Tim Bogar was in Altoona, Pa., Thursday. By night's end, he would be on a bus to Erie, Pa., and a four-day stay there. Bogar has been making such trips for three summers now, a throwback to his days as a 20-year-old minor-leaguer.

Travel agents don't advertise packages to Altoona and Erie, hoping to avoid career suicide. Still, these are not dead-end destinations for everyone. They have Bogar in the express lane toward baseball's most desirable locales, faster than even he could have imagined.

For the third straight season, the Bloomington resident and former major-league player has been named his league's Manager of the Year, this time with the Akron Aeros of the Double-A Eastern League.

He earned the honor in 2004 with the Greeneville (Tenn.) Astros of the Class A Appalachian League, and last year with the Lexington (Ky.) Legends of the Class A South Atlantic League.

"I never thought I'd win three of these in a row, especially at the minor-league level where you don't know what you'll have from year to year and with guys moving as much as they do ? getting promoted or hurt or sent down," Bogar said Thursday morning.

"All you can do is put them in as many good positions as you can. I've been blessed with a lot of talent, especially pitching talent."

He is being modest, of course. It is Bogar's way.

Meet him on the street, and you'd never know he spent nine years as a major-league infielder with the Mets, Astros and Dodgers. You might hear it elsewhere, but not from him.

He is as down to earth as bluegrass and blue jeans, able to adapt and fit in wherever baseball takes him, from New York to New Britain, Conn. - home of the Eastern League's New Britain Rock Cats.

His long-range goal is to manage in the big leagues, and at this rate, it may not be that long.

Bogar leaves such talk to others, saying, "I know I have a lot to learn."

"I know I'm a long way from being a successful major-league manager ? if that happens," he said. "I'm just learning as much as I can from year to year, and hopefully I'll get a shot at it.

"Every year I've learned a lot, especially on the pitching side. The first year I had Jack Billingham (as his pitching coach), who was a quality starter in the big leagues and he taught me a lot about that. This year, I have Scott Radinsky and he was an unbelievable relief pitcher. I've learned a lot about how to run a bullpen and what they think and getting them in good situations."

Akron took an Eastern League-best 83-54 record into Thursday night's game against the Altoona Curve. The Aeros have clinched the Southern Division championship and qualified for next week's playoffs.

They've done it despite having four players called up to the Cleveland Indians, Akron's parent club. Eight players in all have been promoted to either Triple-A or the big leagues.

"You're dealing not just with prospects here, but players who can make an impact at the major-league level," Bogar said. "Handling the game is a little different because of their ability. The game is a little faster, and you can't get away with as many things as you do at the lower levels.

"You have to play more of a pure baseball game. You have to be a little more decisive in what you want to accomplish that day."

Bogar appeared in 701 major-league games from 1993 through 2001, batting .228 as a utility man who played all four infield positions. He also was the No. 3 catcher with the Mets and Astros.

He watched even more games from the dugout, listening and learning while his managers plotted strategy. He would have preferred to be on the field.

But ?

"I don't know if I can say it was the best thing that ever happened to me to sit on the bench, but it might have been," Bogar said. "I got to sit there and take in the game and understand why my manager was doing what he was doing, and why the other manager was doing what he was doing.

"Sitting on the bench, you can either waste your time - which I did a little bit of - or apply it to your future. I was fortunate to be around some really good managers and good players who helped me with my future."

Bogar works hardest at communicating with his players, seeking to "let them know where I stand."

"I try to make it enjoyable to come to the park every day," he said.

Soon, the parks may be a lot bigger.

The cities, too.

Randy Kindred is a Pantagraph columnist. To leave him a voice mail, call 820-3402. By e-mail: rkindred@pantagraph.com . The Randy Kindred Blog is at www.pantagraph.com /blogs