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Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2023 9:03 am
Guardians’ hiring process and why they believe in Stephen Vogt
FILE - Oakland Athletics' Stephen Vogt steps on the field before a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. Retired catcher Stephen Vogt is joining the Seattle Mariners as a bullpen and quality control coach, fulfilling his goal to go right into coaching. The 38-year-old Vogt called it a career after his 10th major league season in 2022.(AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)
By Zack Meisel
Nov 9, 2023
27
Save Article
CLEVELAND — The Guardians needed a process, something to steer them toward whatever it was they were seeking, something to tell them what they wanted in their next manager.
Eleven years ago, Terry Francona made the decision for them. When he conveyed interest in the club’s managerial opening, Cleveland’s front office didn’t put him on hold to wine and dine a dozen other candidates first. He filed a 17-page thesis. They shared dinner at Lola Bistro. By Oct. 6, three days after the end of the regular season, he was their manager.
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They really haven’t had to search for a new manager since 2009, after Eric Wedge’s last hurrah. That process directed them to Manny Acta, a sharp 40-year-old recovering from a rough trial with the Washington Nationals, over Bobby Valentine, a veteran who wasn’t sure he wanted the job and didn’t know much about it. They were a different organization then. The role of a manager was different.
So, yeah, the Guardians needed to start from scratch, to design a process that would highlight the qualities they should prioritize as they pinpointed the individual to replace the winningest manager in franchise history.
They started in September. They surveyed a group of active managers to learn what traits helped them achieve success in a variety of environments. They consulted Francona, who didn’t want to hand-pick his successor, but had no issue sharing the attributes that positioned him for success in Cleveland. They compiled a list of candidates that they narrowed to 45 individuals. After a round of reference checks, they conducted Zoom interviews with a subset of that group, then in-person interviews with a subset of that group. They had closing follow-ups with a couple of finalists. Aside from some fruitless flirtation with Craig Counsell, everything kept leading them back to Vogt.
Why not just tab an internal candidate to replace Francona? Why not continue what Francona helped build?
Francona’s departure doesn’t mean the pitching factory will cease production or the front office — albeit coming off a shaky year — will forget how to operate. The ways Francona influenced the organization will still be felt. But he was one of a kind. His expert communication skills have him bound for Cooperstown. He cared like few managers have ever cared. He made every player confident that he had their best interests in mind. His self-deprecating nature and willingness to be a shield for his players earned him any respect not already covered by his championship-winning credentials. He’d tell a player he was being demoted to Triple A and because Francona delivered the message so earnestly and carefully, they would walk out of his office so upbeat the bench coach would walk out with the player to assure they understood the news.
go-deeper
GO DEEPER
'Evident from the very beginning': Stephen Vogt's path to manager was a long time coming
Hiring, say, DeMarlo Hale or Mike Sarbaugh, two well-regarded, longtime lieutenants, wouldn’t have guaranteed anything. That rare ability to connect with players and staff doesn’t rub off while sharing an armrest with Francona on team flights. There’s only one Francona, only one guy with that blend of wit and passion. The only internal candidate they gave much consideration to was hitting coach Chris Valaika, so their process clearly pointed them outside the organization, which was probably refreshing in some ways after having a largely stagnant coaching staff (and upper management) for the last decade.
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In Vogt, the Guardians did land someone with a magnetic personality, someone who can win over a clubhouse and handle the people part of the equation. Former teammates would certainly suggest he can build relationships with his players that set him up to be successful. But it’ll take time. One source used the term “culture-builder” to describe him, but that doesn’t happen overnight. Multiple sources from outside the organization said that, while Vogt has plenty of desirable qualities, there will likely be growing pains for anyone with such limited experience in the role.
The front office will have a sizable say in how he fares. They need to offer him more capable names to scribble onto his lineup card. And it’ll be much easier for Vogt to adjust to the nuances of the role if Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Logan Allen, Bo Naylor, Kyle Manzardo, Andrés Giménez and Steven Kwan continue to take steps forward.
What is it about catchers becoming managers? Of the 27 managers in the league — three teams have vacancies — 13 are former catchers, including nine in the AL (out of 13 teams).
Here’s a take from Chris Gimenez who, like former teammate Vogt, played the position for a decade in the majors:
“You see the game from a completely different perspective. You’re the only one on the field who sees the entire field. Your back’s not to anything. You’re in foul territory. You’re so integral, especially now with the way game plans are executed and front offices are talking about scouting reports — there’s a lot more that goes into navigating a game.
“The fact that he was a bullpen coach last year is going to be the greatest asset to his early managerial career. Managing the bullpen is the hardest thing to do as a manager. Everything else is kind of plug-and-play. You know when to hit and run. How often do we do that? Not very often. OK, great. Definitely don’t bunt with these guys. All that stuff is plug-and-play. Navigating a bullpen, knowing when to get a guy up. One thing I always appreciated with Tito is sometimes on the surface level it’d be like, ‘Why is this guy coming in right now?’ But it’s like, ‘I warmed this guy up once already and I can’t sit him down because now we can’t use him.’ Having that experience as a bullpen coach, knowing when to get guys up, having that communication with the pitching coach and manager, being in tune with all that, I think that’s going to help him so much.”
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Counsell was the only candidate the Guardians seriously considered who had prior major-league managing experience. Vogt has limited coaching experience, period, but he did at least operate with a coaching/leadership mindset for much of his career. He exhibited it as a rookie in Tampa in 2012. He endeared himself to teammates before he even reached the majors. He arranged a coaching apprenticeship in Milwaukee in 2018 while sidelined with a shoulder injury.
Stephen Vogt picked up plenty of valuable lessons while bouncing around to six different organizations, including Oakland. (Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)
For the back half of his career, he was essentially a liaison between coaches and players, a guy who could hold difficult conversations with teammates because he knew they’d respect the message coming from him. That won’t make him an expert by Opening Day in knowing the perfect thing to say to Oscar Gonzalez to get him confident in his swing decisions or knowing how to convince Cal Quantrill that lifting him after 84 pitches was the prudent decision or knowing the tact to take when telling a player he’s being designated for assignment. But the Guardians are hopeful his leadership style, his engaging personality and his communication skills will guide him as he learns the intricacies of the job.
Vogt gutted through 10 big-league seasons, primarily as a backup catcher, and bounced around to six organizations. He understands failure. He also has experience on the other end of the spectrum, having earned a pair of All-Star nods. There’s a lot he can draw upon from his career to relate to a player. He’s survived that 0-for-20 funk. He’s chased that high of standing on the baseline for introductions in mid-July with the best players in the sport. He should be a valuable influence for Naylor, who flourished down the stretch of his rookie season in 2023. Another former teammate suggested his work with pitchers throughout his career will pay dividends for Cleveland’s young starting staff.
And as a rival coach added: Vogt will benefit from playing as the technology and analytics revolution altered the game. He has experience playing under the guidance of “see ball, hit ball” and also “see a bunch of numbers and charts, hit ball.” The Guardians stress tailoring their plans to the individual, especially when it comes to the data they relay to each player. Everyone embraces it to a different degree, and information overload can be disadvantageous. Vogt should be adaptable enough to connect with anyone he encounters.
The Guardians open the 2024 season in Oakland, where fans chanted for Vogt as if he were a pop star, not a part-time backstop. Couple that with the fact that the A’s are bound to bolt to Vegas in the near future — who knows how many more Opening Days they’ll host in the Coliseum? — and it could create a scene to behold on March 28. The opposing manager might receive louder cheers than anyone else in the building during that series.
FILE - Oakland Athletics' Stephen Vogt steps on the field before a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. Retired catcher Stephen Vogt is joining the Seattle Mariners as a bullpen and quality control coach, fulfilling his goal to go right into coaching. The 38-year-old Vogt called it a career after his 10th major league season in 2022.(AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)
By Zack Meisel
Nov 9, 2023
27
Save Article
CLEVELAND — The Guardians needed a process, something to steer them toward whatever it was they were seeking, something to tell them what they wanted in their next manager.
Eleven years ago, Terry Francona made the decision for them. When he conveyed interest in the club’s managerial opening, Cleveland’s front office didn’t put him on hold to wine and dine a dozen other candidates first. He filed a 17-page thesis. They shared dinner at Lola Bistro. By Oct. 6, three days after the end of the regular season, he was their manager.
ADVERTISEMENT
They really haven’t had to search for a new manager since 2009, after Eric Wedge’s last hurrah. That process directed them to Manny Acta, a sharp 40-year-old recovering from a rough trial with the Washington Nationals, over Bobby Valentine, a veteran who wasn’t sure he wanted the job and didn’t know much about it. They were a different organization then. The role of a manager was different.
So, yeah, the Guardians needed to start from scratch, to design a process that would highlight the qualities they should prioritize as they pinpointed the individual to replace the winningest manager in franchise history.
They started in September. They surveyed a group of active managers to learn what traits helped them achieve success in a variety of environments. They consulted Francona, who didn’t want to hand-pick his successor, but had no issue sharing the attributes that positioned him for success in Cleveland. They compiled a list of candidates that they narrowed to 45 individuals. After a round of reference checks, they conducted Zoom interviews with a subset of that group, then in-person interviews with a subset of that group. They had closing follow-ups with a couple of finalists. Aside from some fruitless flirtation with Craig Counsell, everything kept leading them back to Vogt.
Why not just tab an internal candidate to replace Francona? Why not continue what Francona helped build?
Francona’s departure doesn’t mean the pitching factory will cease production or the front office — albeit coming off a shaky year — will forget how to operate. The ways Francona influenced the organization will still be felt. But he was one of a kind. His expert communication skills have him bound for Cooperstown. He cared like few managers have ever cared. He made every player confident that he had their best interests in mind. His self-deprecating nature and willingness to be a shield for his players earned him any respect not already covered by his championship-winning credentials. He’d tell a player he was being demoted to Triple A and because Francona delivered the message so earnestly and carefully, they would walk out of his office so upbeat the bench coach would walk out with the player to assure they understood the news.
go-deeper
GO DEEPER
'Evident from the very beginning': Stephen Vogt's path to manager was a long time coming
Hiring, say, DeMarlo Hale or Mike Sarbaugh, two well-regarded, longtime lieutenants, wouldn’t have guaranteed anything. That rare ability to connect with players and staff doesn’t rub off while sharing an armrest with Francona on team flights. There’s only one Francona, only one guy with that blend of wit and passion. The only internal candidate they gave much consideration to was hitting coach Chris Valaika, so their process clearly pointed them outside the organization, which was probably refreshing in some ways after having a largely stagnant coaching staff (and upper management) for the last decade.
ADVERTISEMENT
In Vogt, the Guardians did land someone with a magnetic personality, someone who can win over a clubhouse and handle the people part of the equation. Former teammates would certainly suggest he can build relationships with his players that set him up to be successful. But it’ll take time. One source used the term “culture-builder” to describe him, but that doesn’t happen overnight. Multiple sources from outside the organization said that, while Vogt has plenty of desirable qualities, there will likely be growing pains for anyone with such limited experience in the role.
The front office will have a sizable say in how he fares. They need to offer him more capable names to scribble onto his lineup card. And it’ll be much easier for Vogt to adjust to the nuances of the role if Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Logan Allen, Bo Naylor, Kyle Manzardo, Andrés Giménez and Steven Kwan continue to take steps forward.
What is it about catchers becoming managers? Of the 27 managers in the league — three teams have vacancies — 13 are former catchers, including nine in the AL (out of 13 teams).
Here’s a take from Chris Gimenez who, like former teammate Vogt, played the position for a decade in the majors:
“You see the game from a completely different perspective. You’re the only one on the field who sees the entire field. Your back’s not to anything. You’re in foul territory. You’re so integral, especially now with the way game plans are executed and front offices are talking about scouting reports — there’s a lot more that goes into navigating a game.
“The fact that he was a bullpen coach last year is going to be the greatest asset to his early managerial career. Managing the bullpen is the hardest thing to do as a manager. Everything else is kind of plug-and-play. You know when to hit and run. How often do we do that? Not very often. OK, great. Definitely don’t bunt with these guys. All that stuff is plug-and-play. Navigating a bullpen, knowing when to get a guy up. One thing I always appreciated with Tito is sometimes on the surface level it’d be like, ‘Why is this guy coming in right now?’ But it’s like, ‘I warmed this guy up once already and I can’t sit him down because now we can’t use him.’ Having that experience as a bullpen coach, knowing when to get guys up, having that communication with the pitching coach and manager, being in tune with all that, I think that’s going to help him so much.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Counsell was the only candidate the Guardians seriously considered who had prior major-league managing experience. Vogt has limited coaching experience, period, but he did at least operate with a coaching/leadership mindset for much of his career. He exhibited it as a rookie in Tampa in 2012. He endeared himself to teammates before he even reached the majors. He arranged a coaching apprenticeship in Milwaukee in 2018 while sidelined with a shoulder injury.
Stephen Vogt picked up plenty of valuable lessons while bouncing around to six different organizations, including Oakland. (Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)
For the back half of his career, he was essentially a liaison between coaches and players, a guy who could hold difficult conversations with teammates because he knew they’d respect the message coming from him. That won’t make him an expert by Opening Day in knowing the perfect thing to say to Oscar Gonzalez to get him confident in his swing decisions or knowing how to convince Cal Quantrill that lifting him after 84 pitches was the prudent decision or knowing the tact to take when telling a player he’s being designated for assignment. But the Guardians are hopeful his leadership style, his engaging personality and his communication skills will guide him as he learns the intricacies of the job.
Vogt gutted through 10 big-league seasons, primarily as a backup catcher, and bounced around to six organizations. He understands failure. He also has experience on the other end of the spectrum, having earned a pair of All-Star nods. There’s a lot he can draw upon from his career to relate to a player. He’s survived that 0-for-20 funk. He’s chased that high of standing on the baseline for introductions in mid-July with the best players in the sport. He should be a valuable influence for Naylor, who flourished down the stretch of his rookie season in 2023. Another former teammate suggested his work with pitchers throughout his career will pay dividends for Cleveland’s young starting staff.
And as a rival coach added: Vogt will benefit from playing as the technology and analytics revolution altered the game. He has experience playing under the guidance of “see ball, hit ball” and also “see a bunch of numbers and charts, hit ball.” The Guardians stress tailoring their plans to the individual, especially when it comes to the data they relay to each player. Everyone embraces it to a different degree, and information overload can be disadvantageous. Vogt should be adaptable enough to connect with anyone he encounters.
The Guardians open the 2024 season in Oakland, where fans chanted for Vogt as if he were a pop star, not a part-time backstop. Couple that with the fact that the A’s are bound to bolt to Vegas in the near future — who knows how many more Opening Days they’ll host in the Coliseum? — and it could create a scene to behold on March 28. The opposing manager might receive louder cheers than anyone else in the building during that series.
