🏀 Stephen Vogt: Used to the Big Stage

There comes a time in every person’s life when they have to decide what they want to do with their life. I’m not talking about just a job, I’m talking what type of person they want to be, how they want to treat others, and how they want to make an impact. Stephen Vogt, by profession, is the Manager of the Cleveland Guardians, but he’s so much more than that.

To be an MLB manager you have to be a lot of different things: a communicator, a leader, knowledgeable, gutsy, and confident. Steven Vogt is a lot of these things and more. But how he got to be where he is now was anything but conventional, much like his playing career. In his first year as manager of the Cleveland Guardians, he has led his ball club to the ALCS.

Vogt was a 12th-round pick out of Azusa Pacific University and was pretty much unknown in the Rays organization. This all changed in a talent show during spring training in 2012. He went up there and did impersonations of then Rays manager Joe Maddon, and assistant coaches Matt Quatraro and Mitch Lukevics. He killed it. He took home the $2,000 pot, but he won much more than that that day.

Vogt was part of the Minor League camp, but anytime the Rays needed someone, they started calling up Vogt. He was a perfect fit on the roster, he meshed well, and he was also an incredibly meticulous and hard-working player. He still is, but the thing that most impressed the Rays about Vogt, was his confidence.

Vogt was raised in a music family, he had been singing and acting all his life, hence his comfort and talent during the talent show. Vogt was in the church choir, on the stage in plays and musicals, and performing solos in front of large crowds at a very young age. That’s how you grow confidence. When you can do impersonations, voices, and mannerisms, it shows you are observant and able to focus on the little things that make big differences, perfect for a manager. Even when he wasn’t preparing to be a manager, he was sculpting himself into one.

The people who know Vogt the baseball guy can attest to his level of detail. He asks questions, he wants to know why, he prepares like no other, and he listens. He also understands the times to lock in and the times when he can be more laid back, the guy who does impressions. It’s a very delicate balance that can provide unreal benefits when done correctly. Your staff and players not only like you, but they respect you.

Vogt’s MLB playing career started unreal adversity, going 0-32 batting after being called up. That’s the fourth longest hitless streak to start a career in MLB History. Even then, Vogt was not shaken. He went on to have two All-Star seasons in the MLB, including some incredible years with the Oakland Athletics. He even hit a home run in his last MLB at-bat.

Whether the stage is for theatre or for baseball, Vogt will be comfortable and confident. He’ll be himself, he won’t be afraid, and he’ll do it his way. His Cleveland Guardians will take on the New York Yankees for a chance at a World Series appearance and an AL pennant.

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