Over a half-decade after he last managed in Major League Baseball, one veteran skipper is making it official.
Former Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia spoke this week to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Scioscia, who will be managing Team USA Baseball during the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12 Tournament in November, revealed that he will not be managing in MLB again.
“Hopefully when we get that gold medal, it’ll make it all worthwhile,” said Scioscia of his decision.
Scioscia, now 65, managed the Angels from 2000-18. He led the Angels to their only World Series title in franchise history in 2002 and also produced six division titles and 1,650 career victories (good for a club record as well as 20th all-time among all MLB managers).
But Scioscia and the Angels parted ways after the 2018 season amid signs that Scioscia’s style had become a bit too dated for the modern game. While he had drawn some reported interest from other MLB clubs since then, Scioscia ultimately never landed another MLB job.
Still, the former All-Star catcher Scioscia has found a nice home on the international circuit. He coached Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, leading them to a spotless 4-0 record in the qualifying round and eventually guiding them to the silver medal. With his upcoming Premier12 gig on top of it as well (expected to feature some of the best non-MLB talent in the world), that appears to be more than enough to satisfy Scioscia.
