Mike Scioscia has stepped down as Los Angeles Angels manager after 19 seasons.
The LA Angels haven’t been in the playoffs since 2014, when they got swept by the Kansas City Royals. They haven’t got past the division series since 2005 and the club last won it all in 2002. For Mike Scioscia, he brought the club to the playoffs eight times in his career.
Unfortunately he could never get Mike Trout a ring. That has been a problem for the Angels, as they have been dismal headed into Trout’s prime years.
Scioscia was a big influence when it came to the identity of the club. Now that he’s gone, the identity of the franchise should change. This was Mike Trout’s team before, but the skipper was always in the background. Now that he’s gone, this is Trout’s organization.
Think about it in the way that LeBron James has control of a franchise. That’s not the outfielder’s personality, but he deserves that sort of attention.
There has been plenty of conversation about LA being interested in locking up the best player in baseball to a lifetime contract. The Angels would be wise to do that, because without Trout they wouldn’t be as relevant for the foreseeable future.
Although they have Shohei Ohtani, the heart and soul of this team would be gone.
Trout has put the team on his shoulders since he broke into the league, so becoming the sole face of the organization shouldn’t be a problem. He doesn’t seem like a vocal clubhouse guy, but he may take more charge now that Scioscia is gone.
Realistically, the clubhouse may change the culture collectively rather than just one person. Since the former skipper has left the organization, the first thing that should happen is personnel changes that will impact the culture for years to come.