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CLEVELAND -- In the two and a half years in which Stephen Vogt has been the manager of the Guardians, he joked that some extra gray hair and he's put on a few more pounds. But he's also grown up, in his own words, and through that, he's learning patience.
It might be a major factor as to why the Guardians, despite the odds and circumstances piled up against them, continue to rack up wins with him at the helm.
The Guardians have won two American League Central titles in Vogt's first two seasons, and a recent surge fueled by back-to-back walk-off wins against the Chicago White Sox has Cleveland again in first place in the division this year.
Cleveland's roster under Vogt has remained one of the youngest in baseball. This season, in addition to the seventh-youngest roster by average age, the Guardians have needed an influx of prospects making their rookie debuts, the result of a series of injuries. It's been a parade of firsts. From the manager's office, it means trying to win with a group of players largely composed of human beings who haven't gone through this before. And that human element sometimes means rookie gaffes, like Cooper Ingle accidentally tossing the ball into the stands with two outs.
A major element of a manager's job, in addition to the thousands of daily tasks to complete and conversations to have, is to keep the bigger picture in mind as much as possible, and to roll with certain punches as they come.
"I'm learning how to be patient," Vogt recently said. "I think that's the one thing I'd say, two and a half years, I learn something new every day. I never want to stop learning. There's new experiences and I'm sure, Lord willing, if I get to do this for a long time, I'm going to keep learning. Until you go through things for the first time, there's no playbook."
Perhaps it has helped Vogt understand the plight of so many rookies trying to win now on a contending team to a greater degree than others might have in his position. It is a human game, after all, with 26 different life situations unfolding at the same time within the same clubhouse. The Guardians have won back-to-back AL Central crowns while overcoming a great deal. Last season, it was an alleged gambling scandal and a 15.5-game deficit. This year, it was the loss of three key players within a few hours of each other, two of which haven't yet returned.
While lineup and bullpen decisions receive the most attention, it'd be impossible to ignore Vogt's steadiness as a factor in the Guardians being in first place, even without star third baseman Jose Ramirez in the lineup.
"Everybody's on their own career path. ... Baseball's an individual game, played for a team outcome," Vogt said. "It's about where each person is on any given day, and it's exciting when someone makes their major league debut and it's fun to watch somebody experience all their firsts and you get to be there and watch and help them through it."
It should be noted that the AL Central, as a whole, has struggled this season, which has given the Guardians some runway to deal with their own issues. But it also cannot be understated how Cleveland has recovered from losing three key hitters -- Ramirez, Angel Martinez and Chase DeLauter -- all on the same night. The Guardians have not only weathered that storm so far, they've pulled off back-to-back walk-off wins against the White Sox on July 2 and July 3 to overtake them for the divisional lead.
It was an immense amount of value that was lost from a lineup that, on paper, shouldn't have been able to afford it. And yet, the Guardians have not only remained afloat, they keep surging forward.
Considering Ramirez's importance to the lineup, it might be one of the Guardians' most impressive feats in recent memory, along with the 15.5-game comeback last summer. All the while, Vogt has been a constant presence to help steady the ship and navigate some tough waters.
"Yeah I think if you look at the last three weeks, I'd be lying if I said we weren't all pressing in Milwaukee, myself included," Vogt said. "That was such a big hit to use to lose three guys in one game -- really doesn't happen. ... We're human beings. We have emotions, we have feelings, we have all that stuff."
There's plenty of credit to go around, of course. Brayan Rocchio has been shifted all around the lineup and handled it well, including the July 2 walk-off home run. Austin Hedges has put together his best offensive season, which has boosted the bottom of the order's production. Travis Bazzana and DeLauter have taken on major roles at the top of the lineup. It's all played into Cleveland trying to survive a few weeks without their star third baseman.
The trio of sudden injuries also pushed the Guardians into needing additional contributions from prospects like Ingle, a catcher who has been asked to at times man left field, a position he had played in a handful of times in Triple-A before his promotion to the majors. He's had a couple of rough moments, and Vogt and the rest of the Guardians have stood by him along the way.
It's in part because Vogt continues to learn, continues to lean on patience, and October is the goal.
"I mean, there's no formula. Our players that are here are here, and we're going to keep working to get them better," Vogt said of managing younger players who don't yet have as much experience. "We have to have a little bit of a zoom-out. We're building for October. And the guys that are here are going to play a role on that team, and they're getting experience. They're going through firsts.
"It doesn't do any good to harp on someone that makes a mistake. It's love on them. ... We're asking a lot of these young players and they're answering it."
Ryan Lewis covers the Guardians for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: The lessons Stephen Vogt has learned to help navigate youthful Guardians
Continue reading...
It might be a major factor as to why the Guardians, despite the odds and circumstances piled up against them, continue to rack up wins with him at the helm.
The Guardians have won two American League Central titles in Vogt's first two seasons, and a recent surge fueled by back-to-back walk-off wins against the Chicago White Sox has Cleveland again in first place in the division this year.
Cleveland's roster under Vogt has remained one of the youngest in baseball. This season, in addition to the seventh-youngest roster by average age, the Guardians have needed an influx of prospects making their rookie debuts, the result of a series of injuries. It's been a parade of firsts. From the manager's office, it means trying to win with a group of players largely composed of human beings who haven't gone through this before. And that human element sometimes means rookie gaffes, like Cooper Ingle accidentally tossing the ball into the stands with two outs.
A major element of a manager's job, in addition to the thousands of daily tasks to complete and conversations to have, is to keep the bigger picture in mind as much as possible, and to roll with certain punches as they come.
"I'm learning how to be patient," Vogt recently said. "I think that's the one thing I'd say, two and a half years, I learn something new every day. I never want to stop learning. There's new experiences and I'm sure, Lord willing, if I get to do this for a long time, I'm going to keep learning. Until you go through things for the first time, there's no playbook."
Guardians see heavy influx of rookies in 2026
Perhaps it has helped Vogt understand the plight of so many rookies trying to win now on a contending team to a greater degree than others might have in his position. It is a human game, after all, with 26 different life situations unfolding at the same time within the same clubhouse. The Guardians have won back-to-back AL Central crowns while overcoming a great deal. Last season, it was an alleged gambling scandal and a 15.5-game deficit. This year, it was the loss of three key players within a few hours of each other, two of which haven't yet returned.
While lineup and bullpen decisions receive the most attention, it'd be impossible to ignore Vogt's steadiness as a factor in the Guardians being in first place, even without star third baseman Jose Ramirez in the lineup.
"Everybody's on their own career path. ... Baseball's an individual game, played for a team outcome," Vogt said. "It's about where each person is on any given day, and it's exciting when someone makes their major league debut and it's fun to watch somebody experience all their firsts and you get to be there and watch and help them through it."
Guardians standings in AL Central
It should be noted that the AL Central, as a whole, has struggled this season, which has given the Guardians some runway to deal with their own issues. But it also cannot be understated how Cleveland has recovered from losing three key hitters -- Ramirez, Angel Martinez and Chase DeLauter -- all on the same night. The Guardians have not only weathered that storm so far, they've pulled off back-to-back walk-off wins against the White Sox on July 2 and July 3 to overtake them for the divisional lead.
It was an immense amount of value that was lost from a lineup that, on paper, shouldn't have been able to afford it. And yet, the Guardians have not only remained afloat, they keep surging forward.
Considering Ramirez's importance to the lineup, it might be one of the Guardians' most impressive feats in recent memory, along with the 15.5-game comeback last summer. All the while, Vogt has been a constant presence to help steady the ship and navigate some tough waters.
"Yeah I think if you look at the last three weeks, I'd be lying if I said we weren't all pressing in Milwaukee, myself included," Vogt said. "That was such a big hit to use to lose three guys in one game -- really doesn't happen. ... We're human beings. We have emotions, we have feelings, we have all that stuff."
There's plenty of credit to go around, of course. Brayan Rocchio has been shifted all around the lineup and handled it well, including the July 2 walk-off home run. Austin Hedges has put together his best offensive season, which has boosted the bottom of the order's production. Travis Bazzana and DeLauter have taken on major roles at the top of the lineup. It's all played into Cleveland trying to survive a few weeks without their star third baseman.
The trio of sudden injuries also pushed the Guardians into needing additional contributions from prospects like Ingle, a catcher who has been asked to at times man left field, a position he had played in a handful of times in Triple-A before his promotion to the majors. He's had a couple of rough moments, and Vogt and the rest of the Guardians have stood by him along the way.
It's in part because Vogt continues to learn, continues to lean on patience, and October is the goal.
"I mean, there's no formula. Our players that are here are here, and we're going to keep working to get them better," Vogt said of managing younger players who don't yet have as much experience. "We have to have a little bit of a zoom-out. We're building for October. And the guys that are here are going to play a role on that team, and they're getting experience. They're going through firsts.
"It doesn't do any good to harp on someone that makes a mistake. It's love on them. ... We're asking a lot of these young players and they're answering it."
Ryan Lewis covers the Guardians for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: The lessons Stephen Vogt has learned to help navigate youthful Guardians
Continue reading...
