Former World Series champion manager lands notable coaching job

Jun 5, 2021; Port St. Lucie, USA; USA manager Mike Scioscia (49) watches from the dugout in the 1st inning against Venezuela in the Super Round of the WBSC Baseball Americas Qualifier series at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The Scioscial Network is officially back.

Team USA Baseball announced on Thursday that former Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia will be leading them at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12 Tournament in November. Scioscia is taking the helm as manager for Team USA at the 12-team international competition (which will take place from Nov. 9-24).

“I am honored and proud to have the opportunity to put the Team USA uniform on again,” Scioscia was quoted as saying. “I am looking forward to being back in the dugout as we put all of our efforts into winning a gold medal at the Premier12 Tournament.”

The 65-year-old served as the manager of the Angels from 2000-18, a stretch in which he won two Manager of the Year Awards, six division titles, and a World Series title in 2002. Scioscia stepped down from his job with the Angels after the 2018 season with a career record of 1,650-1,428 (.536).

In the years since then, Scioscia (who was also a former All-Star catcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers during his playing days) has already served as the manager for Team USA. He led the team during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, guiding them through the qualifying round with a perfect 4-0 record and eventually helping them win a silver medal. While Mark DeRosa coached Team USA for the World Baseball Classic last year, Scioscia will be taking the lead for the Premier12 Tournament this fall.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network notes that the Premier12 Tournament is a major competition that is expected to feature the best global talent outside of 40-man MLB rosters. While Scioscia has sometimes been viewed as a bit too old-school for the modern game, he looks like a strong hire by Team USA, especially in light of his recent success with them.