Jim Ingraham: Manager Stephen Vogt refuses to panic so the Guardians don't either

So when is Stephen Vogt going to start acting like a rookie manager? Or is it already too late? Talk about hitting the ground running. (Or is it hitting the ground managing?) The first indicator that Cleveland's new manager was a keeper came at the start of the season, when the rookie manager's team won eight of its first 10 games. We are now in the middle of August and Cleveland's rookie manager's team has had winning streaks of five, five, nine, seven, five and five games. His team has also had four four-game winning streaks and five three-game winning streaks, and there are still six weeks left in the season. In other words, except for one recent hiccup, Vogt's team always seems to be on some sort of winning streak, to which Guards Nation gleefully replies en masse, "We can live with that!" The existence of the opposite trait is frequently the reason why so many major league managers quickly, or eventually, become former managers. From July 27 to Aug. 7, 2012, the year before Terry Francona's first year as Cleveland's manager, the team lost 11 games in a row, tying it with four other Guardians teams for the second-longest losing streak in franchise history. The franchise record for longest losing streak is 12 games, set in 1931, and remembered by nobody. On the day Vogt was hired, Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff raved about the unsolicited rave reviews Vogt got from those in the industry from whom Antonetti and Chernoff sought opinions. That was in addition to the previously offered, unsolicited rave reviews that Vogt got before Antonetti and Chernoff even broached the subject. At the time, Vogt apparently was one of the hottest managerial candidates in the industry. Four and a half months into the season, the American League standings are telling us why. At the start of play Friday, the Guardians had a record of 3-1 in March, 16-9 in April, 19-9 in May, 14-11 in June, 13-12 in July and 7-7 halfway through August. Ironically, perhaps the most impressive work by Vogt's team thus far was the recently-halted seven-game losing streak. At the start of that streak the Guardians led the AL Central by six games. By the time the Guardians halted the streak, their lead was down to 1½ games. During the seven-game losing streak the Guardians were outscored 45-26. How did they respond? By immediately reeling off their fourth five-game winning streak of the season. Team-wise, it was not so much what the Guardians did during the losing streak. It was what they did not do. There was no panic. The rookie manager responded like a veteran, and his team responded to his response. It was during that seven-game losing streak, all of which came against three very good teams — Baltimore, Arizona and Minnesota — that the Guardians, and their rookie manager, could have panicked, which would have compounded the problem. Oh, sure, Vogt, for the first time in his managerial career, got himself thrown out of one of the games. But that may have been more for effect than purpose. Either way, his team evidently got the message, because it ended the losing streak, and the fighting Vogtmen immediately embarked on the five-game winning streak they took into Milwaukee on Friday night. So far the Guardians' burly manager is checking all the boxes that major league executives like to see checked. The first of those boxes, of course, is this: is he a winner? Well, all we can go by are the standings, and Vogt looks very solid there compared to the competition. The Guardians have been in first place in their division every day since April 14. Or, if you prefer, only six days this season has Vogt's team NOT been in first place. At his current pace, Vogt has a chance to join some impressive company as a first-year manager. Since 1951, only two rookie managers have guided Cleveland to winning seasons their first full season on the job: Al Lopez, 93-51 in 1951, and Charlie Manuel, 90-72 in 2000. Being a major league manager is hard. Being a rookie major league manager is harder still. Being a rookie manager with a chance to win your division, reach the postseason and who knows what else? They make movies about that kind of stuff. Stephen Vogt, who frequently looks like a good time in search of a great time, has arrived in Cleveland right on time. A year ago he was not on anyone's radar as a potential Cleveland folk hero. He is not there yet, but some of us can see it from here. Contact Jim Ingraham at jingraham4@gmail.com and follow him @Jim_Ingraham on X.