Mike Scioscia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mike Scioscia
Scioscia at the MLB Winter Meetings in 2015
Catcher / Manager
Born: (1958-11-27) November 27, 1958 (age 66) Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Batted: Left Threw: Right
debut
April 20, 1980, for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Last appearance
October 2, 1992, for the Los Angeles Dodgers
MLB statistics
Batting average	.259
Home runs	68
Runs batted in	446
Managerial record	1,650–1,428
Winning %	.536
Teams
As player Los Angeles Dodgers (1980–1992) As manager Anaheim Angels / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim / Los Angeles Angels (2000–2018) As coach Los Angeles Dodgers (1997–1998)
Career highlights and awards
2× All-Star (1989, 1990) 3× World Series champion (1981, 1988, 2002) 2× AL Manager of the Year (2002, 2009)
Medals Men's baseball Representing the USA Summer Olympics Silver 2020 Tokyo Team

Mike Scioscia (born November 27, 1958) is a famous American baseball player and manager. People often called him "Sosh" or "El Jefe," which means "The Boss" in Spanish. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB).

Scioscia spent his entire playing career with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1980 to 1992. He was chosen for two All-Star Games and helped the Dodgers win two World Series championships.

After his playing days, he became a manager. He led the Los Angeles Angels from 2000 to 2018. Under his leadership, the Angels won their first and only World Series in 2002. He is the Angels' all-time leader in wins as a manager. Scioscia also won the Manager of the Year Award twice.

Playing Baseball: Mike Scioscia's Career

Starting Out in the Minor Leagues

Mike Scioscia was picked by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round of the 1976 baseball draft. This was a big step for him to start his professional baseball journey.

Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1980–1992)

Scioscia started playing for the Dodgers in 1980. He quickly became their main catcher. He played for the team for 12 years. The Dodgers' manager, Tommy Lasorda, helped convince Scioscia to join the team after he was drafted from high school.

Scioscia became very important to the Dodgers. He even learned Spanish to talk better with a new star pitcher, Fernando Valenzuela, in 1981. This helped the team work together more smoothly.

Scioscia was known for his strong defense as a catcher. He was especially good at blocking the plate, which means stopping runners from scoring by standing in their way. One time, in 1985, he was knocked out during a collision at the plate but still held onto the ball! He said an even harder collision happened in 1986 with Chili Davis.

Scioscia had a special way of blocking the plate. Most catchers hold the ball in their bare hand inside their glove. But Scioscia held the ball only in his catcher's mitt. He also knelt on both knees and turned to the side, which he felt made him safer during collisions.

He was a very tough player and rarely missed games. After an injury in 1983, he played in over 100 games every season for the rest of his time with the Dodgers. Offensively, he was a good contact hitter, meaning he didn't strike out very often. He had a great offensive season in 1985, hitting for a high average.

In 1988, Scioscia hit a dramatic home run in a playoff game against the New York Mets. This home run tied the game in the ninth inning and helped the Dodgers win that game and eventually the series.

Scioscia was a key player when the Dodgers won the World Series in 1981 and 1988. He caught more games than any other Dodger catcher in history (1,395 games). In 1990, he was the first Dodger catcher since Roy Campanella to start in an All-Star Game.

Scioscia was also part of three no-hitters during his career. He caught Fernando Valenzuela's no-hitter in 1990 and Kevin Gross's no-hitter in 1992. He caught 136 shutouts, which is a lot for a catcher. He even used the same catcher's mitt for most of his playing career!

Career Statistics as a Player

Managing Baseball: Mike Scioscia's Career

Leading the Angels (2000–2018)

After playing, Scioscia became a coach for the Dodgers. Then, in 2000, he was hired to manage the Los Angeles Angels. He kept Joe Maddon as an assistant coach, who later became a successful manager himself.

Under Scioscia's leadership, the Angels had amazing success. In 2002, they ended a 16-year streak of not making the playoffs. They won the World Series that year, beating the San Francisco Giants. This made Scioscia one of the few people to win a World Series as both a player and a manager.

Scioscia talking with an umpire in 2005

Scioscia was named the American League Manager of the Year in 2002. Many other sports groups also gave him this award.

The Angels continued to be very successful under Scioscia. They won five division titles in six years. They also broke the team record for most wins in a season, first with 99 wins in 2002, and then with 100 wins in 2008.

Scioscia became the Angels' all-time leader in wins and games managed. He managed the team for 19 seasons, which was the longest time any manager had stayed with one team in Major League Baseball. On May 8, 2011, he earned his 1,000th win as a manager. He won the Manager of the Year award again in 2009.

Scioscia stepped down as the Angels' manager on September 30, 2018. He finished his managing career with the Angels with 1,650 wins and 1,428 losses.

Managing the United States National Team

On April 6, 2021, Mike Scioscia was chosen to manage the United States national baseball team. He led the team during the qualifying games for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which took place in 2021. The team qualified and went on to win a silver medal at the Olympics, losing to Japan in the gold-medal game.

In July 2024, it was announced that Scioscia would manage the U.S. national team again at the 2024 WBSC Premier12 tournament.

Managerial Record Overview

Fun Facts and Personal Life

Television Appearances

Mike Scioscia even appeared on the famous TV show The Simpsons twice! In 1992, while he was still a player, he was in an episode called "Homer at the Bat". In the story, he was one of several baseball players who worked at a power plant to play on its softball team. Scioscia's character was the only one who took the power plant job seriously.

They called and asked if I'd be interested in doing it, and it so happened that it was my favorite show. I was excited . . . Every year I get a check for like $4 . . . I cash 'em. I don't want to mess up their accounting department.
— Mike Scioscia, about his appearance on The Simpsons

He appeared again on The Simpsons in 2010 in the episode "MoneyBart". In this episode, his character claimed that the radiation poisoning from the first episode gave him special managing powers!

Family Life

Mike Scioscia and his wife, Anne, have two children. They live in Westlake Village, California. Their son, Matthew, also played baseball. He was drafted by the Angels in 2011 and later played for other teams.

Images for kids

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  Scioscia in 2011

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  Scioscia at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in 2021