Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt celebrates in the locker room after the Guardians defeated the Detroit Tigers in Game 5 of the American League District Series on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
CLEVELAND — Stephen Vogt remained in the Cleveland dugout after his final outing of the season, filling the moment with both pain and purpose.
On Saturday night, as the New York Yankees hugged each other on the field for a Game 5 victory that clinched their first AL championship since 2009, the Guardians, in his first season as a major league manager, were more than anyone could have imagined. said Vogt, who guided the team deep into the postseason. I saw it.
He made a promise to himself.
“I want that again next year. That’s never going to stop driving me.” Vogt said.
With the ALCS loss still fresh in their minds three days later, Voigt and Cleveland’s front office executives met with members of the media on Tuesday to discuss plans to recapture the club’s remarkable run and achieve success again in 2024. We talked.
This year was supposed to be a year of rebuilding. It was more than that.
The Guardians, who had one of the youngest rosters in baseball history and were expected to hit .500, took over the lead in April and made a breakthrough.
They won 92 games and dominated the AL Central Division, which suddenly became MLB’s most competitive division. Then, the Guardians rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat Detroit in the Division Series, pushing the star-studded Yankees at full speed and clinching a magical walk-off home run victory in Game 3 at home. I couldn’t get to three more wins. of the World Series.
The disappointment is real, but so is the fact that Guardians has grown.
“We knew there were things we needed to improve on and we learned a lot about the players.” Vogt said. “We learned a lot about our staff, we learned a lot about how to do this job and how to get through the first season as we do. We checked all the boxes that we could, and that’s the goal.”
A year ago at this time, the club was heading into a frightening unknown. Terry Francona, the winningest manager in club history and a surefire Hall of Famer, left after 11 seasons, leaving a huge void.
Mr. Vogt appears. He filled it in full.
The journeyman catcher was hired by the Guardians even though he had never coached a game at any level. He came in with a reputation for being hard-working, hard-working, and a great teammate known for his hilarious comical impersonations.
He established himself as a manager.
“We had really high expectations.” Chris Antonetti, the team’s director of baseball operations, said: “Stephen blew them all out of the water. It’s amazing to me that he was able to contribute as a rookie to this job. He accomplished what he did in his first year in any position. You can’t expect a player to be this successful.”
Antonetti noted how Vogt interacted with the players, both personally and professionally, from the time he arrived. He gave them support and space and was able to get more out of them than they ever expected.
After a tough Game 5 loss in overtime, Antonetti said there was a parade of players outside Vogt’s office waiting to give him hugs and thank him.
“It was very powerful to watch.” Antonetti said.
Vogt wasn’t perfect. He made mistakes, too, but perhaps the big one in Cleveland’s final game was in the sixth inning with a 2-0 lead when he forced Tanner Bibby to throw to Giancarlo Stanton with the bases loaded and the Yankees slugger was forced to pitch to Giancarlo Stanton. That was when I hit. Game-tying two-run home run.
Vogt said he plans to walk away with no regrets.
“When things go well, they work.” he said. “And when you’re not, you’re wrong. That’s how this job works. I learned that this year, and I wouldn’t go back and change anything.”
Except maybe the way it ends.
Bye bye, beaver?
Shane Bieber’s 2024 season ended with two starts. It also likely could have ended his career in Cleveland.
The 2020 Cy Young Award winner will be a free agent this winter, and the right-hander is expected to sign elsewhere as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Bieber was drafted by Cleveland and started 134 games, posting a 62-32 record.
If Bieber pitched in his final game for the Guardians, Antonetti said he left behind a legacy.
“He sets the standard for how our athletes approach their work, not only during competition but between starts.” he said. “Hopefully he can come here and continue that in person. But if not, his impact here will be felt for a long time.”
first things first
All-Star first baseman Josh Naylor has only one more season left under contract control and has been mentioned in trade speculation for months.
The Guardians will likely be approached about Naylor, which happens to most players, but the team doesn’t appear to be in a hurry to part ways with the power hitter.
“Our expectation is that Josh will be the anchor of our team in 2025, but beyond that, who knows?” Antonetti said. “At the same time, he’s a really good player and there will be other teams that will call us and ask about different players and that will naturally happen over the winter.”
“But our hope and expectation is that he will be with us on opening day next year.”
