FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason baseball alum Chris Widger has been named Baseball America's MiLB Manager of the Year after guiding the Quad Cities River Bandits to the 2021 High-A Central Championship.
 
Widger, a Wilmington, Del. native, led Quad Cities to their 12th title in franchise history and first as an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.  The River Bandits recorded a winning record against every division opponent, won or split all but one series, and didn't lose a series at home during the 2021 campaign.

The River Bandits, who finished the 2021 season with a 77-41 record, defeated the Cedar Rapids Kernels in five games in the championship series.
 
Widger, who played for the Patriots from 1990-1992, was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the third round of the 1992 MLB draft.  He played in 613 games in the majors for six teams over 12 seasons.  He played for Seattle Mariners (1995-96, 2000), Montreal Expos (1997-2000), New York Yankees (2002) St. Louis Cardinals (2003), Chicago White Sox (2005-06) and Baltimore Orioles (2006).  During his stint in Chicago, he helped the White Sox to the World Series title in 2005. 
 
Among Mason's all-time leaders, Widger ranks seventh in both home runs (32) and RBI (149). 
 
During the 1992 season, Widger hit 18 home runs, which are the third-most in a single-season in program history.  His 67 RBI in 1992 rank sixth-most and his .721 slugging percentage that same year is the eighth-highest mark a single-season for the Patriots.
 
Widger is also among Mason's all-time leaders in numerous other categories. 
 
On the Patriots all-time list, Widger is tied for ninth in doubles (52), 11th in both slugging percentage (.602) and put-outs (758), 13th in total bases (360), 15th in runs scored (142), 18th in batting average (.334), 19th in on-base percentage (.418), 20th in games started (169) and walks (82), 22nd in hits (200) and 30th in at-bats (598).

Widger began his coaching career as pitching coach the for the Independent League's Camden River Sharks from 2012-14.  He was promoted to manager in 2014 and served in that role until 2016, when he moved on to bench coach duties with the Wilmington Blue Rocks, the Advanced-A affiliate of the Royals.  He became manager in 2020, before moving on to the Quad Cities this past year.