Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt lingered in the team’s dugout after the final out of the season, letting the moment fill him with pain, but also determination.
As the New York Yankees celebrated their victory in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series on Saturday, Vogt, who took his team further than anyone expected in his first year as manager in major league baseball, observed them.
He made himself a promise. “I want to get there next year and that will never stop motivating me,” he said.
While the defeat was still painful, three days later, Vogt and key leaders of the Guardians’ staff met with members of the media on Tuesday to look back on the club’s remarkable journey into 2024 and discuss their plans to attempt to repeat it.
It was to be a year of rebuilding. The reality was quite different.
While .500 was the goal with one of the youngest teams in the major leagues, the Guardians seized first place in April and then took off.
They won 92 games to clinch the title of the Central Section of the American, suddenly becoming the most competitive in baseball. They erased a 2-1 deficit in the sectional series against the Detroit Tigers and then held off the Yankees as best they could, notably winning a magical third game with a decisive home run.
However, they were three victories short of participating in the World Series. The disappointment is therefore very real, but the development of the Guardians is just as real.
“We know that there are aspects in which we must improve,” Vogt said. We learned a lot about our team. I learned a lot about this job and how to navigate through the season. We checked all the boxes, apart from winning the last match of the year, which is the goal.
Exactly a year ago, the club looked towards the unknown. Terry Francona, the winningest manager in club history, resigned after 11 seasons, leaving a huge void.
But Vogt made his place.
Once a catcher shuttling between the major and minor leagues, Vogt was hired by the Guardians despite his lack of experience. He arrived with a reputation for being diligent and hard-working, but also an excellent teammate known for his comedic impersonations.
He succeeded in making the jump to manager with flying colors.
“We had very high expectations,” said Chris Antonetti, president of baseball operations for the club. Stephen got our heads above water. What he was able to bring as a new manager is a marvel to me. “You couldn’t expect someone to do what he did in his first year, regardless of position, with such success.”
Vogt was not perfect. He’s made his share of mistakes, and probably a major one in the last game when he opted to leave Tanner Bibee on the mound against Giancarlo Stanton in the sixth inning with a 2-0 lead. The Yankees batter then hit a two-run long ball to tie the game.
Vogt said he has no regrets.
“When it works, it works,” he said. And when it doesn’t, you’re wrong. That’s how this job works. I learned this year, so I wouldn’t change a thing.
“Except maybe the way it ended.”
