Following the house cleaning of the Angels front office in 1999, general manager Bill Stoneman hired a new manager. The new on-field leader of the Angels? Tommy Lasorda.
Okay, we all know it wasn't Lasorda, but rather Mike Scioscia. But in all intents and purposes, it may have well been Lasorda as Scioscia's in-game management style emulates his former manager's. During his years with the Dodgers as a player (1980-1992), bench coach (1997 and 1998), and minor league manager (1999), Scioscia learned to manage using the "Lasorda Way" to major league success.
In Mark Saxon's article on Scioscia in the OC Register, it's speculated that Scioscia's management style is a result of being a catcher during his playing days,
Put yourself in Scioscia's old Dodgers cleats for a minute. Imagine the sweat trickling down your temples as you crouch, a nervous eye straying to Vince Coleman shuffling a step or two further from first base. You know that if you're perfect, Coleman might steal it anyway. If you're not, you could be embarrassed in front of 50,000 people.
Now, put yourself in Scioscia's spot on the Angels' bench. What kind of lineup would strike you as the most menacing?
While I don't disagree with Mr. Saxon's point of view, in fact I agree that Scoiscia's teams are built around aggressive base running, but his on-field management style is a clone of his former manager, the only major league manager Scioscia ever played for...Tommy Lasorda.
Prior to the hiring of Scioscia, the Angels were a slow-footed team having finished last in stolen bases in 1996, 11th in 1998, and 12th in 1999 (they finished 5th in 1997). Once Scioscia started running the offense, the team's stolen base rankings started to rise:
|
Angels' Stolen Base Rankings |
||||
| Year | Rank | Year | Rank | |
| 2000 | 7th | 2005 | 1st | |
| 2001 | 8th | 2006 | 1st | |
| 2002 | 3rd | 2007 | 2nd | |
| 2003 | 2nd | 2008 | 2nd | |
| 2004 | 1st | |||
Do you see a trend there? The first two seasons, the Angels were still rather slow, but when subsequent roster decisions were being made, players who could steal bases and go first-to-third started replacing the slower players. The Angels have been built around Scioscia's managing style.
Since the teams have been built to his speed/aggressive base running style, how does Scioscia use them? The same way the Dodgers used them. In the 1980's and 1990's, the Lasorda-led Dodgers were consistently among the league leaders in sacrifice hits, while almost always near the bottom in home runs. Even when the Dodger teams had plenty of power and were one of the best power hitting teams in the league, they were still at or near the top in sacrifice bunts:
| League Rank | ||
| Sac Bunts | Home Runs | |
| 1980 | 2nd | 1st |
| 1982 | 1st | 2nd |
| 1983 | 2nd | 1st |
The 1980 and 1990 Dodger teams loved to bunt, regardless if they had legitimate power in their batting order. During Scoiscia's playing days with the Dodger, the Dodgers ranked no lower than 3rd in the league in number of sacrifice bunts every season but one (in 1990 they ranked 8th):
|
Dodgers' Sacrifice Bunt Rankings |
||||
| Year | Rank | Year | Rank | |
| 1980 | 2nd | 1987 | 3rd | |
| 1982 | 1st | 1988 | 3rd | |
| 1983 | 2nd | 1989 | 3rd | |
| 1984 | 1st | 1990 | 8th | |
| 1985 | 1st | 1991 | 2nd | |
| 1986 | 3rd | 1992 | 1st | |
This trend continued when Scoiscia returned to the Dodgers as their bench coach under manager Bill Russell. In 1997, the Dodgers led the league in sac bunts and during the 1998 season, the Dodgers had the second highest total of bunts. In 1999, Scioscia managed the Dodgers' triple-A farm team in Albuquerque. The Dukes were an average offensive team, finishing the season in the middle of the pack in all offensive categories except two; stolen bases (3rd) and sac bunts (1st).
I'm not intending to rip Scoiscia or his management style as his track record speaks for itself. The Angels are a fun to watch and have enjoyed successes never achieved prior to his arrival. Yet, I always hated the Dodgers.
1 recs | 19 comments
I always tip my cap to the Dodgers organization...
Thanks for developing a great manager.
Downing Rules - April 24, 2009
Well thought out and written post....
I love the Soth……he’s the man…….infact I love him so much that I spent 25 dollars on a baseball card of him at my local memoribilia shop here in Redding. I had never in my life ever considered buying a managers baseball card….(hell didnt even know they made em.)
Having said all that…..I dont mind Scioscia approach most of the time, however the game of baseball has changed alot……Nothing is as great of an equilizer or game changer as the HOME RUN……I mean look at our only WS win….we had guys who changed games because of their ability to hit the big FLY!
Now I also ask you to look at our recent postseason (lack) of sucess against the Red Sox. Whats the one thing thats been missing? THE HOME RUN. The ONE game last year the Angels won against the Sox in Fenway was because of 2 big shots from Napoli.
I figured if anything would change the mind of Soth and Co. It would have been that game.
But no…….This offense is built around streaky hitters. Minus Torii and probably Napoli (you could probably throw Rivera in there too) there is really no consistant power threat. So while its great when we have 15 hits and score 10 runs……..thats just not something that happens all that often.
So we have this guy (yes I know…another WOOD post) who can “possibly” bring a much needed influx of power to the lineup….and yet he languishes away in AAA or even worse…on the bench…..while we get to watch a Solo shot by Torii here and there and HOPE Figgy, Aybar, Izzy and co can slap out enough hits to possibly score 4 runs….
This is really the only gripe I have about Mike Scioscia…….and really when you look at results……..Its hard to argue with……..no matter how frustrating it is to watch…..
norcaliangelsfan - April 24, 2009
$25???? You were robbed! Was it autographed, too?
If so, you were still robbed…look at this bargain:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320362198630
Downing Rules - April 24, 2009
yeah but mine has him as a manager.....with a halos uniform on lol
and its one of those that has fabric from one of the hats……….
I didnt mind….the store has been good to me in the past and the owner always let me know when he gets new Angels and Bills stuff…….
norcaliangelsfan - April 24, 2009
I'm not surprised if you're paying him $25 a throw
The Limey - April 24, 2009
nah that one purchase is the most I've spent in his store at one time......
I bought about 250 Bills cards and 100 Angels card and didnt even spend 25 bucks total on those……..He gave me some nice discounts because that stuff just didnt sell……but this one Scioscia card is one I’ve never seen before……
Plus I got some nice coffee mugs and glasses (a set of 4) (Angels) for 5 bucks…..
So I’ve probably spent a total of 60 bucks in his store in the last year…….and got alot of stuff…it just so happens the Soth card was that expensive.
norcaliangelsfan - April 24, 2009
So, you can’t drop $70 skins for diamond club seats, but you dump $60 for useless paper that your kid will insert in his spokes to make cool clicking sounds??? ;)
Downing Rules - April 25, 2009
well it would be more than 70 bucks.......
considering gas down to Anaheim would run me almost 200 bucks ;)
norcaliangelsfan - April 26, 2009
I've got a whole stack of Mikey cards
ladybug - April 24, 2009
Mikey likes it!
Downing Rules - April 25, 2009
Scioscia
He does well with the lineup that he has and deserves a lot of credit for it. However, he doesn’t really make adjustments in the playoffs (a suicide squeeze really is suicide if everyone in the park is expecting it) and seems to have forgotten that the 2002 team had plenty of underrated power (Glaus, Salmon, Anderson) as well as guys who morphed into clutch homerun hitters (Kennedy, Spiezio). Recent teams have lacked this and stringing together a bunch of singles isn’t viable for sustained success in the playoffs given the caliber of pitching.
GoAngels! - April 25, 2009
let me get this straight
Salmon, Anderson, and Glaus in your eyes is “underrated power”? what kind of hitters were they considered? Kennedy and Spiezio were “clutch homerun hitters”? i didn’t know you can be a “clutch homerun hitter”. yeah i’m not going to disagree with you about the lack of pure power in the lineup in the last several years, especially compared to ’02.
HALO_86 - April 25, 2009
what i meant
I mean underrated in the sense that most non-Angels fans would not have any of those guys (except for Glaus) on their minds when asked to pick the power guys of the time.
As for clutch, Spiezio wasn’t really a power guy but he came through in multiple games with important homers and Kennedy had one glorious game. That counts as clutch in my book: contrast this with a guy like A-Rod, who would probably kill to have playoff games like that.
GoAngels! - April 27, 2009
i dont really have a stance on this right now
but a great piece of writing. you have a talent wihalofan, keep it up.
kingfish - April 25, 2009
Uh, because Lasorda faced the Cardinals in '80s, Scioscia = Whitey Herzog?
That doesn’t begin to make sense.
Though Lasorda did use more one-run strategies than your average manager, he wouldn’t lead the league in stolen bases, he would lead the league in COMPLETE GAMES AND HOMERS. Think about it for more than two seconds — what do you tangibly associate with Lasorda, aside from the rah-rah bullshit (which Sosh don’t do), the rubber chicken circuit (ditto), and the occasional disgusting displays of inhumanity (as un-Sosh like as it gets)? I think of three things:
1) Absolutely abusing the shit out of his starting pitchers (who he’d pile on innings until ruining their arms) and also his relievers (who he’d warm up 7 times a game, and mess with their confidence). Scioscia does not remotely handle his pitching staff this way.
2) Sacrificing — nay murdalizing — his defense in order to get a bat in his lineup. Lasorda would put Pedro Guerrero at 3B; Scioscia would put Chone Figgins (while blocking Brandon Wood). Dodgers constantly led the league in errors under Lasorda; the Angels have been pretty good at D.
3) Losing confidence, during the latter third of his career, in young talent. The Dodgers’ crop in the early ’90s (Pedro & Piazza & plenty of All-stars besides) should have produced multiple WS appearances. But he pissed them away. Scioscia? He occasionally blocks a player for a brief time, usually less than one year (Wood right now, Kotchman and MacPherson previously), and he occasionally defers to veterans, but he has successfully broken in more than a dozen key young players in not that long a time.
The biggest thing the two managers have in common is not each other’s game strategies, but the concept of organizational cohesion from Rookie League on up. This concept is hardly Lasorda’s invention; it was Branch Rickey’s. Just about every manager that emanated from the Dodgers system from 1950-onward took this approach. Though Lasorda was the most notorious salesman of it (with the whole “bleeding Dodger blue” thing), he was actually a much inferior practitioner of it, in terms of developing a consistent and identifiable Dodger Way, particularly in fundamentals. Scioscia, by far, has been more successful at changing & creating an entire culture, one whose characteristics are well known to insiders and outsiders alike.
There’s a reason, I suspect, that when Scioscia talks about managerial influences, he tends to skip right over Lasorda, and talk about his own minor league managers, and particularly the Dodger old-timers he’d meet & talk with in spring training. I’m sure he gets a kick out of Tommy, or at least tries to steal his meatballs now and then, but temperamentally they are on two different planets, and the strategic similarities run out pretty quickly.
mattwelch - April 25, 2009
I don't know if you disagree with me, Saxon, or both
but I admit “clone” was probably not the best word when writing of Scioscia and Lasorda. The only point I was trying to make was their similarity in the use of bunting and aggressive base running. I never mention pitching, and I agree their approaches differ.
The reason for writing this was because I had a question, “Why does Scioscia run his offense the way he does?” The answer I came up with is because this is the sort of offense he was “raised” with during his days with the Dodgers.
WiHaloFan - April 25, 2009
Saxon, mostly
And I’m not very persuaded by the Sosh-learned-offense-from-Tommy vibe either. Running, stealing, aggression, RISP, contact … that’s the entire core philosophy of Scioscia. It wasn’t for Tommy, not by a longshot.
mattwelch - April 25, 2009
Simlarities?
Both Italian, right?
Both look like they ate too much on the bench?
Both should probably be worried about their cholesterol.
After that, its all subjective.
BryanHarvey'sMoustache - April 25, 2009
They also both have catchers
named Mike.
TheTypingFiend - April 26, 2009
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