Happy Birthday Mike Scioscia

by Rev Halofan on Nov 27, 2011 6:52 PM PST in Angels News

Manager Mike Scioscia #14 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia turns 53 today. That makes Mike younger than Madonna, Prince, Rickey Henderson, Michael Jackson, Joan Jett, Julio Franco and Darby Crash.

He is currently 188 games over .500 as a manager. (Ranks 25th all time)

His .548 career winning percentage ranks 17th all time for managers with 12 more seasons.

His 1,066 wins ranks 48th all time and he became the fastest ever to 1,000 wins as a big league manager. He is just ahead of Frank Robinson's 1,065 wins. It took "The Intimidator" 16 seasons managing to accrue one less win than Mike.

With the "out on top" retirement of Tony LaRussa in October, Mike has the longest uninterrupted tenure of any manager in the bigs.

At the end of 2011, 56 managers had started managerial careers since Mike took the helm of the Anaheim Angels prior to the 2000 season. The Cubs, White Sox and Cardinals added three new names to that list and Boston might make it an even 60 when they name a new manager this week. Speaking of which... Mike's 1,944 games at the helm is tied for 56th place all time with Terry Francona. Sole possession of 56 takes place April 6!

My favorite Scioscia story is a reliable shocker to people who have no interest in baseball. I tell them: "The manager of my favorite team proposed marriage to his wife at an In-N-Out Burger drive thru." They immediately have all the awe and respect for him that he has earned from us in running our club.

Happy Birthday, Skippah!!!!!

Poll

Favorite Mike Scioscia Managerial Tendency

Power hitters batting 7th or below

41 votes

Imploring lousy umpire to seek second opinion

73 votes

The SQUEEEEEEEEZE...

99 votes

The Fifth Infielder in hopeless extra inning games

81 votes

Hit and Run Hackathons

65 votes

Rigid Bullpen Roles

48 votes

407 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

I think you meant Fifth INFIELDER in extra inning games

"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you." - Woody Hayes

by johnnyangel101 on Nov 27, 2011 7:10 PM PST reply actions

yep

HA! good catch. he plays an outfielder as an infielder and we lose!

by Rev Halofan on Nov 27, 2011 7:20 PM PST up reply actions

The prevent (victory) defense is by far my "favorite."

Happy Birthday Papa Sosh!

Your Angels: Telling Pythagoras to go to hell since 2004.

by sheisalovelyladyandmyapologiestoher on Nov 27, 2011 7:21 PM PST up reply actions

She got him with chocolate chip cookies. In-N-Out seems appropriate

The saddest day of the year is the day baseball season ends.

by ladybug on Nov 27, 2011 7:25 PM PST reply actions

I love that story.

THIS… IS… ANAHEIM!!

by opiejeanne on Nov 28, 2011 10:11 AM PST up reply actions

What do you need a fancy suit for, Charlie, you ain't got no job to wear it to.

by clover_black on Nov 27, 2011 7:43 PM PST reply actions 10 recs

Awesome!

Shouldn’t Jeffy be wearing his pasties?

Your Angels: Telling Pythagoras to go to hell since 2004.

by sheisalovelyladyandmyapologiestoher on Nov 27, 2011 7:50 PM PST up reply actions

This is a family site, sir.

Scioscialist Party of America - Redistributing your defense since 2000.

by Commander_Nate on Nov 28, 2011 8:34 AM PST up reply actions

The entire uni is edible.

I love this team.

by Downing Rules on Nov 29, 2011 10:52 AM PST up reply actions

DiPoto

How unbelievably rude of DiPoto not to give Scioscia the one thing he truly wanted — a Jeff Mathis 5 year extension. What an inconsiderate and insubordinate employee our new GM is.

by YouthofToday on Nov 27, 2011 7:55 PM PST reply actions

Feliz compleanos Soth.

YOU DON'T KNOW THE POWER OF THE DARKSIDE.....

by halofolife on Nov 27, 2011 8:27 PM PST reply actions

Mike Scioscia

My favorite manager of all time.
Happy Birthday!

by lifegrind on Nov 27, 2011 10:18 PM PST reply actions

Sosh, you can be a huge pain in the ass

But I wouldn’t want anyone else at the helm. Happy Birthday!

Tim Salmon: The once and future Kingfish.

by Teixeira Who? on Nov 27, 2011 11:05 PM PST reply actions

Happy birthday Sosh!

Best manager in the game

LIGHT UP THE HALO

by nselbe7 on Nov 28, 2011 12:43 AM PST reply actions

His greatest accomplishment

He’s been on The Simpsons twice. How many sports figures can claim that?

by GoAngels! on Nov 28, 2011 3:24 AM PST reply actions

If Dipoto has a rebel streak in him...

…today would be the day to release Jeffy

From Jeff Mathis' TOPPS card: "Jeff is a defensive catcher, but he can rake it when it counts." Jeff has a lifetime .199 MLB batting average

by mustard_man on Nov 28, 2011 6:31 AM PST reply actions

Asking the umpire for a second opinion

Scioscia actually had a good deal of success with this tactic early on in his career. You virtually never used to see a call on the field changed before Instant Replay, but Scioscia actually got quite a few calls changed.

I think umpires today view Scioscia as the “boy who cried wolf” (I think they also resent his constant yapping about balls and strikes from the dugout) and he appears to have less success than he used to when challenging calls. This usually makes for more heated conversation between Scioscia and umpires and raises the entertainment level. He looks like a big angry chipmunk when he’s mad.

by Spird on Nov 28, 2011 9:43 AM PST reply actions

One of my favorite things about him.

We laugh every time Mike goes out there to argue with an ump, but the real reason he does that is the same reason any other good manager does it: to take the heat away from the player who is dangerously near to being thrown out of the game for arguing a call.

The yelling about balls and strikes from the dugout is just gravy.

THIS… IS… ANAHEIM!!

by opiejeanne on Nov 28, 2011 10:14 AM PST up reply actions