The Cleveland Guardians lost two games on Saturday, which felt like a bucket of cold water being thrown onto what had been a very hot team to this point.
Still, it’s important not to lose perspective on what they have achieved to this point.
They are still 9-5, and have the will and the pieces to start winning again.
Their new manager, Stephen Vogt, has been very important behind the early success.
He has been a calm presence who trusts his players and has managed his pieces correctly.
Being a manager is very, very different than being a player, though, and Vogt has been experiencing it.
He retired recently, in 2022, so he can attest to the differences between the two roles.
In a recent interview, he highlighted a notable one.
“Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said the ‘winding down’ process is very different than as a player. He’s appreciating the importance of sleep,” Cleveland sports reporter Tom Withers tweeted.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said the “winding down” process is very different than as a player. He’s appreciating the importance of sleep.
— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) April 14, 2024
Being a player means big responsibilities to your teammates and yourself, but at the end of the day, baseball is a team sport and individual influence on the final score is fairly limited.
When you are the skipper, you feel the weight of the team, its hopes and dreams, on your back.
You are in charge of everyone, so the responsibilities and the stakes are much higher.
With that comes stress, anxiety, and other potential issues.
Sleep is usually a very good therapy: a good night of resting can help repair the body and soul.
These things are usually not discussed often, and it’s great that Vogt is mentioning them.
In a world in which managers are getting less credit than ever, they are still very important to a team’s success.
NEXT: Guardians Set To Mix Up The Starting Rotation
