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'You're gonna lean on Carl': Stephen Vogt, Guardians coaches put trust in Carl Willis
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- 'You're gonna lean on Carl': Stephen Vogt, Guardians coaches put trust in Carl Willis
The Guardians won't only have likely the youngest roster in baseball again in 2024, they'll also one of the league's least experienced coaching staffs, led by new manager Stephen Vogt .
It's why they might need to rely on the wily veteran of the staff as much as possible, at least early on. It's why Carl Willis is so important to this 2024 group.
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Willis , 63, is the oldest member of Vogt's coaching staff . His first season as a Cleveland pitching coach was in 2003, when Vogt was just graduating high school. Craig Albernaz, Vogt's new bench coach, was in college.
Like any new manager, Vogt will have feel things out for a while. Even when it came to spring camp , when asked how he viewed it, Vogt mentioned how much he wanted to be able to be flexible as things popped up . He wanted to be able to be adjust his own operating procedures as he went along.
Willis can act as a North Star, in a way, through a lot of it. He's been around the block, and then back again, and then back again. He's been trusted by managers all across baseball. He's seen just about everything. He knows the Guardians pitching staff inside and out.
"I don't have to think twice about where our pitching is. I just ask Carl," Vogt said. "Yeah, ultimately, it will be my decision. I know that. But leaning on Carl is going to be — he's got so many years of experience. He's forgotten more than I've seen. I think having him as a resource, I feel I'm in good hands."
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Vogt is 39 years old, from California. Albernaz is 41, and has maybe the thickest Boston accent you've ever heard. For them, Willis and his North Carolinian drawl — not to mention the decades of experience — are a welcomed addition.
"You're gonna lean on Carl Willis," Albernaz said. "For everyone in the dugout, us as an organization, but especially for Vogt, Carl is that calm presence that's been there. He's gonna know when to crack a joke. He's gonna know what guy to go to. He's seen everything. He's such a good collaborator. He talks with everyone."
Carl Willis has led Guardians pitching development since 2018, among Major League Baseball's best
Guardians manager Terry Francona, left, and pitching coach Carl Willis, right, watch from the dugout against the Minnesota Twins on Sept. 4, 2023, in Cleveland.
Over the last several years, the Guardians as an organization have developed the reputation of being among baseball's elite when it comes to developing young pitchers. It many ways, that has been their collective backbone.
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Willis has been near the center of all of that as Cleveland's major league pitching coach since the 2018 season. He was an instrumental voice on Terry Francona's coaching staffs. He helped navigate the borderline unprecedented injury situation in 2021, when nightly meetings were needed for weeks to figure out how they'd simply have enough pitching to get through the next few days.
He's coached five Cy Young Award winners with three different organizations, including CC Sabathia , Cliff Lee , Shane Bieber with Cleveland.
But when confronted with the idea of simply stepping away and following Francona into retirement , Willis shook his head. The Guardians have developed several young pitchers who are just now getting their collective start together. And Willis still felt he had work to do with this group.
"Truthfully, I feel almost indebted to this organization, because they have been so good to me," Willis said. "And also, just my personal feelings about not only the organization, but the pitchers. If I felt like it's time for a new voice or it wasn't going the right way, certainly I would have stepped aside. But I want to see it through with those guys a little longer."
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Willis has been a staple in the game of baseball, and with many of the game's best pitchers, for decades. He remains a pillar of consistency, an ever-talkative presence on the back fields of the team complex in Goodyear, Ariz.
For Vogt, Albernaz and others, it's a pillar they'll look to lean on as much as possible in 2024 — and maybe beyond, if Willis would like to stick around.
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Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com. Read more about the Guardians at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/cleveland-guardians. Follow him on Threads at @ByRyanLewis .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians new manager Stephen Vogt will lean on Carl Willis
