Tony Pena of the Kansas City Royals fell to his knees and cried with his family Wednesday at the news of being selected baseball’s American League manager of the year.

The Dominican was an overwhelming choice for the AL award, receiving 24 first-place votes and 130 points to beat out the Minnesota Twins’ Ron Gardenhire, who was second with four firsts and 44 points.

“When they told me, I got on my knees to thank God. Then I cried with my family,” Pena said in a telephone interview from his home in the Caribbean country’s second-largest city of Santiago. “There are no words to describe what I feel.”

In his first full year as Royals manager, Pena led Kansas City to an 83-79 record in 2003, a stunning turnaround for a team that lost 100 games the year before. The Royals finished the past season in third place in the American League’s Central Division.

Pena, 46, is the first Royals manager to win the award.

Jack McKeon of the Florida Marlins was voted National League manager of the year. Dusty Baker, a three-time winner of the award, finished second with 62 points after leading the Cubs to the NL Central title in his first season as Chicago’s manager. Atlanta’s Bobby Cox was next with 56 points, followed by Felipe Alou — Baker’s replacement in San Francisco — with 51. McKeon is the third-oldest manager in major league history, trailing Hall of Famers Connie Mack (88) and Casey Stengel (75). He thanked the Marlins for hiring him.

Pena took over the Royals in May 2002, winning 49 games and losing 77. The Royals’ overall record was 62-100 in 2002.