Scott Daniel Servais ( '); born June 4, 1967) is an American
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
and former player who currently manages the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
.
A major league
catcher
Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...
for eleven seasons, Servais was previously the assistant
general manager
A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
for the and director of player development for the
Texas Rangers. He played in the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
for the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
,
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
,
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
, and
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
.
Early years
A native of
Coon Valley, Wisconsin
Coon Valley is a village in Vernon County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 765 at the 2010 census. Coon Valley was hit by the floods ravaging Wisconsin in 2018.
Geography
Coon Valley is located at (43.701628, -91.014083).
Accordi ...
, Servais played high school baseball for the
Westby Norsemen, and was selected in the second round of the
1985 amateur draft by the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
, but did not sign. He opted to attend
Creighton University
Creighton University is a private Jesuit research university in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In 2015 the university enrolled 8,393 graduate and undergra ...
in
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...
, and played
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
for the
Creighton Bluejays
The Creighton Bluejays, or Jays, are the athletic teams that represent Creighton University, a Jesuit/Catholic University in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. They compete in NCAA Division I in the Big East Conference.
Sports sponsored
Baseb ...
. In 1986, he played
collegiate summer baseball
Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...
with the
Orleans Cardinals
The Orleans Firebirds, formerly the Orleans Cardinals, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Orleans, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Firebirds play t ...
of the
Cape Cod Baseball League
The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...
. After his junior season, Servais was taken in the third round of the
1988 amateur draft by the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
.
National teams
Servais was a member of the
United States national baseball team
The United States national baseball team represents the United States in international-level baseball competitions. The team is currently ranked 5th in the world by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. Team USA won the Olympic baseball to ...
while the team competed in the last Amateur World Series before it was renamed the
Baseball World Cup
The Baseball World Cup was an international tournament where national baseball teams from around the world competed. It was sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF). Along with the World Baseball Classic, it was one of two activ ...
in 1986. Following the Amateur World Series, he played in the 1987
Pan American Games
The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...
, where they won the silver medal and the 1987
Intercontinental Cup. Servais was also the back-up catcher for
Doug Robbins at the
1988 Olympics in
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
, where the U.S. won the gold medal, although baseball was only a
demonstration event.
Playing career
Servais began his major league career in
1991
File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...
with the Houston Astros, staying with them until the middle of the
1995
File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...
season when he was traded along with
Luis Gonzalez to the Chicago Cubs for
Rick Wilkins. It was with the Cubs, during the
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
season, that he played in his only post-season. After the Cubs lost to the Braves in the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
Division Series
The Division Series is the quarterfinal round of the Major League Baseball playoffs. Four series are played in this round, two each for both the American League and the National League.
1981 season
The first use of the term "Division Series" date ...
as a
wildcard team
A wild card (also wildcard or wild-card and also known as an at-large berth or at-large bid) is a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that fails to qualify in the normal way; for example, by having a high ranking or winnin ...
, he signed as a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
with the San Francisco Giants.
Towards the end of the 2000 season, Servais was
selected off waivers by the Colorado Rockies. Prior to the 2001 season, he was picked up as a free agent by the Detroit Tigers, but was released before the season began. Shortly before the 2001 season, Servais was picked up as a free agent by the Houston Astros. Servais was initially signed as a free agent prior to the 2002 season, but he did not make the opening day roster, making the 2001 season his final season.
Post-playing career
Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Servais served in the
Texas Rangers' front office as the senior director of player development from 2004 until 2010. He was hired by
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
general manager
Jerry Dipoto
Gerard Peter Dipoto (born May 24, 1968) is an American baseball executive and former professional player. He is currently the President of Baseball Operations for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball and previously worked in front office ...
as assistant general manager in
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
. Dipoto and Servais are close friends, a relationship formed while playing together for the
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
in
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
, when the pair had discussed Servais' dream of one day serving as a manager.
Seattle Mariners
When Dipoto resigned during the
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
season, the Angels hired
Billy Eppler
Billy Eppler (born September 16, 1975) is an American baseball executive who is the general manager of the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously served as the general manager of the Los Angeles Angels from 2015 to 2020. Befo ...
. Dipoto was soon hired as the general manager of the Seattle Mariners on September 28,
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
, and second-year manager
Lloyd McClendon
Lloyd Glenn McClendon (born January 11, 1959) is an American former professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from 1987 to 1994 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners and the ...
was fired on October 9, less than a week after the season's conclusion. Two weeks later, Servais was hired as the manager of the Mariners for the
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
season.
On June 26, 2016, Servais received his first ejection as a manager, asking home plate umpire
Carlos Torres why he didn't ask the first or third base umpire to see if
Shawn O'Malley
Shawn Michael O'Malley (born December 28, 1987) is an American former professional baseball utility player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Seattle Mariners.
Career High school
O'Malley helped ...
went around on his swing or not. He finished his
first season with a record of 86 wins and 76 losses.
![Scott Servais](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Scott_Servais.jpg)
Servais received his second ejection as a manager on April 16, 2017 after first base umpire
C. B. Bucknor originally called
Leonys Martín
Leonys Martín Tápanes (born March 6, 1988), nicknamed "Ikadi", is a Cuban-American professional baseball center fielder who is currently a free agent. Born in Cuba, he played locally for Villa Clara of the Cuban National Series, and for the C ...
's grounder a foul ball and changed the ruling after Rangers first baseman
Mike Napoli
Mike may refer to:
Animals
* Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum
* Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off
* Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...
pleaded with Bucknor that it was a fair ball and Rangers manager
Jeff Banister
Jeffery Todd Banister (born January 15, 1964) is an American former professional baseball player and manager. He is the bench coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Before that, he was a special assistant for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major Lea ...
was on his way out to plead his case. On May 25, 2017, Servais received his third ejection of his managerial career on a questionable strike three call on
Guillermo Heredia in the top of the sixth inning against the Nationals. His second season concluded six games under .500, a record of 84 losses vs 78 wins, achieving 3rd place in the American League Western Division.
On July 20, 2018, Jerry Dipoto announced that Servais' contract would be extended for an undisclosed salary and number of year
This extension came when the
2018 Seattle Mariners season, 2018 Mariners were playing 58-39, the fourth-best record in the MLB. The team would falter after the all-star break and finished the season in third place in the AL West, 14 games behind the first-place
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
, and 8 games out of the wild card playoff game.
Following the 2018 season, Dipoto was given clearance to trade away the team's best players in order to rebuild towards future strength. In kind, the
2019 Mariners finished 68-94 after a blistering, franchise-best 13-2 start. The 2020 season was a development of the future crop of players, with a better result at 27-33. Through the 2019 and 2020 season, rumors circulated about Servais' long-term career stability with the Mariners, although Dipoto and other front office staff have only voiced confidence.
In 2021, Servais led the Mariners to their best season since
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
, finishing with a 90–72 record and two games back in the American League Wild Card race. The Mariners won despite a run differential of -51, the worst ever for a team with at least 90 wins; on the final day of the season, needing a win to possibly force a tie for the Wild Card, the Mariners lost to the Angels. Servais placed second in voting for the
American League Manager of the Year Award, behind
Kevin Cash
Kevin Forrest Cash (born December 6, 1977) is an American professional baseball manager and former player who is the manager of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, Cash played catcher in MLB for the Toronto Blue Jays, ...
of the
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...
.
On September 1, 2021 the Mariners announced that Servais had agreed to a multi-year extension with the club.
In 2022, Servais's Mariners had high expectations, but stumbled to a 29-39 record in the first 68 games of the season. However, the Mariners recovered and made the 2022 MLB playoffs as a wild card team. With this playoff appearance, Servais became only the second manager in Seattle Mariners history to lead the team to the playoffs.
The Mariners faced the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
in the
2022 American League Wild Card Series
The 2022 American League Wild Card Series were two best-of-three playoff series in Major League Baseball (MLB) that determined the participating teams of the 2022 American League Division Series (ALDS). Both Wild Card Series began on October 7, ...
. They won the series in two games, clinching their first playoff series win in 21 years, with the team coming back from an 8-1 deficit after the first five innings to win 10-9, the second largest comeback in postseason history.
In the
2022 American League Division Series
The 2022 American League Division Series (ALDS) were the two best-of-five playoff series in Major League Baseball (MLB) to determine the participating teams of the 2022 American League Championship Series. These matchups are:
*(1) Houston Astros ...
, they faced the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
, who had beaten them 12 out of 19 times in AL West matchups. In Game 1, they scored four runs in the first two innings and held the lead to 7-3 going into the eighth inning. However, the bullpen could not hold it together, and the lead was only 7-5 going into the 9th;
Paul Sewald
Paul Stanton Sewald (born May 26, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the New York Mets. Sewald played college baseball for the San Diego Tore ...
allowed two baserunners (a hit by pitch and a single by
Jeremy Pena) to reach while only getting two outs. Servais elected to use
Robbie Ray
Robert Glenn Ray (born October 1, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Toronto Blue Jays. Ray was an ML ...
to try and get
Yordan Alvarez Yordan is a given name and less often a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Surname
*Philip Yordan (1914–2003), American screenwriter
Given name
*Yordan Álvarez (born 1997), Cuban baseball player
*Yordan Angelov (born 1953), Bulg ...
out to end the game. The gambit failed, as Alvarez launched Ray's second pitch into deep right field for a walkoff 8-7 win. Two days later, the Mariners held a 2-1 lead going into the 6th inning. Again, with two outs and Pena on base, Alvarez was at the plate, this time against starter Luis Castillo. Alvarez launched a home run to left field to give Houston a 3-2 lead. In the 8th, Alvarez was intentionally walked by Servais to get to
Alex Bregman
Alexander David Bregman (born March 30, 1994) is an American professional baseball third baseman and shortstop for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB).
As a high school sophomore at Albuquerque Academy in 2010, Bregman became the ...
with a runner on. Bregman promptly lined a shot to right to make the final score 4-2. Two days after that, the Mariners played their first home playoff game in 21 years. 18 innings later, they lost 1-0 on a Pena home run to finish their season. In total, Seattle was outscored 10-2 over the next 29 innings after leading 7-5 in the 7th inning of Game 1.
Managerial record
Personal life
Servais is the nephew of
Creighton head baseball coach
Ed Servais
Edwin Servais (born c. 1958) is an American college baseball coach and small-ball connoisseur, currently the head coach at Creighton University, a member of the Big East Conference in NCAA Division I. He has held the position since July 2003, and ...
.
Scott is married to Jill (Hanson), his high school sweetheart. The couple have a son and two daughters.
References
External links
Scott ServaisSeattle Mariners profile
Venezuelan Winter League
{{DEFAULTSORT:Servais, Scott
1967 births
Living people
Baseball players at the 1987 Pan American Games
Baseball players at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Baseball players from Wisconsin
Chicago Cubs players
Colorado Rockies players
Colorado Springs Sky Sox players
Columbus Mudcats players
Creighton Bluejays baseball players
Fresno Grizzlies players
Houston Astros players
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim executives
Major League Baseball catchers
Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Navegantes del Magallanes players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
New Orleans Zephyrs players
Olympic gold medalists for the United States in baseball
Orleans Firebirds players
Osceola Astros players
Pan American Games medalists in baseball
Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States
Sportspeople from La Crosse, Wisconsin
People from Vernon County, Wisconsin
San Francisco Giants players
Seattle Mariners managers
Texas Rangers personnel
Tucson Toros players
Medalists at the 1987 Pan American Games