Mariners name new field boss
SEATTLE — He’s big on youth and collaboration, has hopped on the movement to harness advanced statistics in baseball scouting and is eager to bring about a cultural revolution within the Seattle Mariners organization.
It’s no wonder that new manager Scott Servais gets along with his new boss, general manger Jerry Dipoto, whom he’s known since their playing days with the Colorado Rockies in 2000.
Servais, 48, was introduced as the Mariners’ manager during a news conference Monday morning at Safeco Field.
He comes to Seattle from Anaheim, where he spent the past four seasons as the Angels’ assistant general manager of scouting and player development. He becomes another in a growing list of former big-league catchers who have gone on to become major-league managers.
This is Servais’ first stint as a manager, but Dipoto said he was not deterred by Servais’ lack of experience, citing the fact that about one-third of current big league managers got their jobs with no experience.
Also, Servais has a broad base of experience. Since beginning his minor-league career in 1988 with the Houston Astros, Servais has held a variety of positions in baseball. Before his most recent posi- tion with the Angels, he was a roving catching instructor, a pro scout, and the Texas Rangers’ senior director of player development.
All of which, Dipoto said, position him as the ideal candidate for the Mariners job.
“I would actually refute the idea that he hasn’t been a manager at any level,” Dipoto said. “He’s been a manager at every level. Being a manager is about leading people. It’s about creating a collective consciousness in a group and connecting with those individuals and managing them day to day. He has managed people, he has managed players, he has managed situations.”
In his opening remarks, Servais thanked the Mariners, his family and everyone who helped him along the way.
“This opportunity means the world here. I grew up in a town of 500 people. Coming from a small town in western Wisconsin, my parents instilled a blue-collar work ethic in me that really drove me to reach my goals,” Servais said. “Not many gave me a shot to play in the big leagues, let along manage in the big leagues. This is a dream come true, and I’ve certainly taken a different path to get here today.
“I really believe we’ll bring playoff baseball back to the Northwest.”
Servais stressed the need to develop and connect with players. He prides himself on the latter and said his ability to communicate well with players comes in large part from having played pro ball as a catcher for 15 seasons and knowing what it’s like to be in his players’ shoes — from the baseball strategy and the emotional and mental standpoints.
“There’s a reason catchers end up in the dugout. Mike Matheny, Brad Ausmus, Mike Scioscia — there’s a long list of catchers in the dugout,” Servais said. “You’re used to dealing with both sides of the ball, with the psyche pitchers have at times. But [you’re] also adapted at understanding the offensive game. Being able to talk to all different players comes from that.
“There’s a certain thing when you’re talking to a player from a player-to-player level. [It’s] much different than when you’re talking to a player from a farm director, assistant GM level. But the key is to get players to trust you, and it takes time to build trust. And it’ll take time here, too.”
Still, Servais said he’s confident that he can help build a new culture within his first year.
“Culture starts from the top, but it grows from the bottom. Everybody that has a Mariners uniform, or that works in this building, is part of establishing the culture.”