Former Braves catchers get hired, fired as MLB managers
There's a saying that catchers are often the smartest people on a baseball field.
It makes sense that the position would be self-selecting for intelligence - they're the only ones with the entire game in front of them, watching it unfold in every single pitch and every single at-bat.
It requires not only great observation skills, but a deep understanding of the game and game-planning - the catcher is typically calling the pitches and guiding a starter or reliever through each at-bat.
That's probably way an inordinate number of catchers become managers.
Two former Atlanta Braves catchers had their post-playing managerial career see significant changes today.
Former backup catcher Stephen Vogt, who played for Atlanta down the stretch in 2021 after being acquired at the trade deadline from the Arizona Diamondbacks, was hired as the new manager of the Cleveland Guardians today.
Vogt, 39, is a first-time manager given a tall task - replacing a Hall of Fame legend in the retiring Terry Francona.
Vogt was given a three-year deal as he seeks to get Cleveland back to the postseason - the Guardians, a postseason team from last year, went 76-86 in the AL Central behind an anemic offense that hit less home runs as a team (124) than Atlanta's 1-4 hitters, who hit 165 collectively.
Just hours after Vogt was announced as the manager of the Guardians, another former Braves catcher was losing his job - David Ross, manager of the Chicago Cubs, was replaced by former Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell.
Counsell, who was expected to follow former Brewers general manager David Stearns to New York and take the Mets open manager job, instead was given the largest contract for a manager in MLB history by Chicago - 5 years and more than $40M - to succeed Ross.
Ross, who batted .269/.353/.463 over four seasons with Atlanta from 2009-2012, went 262-284 over four seasons as manager of the Cubs. Despite finishing with a winning record in 2023, going 83-79, there was disappointment in Chicago after the Cubs missed a NL Wild Card spot by one game over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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