Last offseason, the Cleveland Guardians were tasked with replacing the most successful manager in franchise history.
Finding someone to take over for Terry Francona wasn’t easy, but the organization took its time and interviewed several candidates.
One of them stood out: Stephen Vogt.
The longtime catcher had just one season of experience as a coach, but his baseball knowledge and ability to lead men and convince them to believe in themselves and the power of teamwork gave him the job.
Guardians general manager Mike Chernoff recently revealed his reaction to Vogt’s interview.
“Five minutes into the first interview with him I was like, ‘Wow, this guy is blowing me away,'” Chernoff said, via MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM.
"Five minutes into the first interview with him I was like, wow, this guy is blowing me away!"
Mike Chernoff reflects on Stephen Vogt's first year as the #Guardians manager:#SpringTrainingTour | #ForTheLand | @CleGuardians
🔗https://t.co/PafVPSYiAo pic.twitter.com/41NXU7hD9a— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) March 5, 2025
Chernoff then said a line that will make all Guardians fans smile.
“[Vogt] not only embraced the foundation of what [Terry Francona] had built here but made it stronger, I think in a lot of ways,” the GM said.
That’s enormous praise for what Vogt accomplished in his first year as a manager.
He helped young players establish themselves as reliable contributors, won the AL Central, took a playoff series after being down, and was three wins away from making the World Series.
Now, Vogt is obsessed with finding ways to improve on what the team did last year.
He cares about the city and the fans, but above all things, he seems like a genuinely nice guy.
And nice guys don’t always finish last. They usually win a lot.
NEXT: Guardians First Baseman Flashes The Leather With Fantastic Cactus League Play
