The Los Angeles Angels will now have a very intriguing task this winter as they look to replace the longest-tenured manager currently in MLB
Last offseason, many felt the manager intrigue was as big as it’s been ever in one offseason, as the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees were both hiring a new skipper, a rare thing for both historic franchises to be searching at the same time. Enter another historic franchise in the St. Louis Cardinals this offseason, and now the Los Angeles Angels will be replacing the longest-tenured manager in the game, Mike Scioscia.
There are multiple directions the team could go, and interestingly, much like the Red Sox and Yankees last offseason, there’s unlikely to be a lot of overlap in considered candidates, though there will certainly be some.
Scioscia was just 41 when he took over the Los Angeles Angels job in 2000, going 82-80 in his first season on the job. He turns 60 this winter after spending 19 years at the helm with one organization.
His time has been successful, to say the least. While only recording one 100-win season in his career in 2008, Scioscia has failed to win 75 games just once in his time with the Angels, keeping the team in relative contention the majority of his time at the helm.
Barring a miracle finish to the season, he will finish his managerial career with the Los Angels with seven postseason appearances, six division titles, and one World Series win in 2002 in a dramatic victory over the Giants.
He will finish his Angels tenure with more wins than losses. He currently has 1,625 wins and ranks 18th on the all-time managerial list, but he has no chance this season to move up on that list as the manager ahead of him is Jim Leyland with over 140 more victories.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that Scioscia is done as a manager, as he could find the inspiration to come back to the helm with another club, but he’ll likely take at least a couple of seasons off, away from the head job.
Let’s take a look at who the Los Angeles Angels may select to replace him!