The first impression is one that’s hard to shake, for better or worse.
That’s what Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt has been faced with this week with his ball club. Vogt was hired as manager in November by the organization to replace future Hall of Fame manager Terry Francona, and despite being in contact with most of the players on the roster, he hadn’t met face to face with the majority of the team until this week.
“It’s been a lot of fun, the last couple of days,” says Vogt. “Finally getting to see people in person and no longer Zooming, or on the phone or texting and just get to meet everybody, see their personalities.”
The first impression for Vogt is important. At this level, being a manager isn’t necessarily about coaching baseball, but rather handling the personalities of the 26 guys in the clubhouse on an everyday basis. While he’s been able to connect previously with players, there’s no substitute for being able to connect in person. It helped that the team held an informal workout in the area over the weekend and he got to see some baseball activity, too.
“To watch some baseball yesterday, we watched the pitchers throw some bullpens, guys take some swings, it's fun that we're getting closer to baseball.”
While many of the organization’s players were in town for Guards Fest on Saturday, it was just as important for the players to get their first impression of Vogt as it was for him to be impressed by them.
“I've had a couple phone calls, but yeah, seeing him in person was really cool,” says outfielder Steven Kwan. “We kind of get his energy right away, super genuine, really authentic. Yeah, it was good and all the interaction.”
For some, including first baseman Josh Naylor, it’s not the first impression of Vogt as a person, it’s just the first impression of him as the manager.
“Awesome. Obviously, I played against them. And it was 2021. I played against him. And he's a great guy. He's a gamer. He loves baseball. He loves to win. So, it sounds like you look for people who think he's a great human being. So, we're all super excited to have him and the rest of the staff.”
While Vogt is replacing Francona in the managerial role, he’s not replacing who Francona is as a person. He’s not in Cleveland to be a clone of the previous leader, or anyone else for that matter. He’s in Cleveland to be himself.
There’s no telling what this year will bring, or how Vogt will fare as a manager. But the first impression in Cleveland is in the process of being made.
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