Cleveland Guardians Name New Skipper
On the morning of November 6th, 2023 the Cleveland Guardians appointed the 45th manager in club history, and the first skipper that will be tasked with filling void left by Terry Francona. The Guardians have turned to Stephen Vogt, a former Major League catcher who played for six teams across parts of 10 seasons, and retired at the end of the 2022 season. Vogt spent the 2023 season as the Seattle Mariners' bullpen and quality control coach. So where does this leave the Guardians for 2024 and beyond?Frankly, it's too early to tell. Vogt signed a three-year contract to lead the Guardians, and it will be his first full managerial role. Over the course of his playing career Vogt developed a sterling reputation as incredible teammate and clubhouse presence, and someone who lead by example. Fans of the Oakland Athletics in particular loved Vogt, adopting the United States' national soccer team chant "I believe..." to be about Vogt specifically.[embed]https://twitter.com/DALLASBRADEN209/status/1721569837976351158?s=20[/embed]While we can only speculate about Vogt's managerial style we can pretty safely bet that he will be a "Players'" manager. That doesn't mean Vogt won't be analytically inclined, he'll have a staff for that, but based on the outpouring of support from former teammates and people across the greater baseball landscape it seems he has the perfect personality to keep the clubhouse cohesive for 162 games, and hopefully more.From Chris Farley impersonations to singing Disney tunes it will be very easy for Vogt to endear himself to the players, and the response from Guardians fans seems generally positive in less than 24 hours since he was announced as manager. Loyalty will come with winning, however, and that remains the biggest question mark of Vogt's hiring. The Guardians' front office has a fairly healthy track record with personnel decisions, and Vogt will be retaining some of Cleveland's staff from recent years (first base coach Sandy Alomar among them) to help with the transition.
New Cleveland skipper Stephen Vogt as Matt Foley 😂 pic.twitter.com/SQUPveOpv4
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) November 6, 2023
The Guardians will continue to claw their way back to contention in a weak AL Central, even with a rookie skipper at the helm. For now, enjoy all the goodwill and great stories being shared about Vogt's 10-year career as a player, and we will see what Spring Training brings. On behalf of Waiting For Next Year, welcome to Cleveland Stephen Vogt.