.
During the 2024 season, Forney achieved his 1,000th win as a manager in his career. Under his guidance, the Revs stole a league-record 335 bases as a team and scored 859 runs, the second most in league history.