Scott Servais, Jerry Dipoto bring a very different look to the Mariners

When he started his search for the next Mariners manager, Jerry Dipoto stated that previous managerial experience was not a requirement. There were a number of items on his list of criteria that he valued above on-field experience.

“Strong character, courage, competitiveness, positivity, energy, creativity, the ability to communicate effectively and the ability to collaborate up and down throughout an organization,” Dipoto said in his opening statements Monday as the Mariners introduced their new manager. “Those are the things I find to be most important in the qualities of a leader.

“Those are traits that Scott Servais possesses.”

Collaboration, communication and connection were the themes of the day as Servais was welcomed to Seattle. The lack of managerial experience was pushed aside, with Dipoto going so far as to say that he would dispute that Servais hasn’t managed at any level.

“He’s been a manager at every level,” Dipoto said. “Being a manager is about leading people, creating a collective consciousness in a group. It is about connecting with those individuals and managing them day to day. He has managed people, he has managed players, he has managed situations.”

Managed situations in a number of roles, at that. From roving catching instructor to farm director to assistant general manager, Servais’ experience is vast and should be of great use both in the manager’s office and on the bench, according to Dipoto.

“I think there is an opportunity here to see an organization from the 10,000 foot level that doesn’t exist in most places,” he said. “About a third of the clubs around the league seem to have acknowledged that there is a definite benefit to having someone who understands how the game works from the grassroots level through the major league club.”

Servais has been a part of the grassroots and has worked to help put major league clubs together. Now he will manage one. He’s been preparing for a job like this for some time. As part of his path, he’s evaluated not just players but coaches and managers as well, and he knows what he wants to see from his own team.

“We will be prepared. We will be disciplined in how we play. We will play with energy,” he said. “I believe it is okay to show emotion once and a while. We will compete. Competing is not trying hard. Everybody tries hard in the big leagues, but we are going to compete every night. The Mariners fans deserve that.”

They certainly do, and it is understandable if most are in “show me” mode at this point. It has been a tough go for a long time for Mariners fans, and one of the questions I have heard the most is why this should this be any different than what we have seen before. Well, it clearly looks different and in truth that is about all we know at this point.

Games are won between April and September, not in October press conferences. We don’t know how Servais will manage a bullpen or when (or if) he will put the bunt sign down. We do know he has a good dialogue with the general manager, however, and that’s of vital importance in an organization.

“We tend to disagree quite often. It’s a good thing,” Servais said. “There’s different ways to going about putting a roster together. Different things I may see higher on the priority list than he. The comfort level is that I know the person, he knows me, he knows where to push the buttons, and I know when to push his and when to back off. That’s any relationship.”

The relationship with the general manager is there. They share a vision for not just the big league team but the entire organization. The both bring strong player development experience with them to Seattle and it will be interesting how this focus looks at the big league level.

Servais has a team he needs to get to know and earn the trust of. Years behind the plate as an MLB catcher should help, as should the hundreds of conversations he has had with young players as a farm director. It’s not a conventional path to the dugout, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that experience with the other side of managing could pay bigger dividends.

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