Baseball said goodbye to a future Hall of Famer at the end of the 2023 season. Terry Francona exited the Cleveland Guardians as the franchise's all-time leader in wins and
On the other hand, the organization also welcomed a new name to the game as Stephen Vogt took over as the head skipper of the team. This is a position he's long waited to have and those around the sport believe he's perfect for the job.
But the elephant in the room remains. How does Vogt succeed an all-time great like Tito? Vogt isn't thinking about it this way at all.
It actually feels good," said Vogt (via MLB Network). When you're replacing someone like Tito, you can't replace him. Everybody asks, 'How are you going to fill his shoes?' I'm like, 'I'm not.'"
This is the best mindset for Vogt to have. The only way he's going to grow and learn is by doing things his own way and yes that means making some mistakes at times. Trying to replicate Tito's style and doing exactly what he did just won't work. They're two entirely different people.
Vogt did say that he is "lucky to be in Cleveland" because of the state of the organization when Francona stepped down. This is a big deal. It's more common for first-year managers to enter a rebuilding situation with a long plan
"Really, it's understanding what we have done well. He left this place in such a good place. Now, it's let's pick up where you guys left off, and let's see how much better we can get moving forward."
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