The Mariners announced on Friday that Angels assistant GM Scott Servais has been hired as the team’s next manager. While there’s been no official announcement in regards to the coaching staff, Angels special assistant Tim Bogar is expected to be named bench coach. Both men worked closely with new Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto in his time as Angels general manager.
Dipoto is quoted in the press release announcing the move: “Through the course of the 20-plus years I’ve known Scott, I’ve come to see him as one of the most complete, well balanced and inclusive baseball people in the industry. … He is a communicator with strong baseball acumen and leadership skills. I truly believe his strong character and career experiences as a player, coach and executive have prepared him for this opportunity.”
Servais himself expressed excitement for the opportunity as well: “It has long been my goal to manage a big league team and while I took a slightly different path than many, I am confident in my ability to lead. We have a terrific core of players and I’m looking forward to bringing in a coaching staff that will help me establish a winning culture here as we work toward putting a championship-caliber team on the field for the fans of the Northwest.”
Servais, 48, is a former Major League catcher that enjoyed an 11-year playing career. He began his career as an executive working in the Rangers’ front office before being hired away by the Angels to serve as assistant GM and oversee the team’s scouting and player development operations. This offseason, Servais has interviewed for the Padres’ managerial role and the Angels’ GM vacancy, though the latter of the two positions went to former Yankees AGM Billy Eppler.
The Servais decision will continue the increasingly popular trend of hiring rookie managers, as we’ve seen names such as Mike Matheny, Walt Weiss, Robin Ventura, Brad Ausmus, Craig Counsell, Matt Williams and Paul Molitor hired without prior managerial experience in recent years. Some of those names (Williams and Molitor) did come with coaching experience, and others (Ausmus and Counsell) were similar to Servais in that each had experience working in a front office.
Bogar formerly served as the Rangers’ bench coach and was Texas’ interim manager when Ron Washington abruptly resigned late in the 2014 season. However, upon being passed over for the permanent opening, which went to Jeff Banister — Bogar did interview and was a consideration — he joined the Angels’ front office as a special assistant to Dipoto. He’ll now be with his third AL West club in a three-year span.
Adding Servais and Bogar to the Mariners’ dugout will give Dipoto a rapport with his field staff that he very obviously lacked in Anaheim. Dipoto’s summer resignation from his post as Angels GM was said to be fueled largely by feuds with manager Mike Scioscia over his distaste for being provided with analytical input from the Halos’ front office, and reports have since indicated that pitching coach Mike Butcher was also resistant to receiving that type of input from Dipoto and the rest of the front office. Servais and Bogar figure to be much more open to that style of input, which should be a significant departure from former Mariners skipper Lloyd McClendon, who employed a more traditional approach to his on-field duties.
Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times reported that Servais had been hired (via Twitter) and added in a second tweet that Bogar would be the bench coach. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported last night that Servais had emerged as the front-runner for the position.
Photo courtesy of Seattle Mariners media relations.
Times have changed, but racism has not. In 1987, lack of experience was cited as the reason for not hiring minorities as managers. Now that
minorities do have experience, experience is not quite so essential. Google Boy Club has replaced the Good Ole Boy Club.
To those who would say that color doesn’t matter, I agree, but it seems to matter to these GM’s, consciously or unconsciously. I detest throwing the race card out there, but I can’t ignore this disturbing trend. I thought MLB was breaking out of that a few years ago, but with only one minority is a manager’s position, it’s evident that there is a problem. When Ozzie Guillen, Bo Porter or Ron Washington get another chance, I’ll believe there’s no problem. When Joey Cora or Raul Ibanez get their first chance, I’ll believe there’s no problem.
It’s nothing personal against Jerry DiPoto or the Mariners, but it’s an indictment on the industry as a whole.
Race is no reason to not give someone a managing job. But it’s no reason to simply hand them the job either. I wouldn’t lose sleep over it as long as the interview process is genuine and the best candidate is chosen.
The question remains is the interview process genuine. Black candidates are in a catch 22. They may suspect that their interview is just to comply with MLB requirements but if they decline an interview based on that suspicion they can’t very well complain. I don’t have an answer but the issue is real.
I do think that you’re overblowing this way out of proportion. If you look at each case on an individual basis you might think differently.
-McClendon- Nothing really to do with him, it’s just that Dipoto wanted full control after the Angels debacle. Plus he is really close with Servais.
-Dusty Baker- He is known now for being just an OK manager, who doesn’t have the best success in the postseason, plus his history of overworking pitching when pitching is the center of today’s game.
-Ozzie Guillen- Had one solid year then didn’t perform. Constantly made inflammatory remarks, then lead a dreadful Marlins club that was hyped to be good.
-Ron Washington- The obvious substance abuse issues, need I say more?
-Bo Porter- Probably the best candidate on this list, and will probably get another shot soon enough. He has been rumored for the Nationals, if they want to go with another younger manager.
Race card again…. Yawn….
I don’t disagree with OP. Every time I see four white guys and one black/Hispanic/Asian person interviewed, I notice it. And one of the white guys always gets the job.
The industry (MLB) is available to all races. Dont blame baseball because few minorities in the USA choose baseball. Various reasons are to blame.
Manny Acta was one of the worst managers I’ve seen.
seattle angels.
Now who will Dipoto blame for his bad trades and signings? He blamed Arts Moreno and Mike Scioscia for every bad trade and signing with the Angels. In Seattle he has has full personal control and his hand pick puppet as manager. So in 2 years after he signs the next Joe Blaton and signs Matt Joyce, because antilicks say they are good players. I will be feeling sorry for M’s fans.
Well to defend Dipoto, they signed Pujols to a massive contract, then told him to cobble together a rotation with the remaining scraps, not an easy thing. Though I agree the Joyce trade was a huge whiff.
Giving Blaton 17 million over2 years when no other team even offered him a one year deal worth 5 million. Waldon for Hanson was horrible trade as well. Pujols deal paid for itself. Since when they signed him the Angels got a hudge new tv deal.
I get the impression that Dipoto’s job was mostly giving Moreno and Scioscia what they wanted.
If that were really the case, the Angels would still have an action offense full of aggressive play, stolen bases, takin the extra base, etc. And they never would’ve traded Howie Kendrick, and never would’ve acquired Chris Iannetta or Matt Joyce. Dipoto tried to make it the other way around. He took away Sciascia’s philosophy, and implemented a regime centered around high OBP, power, and station to station baseball. In order to achieve this, Dipoto made sure all player development and scouting went straight through the front office. This is the part where the resistance from coaches and players began. As a GM, you have to let your coaching staff do their jobs. GM’s should GM. And managers should manage. Dipoto was too overzealous about making his mark instead of getting Mike Scioscia exactly what he needed to win.
Thank you for explaining the truth behind this situation so succinctly. People don’t want to think that Dipoto blew it, but he did. I can’t believe he got a job after what he pulled in Anaheim. Mike S. is a manager with a proven winning record. The Angels are lucky to have him.
This was Dipoto’s choice to replace Mike Scioscia if Dipoto had continued to implement his regime within the Angels’ front office. Well, looks like he finally got his manager. Just glad it’s with the Mariners and not with the Angels.