By virtue of their place in the standings, the Angels were already an intriguing team this season. Going into Tuesday’s play, the team was second in the AL West, four games behind the Astros. The Angels are also 1.5 games out in the wild-card race, with four teams ahead of them in the shuffle.
Yet thanks to an illuminating report by Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the Angels are now also a fascinating case study in how a baseball team should best be run. This is the era of the general manager in MLB, with front offices exerting more power over on-field strategy than ever before, armed by advanced metrics and data that provides more information that could help a club win games.
But what if the field manager opts not to use any of the information that the general manager gives him and his coaches? That’s apparently what we have going on in Anaheim between Mike Scioscia and Jerry Dipoto, according to Rosenthal’s report.
“Dipoto, according to sources, believes that the coaches too often rely on “feel” while teams such as the AL West-leading Astros are at the forefront of incorporating data. The coaches, in turn, seemingly do not trust the information they are given, and either are not willing or able to translate it for the players.”
What makes this disagreement over philosophy juicier, of course, is that Dipoto and Scioscia have feuded before. Two years ago, tensions were reportedly high enough that it looked as if one or the other — or both would have to go. But owner Arte Moreno, apparently a fan of opposing philosophies working together in the same environment, told the two to deal with their differences. That appeared to be the right move, as the Angels finished last season with the best record in MLB at 98-64.
ANAHEIM, CA – APRIL 13: Mike Trout #27 (C) of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim is presented with the Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award before the game against the Houston Astros at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 13, 2013 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)
Yet as the team has been largely disappointing this year, despite a typically excellent performance from Mike Trout and a resurgence by Albert Pujols, falling behind the surprising Astros and wrestling with the Rangers in the AL West. When the Angels were winning, the differences between Dipoto and Scioscia could be written off as friction creating heat, with the team benefiting from opposing philosophies. But losing more games than expected has caused those tensions to resurface, and since they’re not yielding positive results, the feuding can’t be written off again.
Dipoto’s frustration with the situation is certainly understandable. If he’s providing resources that he believes can be utilized to help win games, but being disregarded by coaches and players, that would seem to be a valid complaint. There’s a reason GMs typically get to hire the field manager, and owners let their baseball people handle such decisions. The front office wants to make sure its vision is being followed and properly executed.
Typically, the manager serves at the pleasure of the general manager — and that applies more in MLB than ever before. Managerial experience no longer seems to be an important consideration in hiring, and GMs prefer hiring extensions of the front office — A.J. Hinch in Houston, for example — to ensure that the organizational philosophy is consistent.
However, the hierarchy in Anaheim is obviously different, with Scioscia in his 16th season as manager, the ear of his owner and likely more pull in roster construction and game strategy than any of his contemporaries in MLB. He holds far more power in the organization than Dipoto, which probably indicates a broken management structure that was always going to be problematic. But Moreno wasn’t going to let Dipoto choose his manager. Scioscia already had 12 seasons in the Angels’ dugout and was regarded as one of the best managers in baseball. Dipoto surely knew that when he signed on, and thought it could work out. Obviously, that’s not happening.
ANAHEIM, CA – APRIL 09: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim owner Arte Moreno (R) talks with manager Mike Scioscia prior to the start of the home opener against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 9, 2013 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Scioscia has the players on his side in his rivalry with Dipoto. The team and its coaches are together in the dugout battling, while the executive staff is in offices or luxury boxes during ballgames. Players are presumably “old school,” averse to innovations like defensive positioning because it’s different from how they’ve played the game before. That surely holds even truer for a 15-year veteran like Pujols. But it’s up to coaches to get players to utilize scouting reports and data. And if Scioscia’s staff doesn’t believe in them, why would his players?
As reported by Rosenthal, Pujols defended the coaching staff, saying they work “as hard to prepare the players as they did last season.” The Angels’ first baseman then pointed a finger back at Dipoto, saying the team isn’t successful because the roster assembled by the GM isn’t as strong as last year’s edition. (By the way, it’s probably worth mentioning that signing Pujols to a 10-year, $240 million contract was Moreno’s idea, not Dipoto’s.)
If the Angels turn their season around leading up to and following the All-Star break, overtake the Astros or win a wild-card spot, and make a run in the playoffs, the clash between Scioscia and Dipoto may again be chalked up to healthy disagreement that ultimately benefits the team. But if not, Scioscia may decide he’s had enough. It’s already being pointed out that Scioscia can opt out of the final three years of his contract after this season. Walking away from $18 million would certainly indicate how badly he doesn’t want to work with Dipoto.
That would certainly create some relief for Dipoto, possibly allowing him to hire a manager willing to execute his vision. Yet considering that Moreno hasn’t necessarily allowed Dipoto to assemble rosters as he prefers, pushing Pujols and Josh Hamilton on him because they were flashy signings, how likely is he to side with the GM? Oh, and Dipoto is only under contract through 2016.
So which way is going to work? Can it still be a manager’s game in MLB? (Buck Showalter surely thinks so.) The sport has certainly evolved in a different direction. But that doesn’t mean a different approach can’t still work. If Scioscia and the Angels succeed in doing it their way, that could be an enlightening development for baseball.
