Scioscia Denies Reports He Will Step Down as Angels Manager at Season's End

Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia has denied reports from both Ken Rosenthal and Bob Nightengale that he will step down as the team's manager at the end of the season. He is the final year of a 10-year contract. 

Scioscia is the longest tenured manager in MLB taking over the helm of the Angels in 2000. Two years later, he guided the Angels to their lone World Series title in franchise history. Since then, the Angels have won the AL West six times. Five of those six titles came between 2004-2009. The Angels have only reached the post-season once this decade winning their last AL West title in 2014 and haven't had a winning season since 2015. 

Much was expected of the Angels this season with the signing of Shohei Ohtani. The Angels did begin strongly and had a share of first place as late as May 14th. But since that date, the Angels have gone 30-41 while both the Seattle Mariners and the Oakland A's overtook them in the standings as they were plagued by injuries for which they did not have an answer. They enter play today in fourth place in the AL West, 16 games back of the defending World Series champion Houston Astros. 

Obviously the injuries cannot be blamed on Scioscia. But how can a team with Ohtani, Mike Trout and Albert Pujols not win? I think the time has come for the ship to change captains. 

Nevertheless Scioscia has left his mark with the Angels. He is currently 18th on MLB's all-time managerial win list with 1625. Only Walter Alston, Bobby Cox, John McGraw and Connie Mack have more wins as a manager with a single team.