The Cleveland Guardians have officially announced the appointment of former big-league catcher Stephen Vogt as their new manager, following the retirement of the beloved Terry Francona.
The 39-year-old Vogt will become the second-youngest manager in the majors, behind only Oli Marmol of the St. Louis Cardinals.
With a career spanning ten big-league seasons with six different teams, Vogt retired in 2022.
Notably, he was selected to the All-Star teams in 2015 and 2016 as part of the Oakland Athletics.
In true blue-collar fashion, Vogt was in the middle of shoveling horse manure when the Guardians called to offer him the job…
Guardians called Stephen Vogt on Friday to offer him the job. He stopped shoveling horse manure and accepted their offer.
They love his humility, confidence, eagerness to learn. Now he just needs experience.
“Some guys have ‘it.' He’s one of those guys."https://t.co/Wdn5HY3ENF
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) November 6, 2023
Vogt’s most recent position was with the Seattle Mariners, where he served as the bullpen and quality control coach this past season.
While linked to other managerial openings, including the San Francisco Giants vacancy, Vogt previously expressed his enthusiasm for coaching in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle.
“I really love being a coach,” Vogt told the Chronicle at the time. “I love being around the game, I love just being available for people. It hasn’t been all that difficult a transition.”
“Being a backup catcher your last few years, you have that player-coach kind of mentality. Now I just don’t have to face major-league pitching anymore, and I’m really excited about that … But the transition has been very, very smooth,” he added.
In the wake of Vogt’s appointment, the Guardians officially bid farewell to Francona, who led the organization for 11 years.
Under Francona’s leadership, the Guardians secured six playoff berths, ultimately winning the American League Pennant in 2016, although they were defeated by the Chicago Cubs in the World Series.
Now, the Vogt era begins in Cleveland as the organization attempts to make the most out of their “moneyball” approach.
What do you think of the hire???