CLEVELAND, OH - For new Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, Friday's introductory press conference was the start of a path he's wanted for some time, as he was officially introduced as the club's 45th manager in the team's history.
"I feel like I've been planning for this for a long time," Vogt said in the introductory press conference on Friday. "It started in 2009 when I was with the Tampa Bay Rays as a minor leaguer and unfortunately had a shoulder injury early in the year. [I] sat down with my manager and asked them for the opportunity to be in the dugout [for] home games and really [learn] to become a coach. [I kind of] dove into [the managerial] side of the game."
"My dad said from the time I could walk, I had a bat in my hand and was swinging it, just the romanticism of baseball," Vogt told reporters following the press conference. "I love the game … just what it takes to play this game every day."
Vogt, 39, spent his first season as a professional coach in Seattle as Bullpen and Quality Control Coach for the 2023 season, following his retirement as a player in 2022. He was a two-time All-Star across his ten year career as a player, where he played for six teams, including winning the World Series with the Atlanta Braves in 2021.
Cleveland Guardians new manager Stephen Vogt addressing the Cleveland media at his introductory press conference.Mac Robinson - 92.3 The Fan (Cleveland)
"We're thrilled to welcome Stephen and his family to Northeast 0hio and to name him the next manager of the Cleveland Guardians," said Chris Antonetti, President of Baseball Operations, in a press release announcing the hire. "Stephen earned a reputation as one of the best teammates in the game across his 16-year career as a player, and we've greatly enjoyed the opportunity to get to know him over the past several weeks."
"Stephen has thought critically about the type of leader and manager he wants to be," Antonetti continued." "His deep care for others, his ability to build meaningful relationships with those around him, and his open-mindedness and curiosity make him an ideal fit to lead our clubs moving forward. We couldn't be more excited to partner with Stephen."
In addition to Vogt, the club announced Craig Albernaz as the team's Major League Field Coordinator. Albernaz, 41, spent the past four seasons as the bullpen coach for the San Francisco Giants. He also previously played alongside Vogt while in the Minor Leagues.
When Albernaz was asked about Vogt's quality or trait will best translate to the major league manager position, his answer was simple: how genuine he is.
"I think it's especially this day and age with the young players coming up," Albernaz told reporters after Vogt's press conference. "They're exposed to so much more than you have in the past as far as data in college and in the tech and evaluation so they already know who they are and what they've been exposed to. So it's really tough to bull**** players. They see through that and with Stephen there is nothing to that, like he straight up with you. He's genuine and everything comes from a place of caring."
"With Stephen, he was that grinder, old guy and he was also a two-time all-star and a World Series champion with Atlanta, so he's been on all sides of the ball," Albernaz continued. "He can relate to every player. I think you just have that person that's young-in-age, in that leadership position, the players are gonna gravitate to the guy. I'm just excited to see just the players interact with him because it's gonna be a fun, different environment."
Vogt will make his managerial debut on March 28, 2024 against the Oakland Athletics, where he spent six seasons as a player including his final season in 2022.
