Jim Tracy was out of baseball when Clint Hurdle called last October to talk to him about joining Hurdle’s staff in Colorado. Tracy was focused on his duties as bench coach for the Rockies when he came to spring training.

Now, he’s the NL Manager of the Year — and has a new contract, too.

Talk about a nice season.

Tracy won the NL award Wednesday while Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels was selected AL Manager of the Year for the second time.

Tracy became the second manager to win the award after taking over during the season, joining Jack McKeon for Florida in 2003. Less than an hour after the honor was announced, the Rockies said Tracy had been rewarded with a three-year deal.

“What we’re talking about this afternoon, it’s probably as flattering an experience as I’ve come to realize during the course of my professional career in athletics,” Tracy said. “And obviously a new contract is extremely exciting. But what is more intriguing for me is what is still out there for our ballclub.”

Tracy received 29 first-place votes and two seconds for 151 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Scioscia got 15 first-place votes, 10 seconds and one third for 106 points.

The Rockies fired Hurdle in late May and handed the job to Tracy, who led the team to the NL wild card. Scioscia kept the Angels going after the death of pitcher Nick Adenhart, and they won their fifth AL West title in six years.

“Those things really weren’t about us. That was about the Adenhart family,” Scioscia said. “As we supported that family, we got a little measure of peace and I think it helped us to get through the season and just play baseball.”

Ron Gardenhire finished second in the AL voting for the second straight year and fifth time during his eight seasons as Minnesota manager. He also placed third in 2002, when Scioscia was honored for the first time, but has never won the award. Tony La Russa of the Cardinals, a four-time winner, was a distant second in the NL with 55 points.