Cleveland — Last year at this time, Progressive Field was closed for the year. The Guardians missed the playoffs, and its longstanding manager, Terry Francona, had announced his retirement.
Cleveland was looking to hire for the first time in 11 years after firing their winningest coach in club history.
“Hopefully, we can find a leader who is aligned and shares similar beliefs and values while also helping us grow and improve as an organization,” stated Guardians President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti in October 2023.
That search led to the selection of first-time manager Stephen Vogt, who was only two years removed from a 10-year MLB career.
“For once in my profession, I’m the youthful man. “I’ve always been the old guy,” Vogt quipped during his debut press conference in November.
No one could have predicted Vogt’s success as a first-year manager. In September, he joined Francona as the only other manager to guide Cleveland to the playoffs in their debut season. But Vogt kept going. He was the only Clevelander to win a postseason game in Their first season began with Game 1 of the ALDS against the Tigers. The 7-0 victory was the biggest for a rookie manager in MLB history. One week later, he became Cleveland’s only first-year manager to win a playoff series, as the Guardians defeated the Tigers 7-3 in Game 5 to advance to the ALCS. “Stephen has been fantastic. We would not be here without him. His consistent leadership since day one, the climate he creates—it’s clear the guys adore him and enjoy playing for him,” Antonetti told News 5 exclusively in the clubhouse following the game.
But the work isn’t finished yet. Vogt leads the Guardians in their chase of their first World Series victory in 76 years, and the team already has two championships. Cleveland earned their first championship in 1920. Tris Speaker took over as manager the previous year and led Cleveland to the championship in his first full season as skipper.
If Cleveland wants to add a third title to their resume, they must defeat the New York Yankees in a best-of-seven series.
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