Players Praise Manager of the Year Andy Schatzley

When talking about Manager Andy Schatzley, members of the 2022 Rocket City Trash Pandas are quick to describe their manager as “a tremendous leader,” and “a great example for all of us.”

While Schatzley is quick to rightfully point out that his work is backed by a talented coaching staff around him in the Rocket City and a strong Los Angeles Angels player development staff, the admiration received from players he coached are the reminders of a successful season.

In his first season at the Double-A level, Schatzley was at the helm as the Trash Pandas won the Southern League’s North Division title for both the first and second half. The 81-57 record in the regular season was the best in the Southern League as the Trash Pandas reached the playoffs for the first time.

The team’s achievements led to a big personal accolade for the 38-year-old from Arkansas, as Schatzley was named the Southern League Manager of the Year. The first Rocket City manager to win the award, he joins elite company in managers that have won that award, including longtime Major League managers Charlie Manuel, Ron Gardenhire, and Terry Francona.

The success with the Trash Pandas followed a rough debut season in 2022, when Schatzley guided the High-A Tri-City Dust Devils to a 43-68 record as the team battled constant roster movement in the pandemic-shortened season.

One of the players on that Dust Devils team in 2021 was pitcher Ryan Smith, who later joined the Trash Pandas near the end of the 2021 season and is now with Triple-A Salt Lake.

“When I was in Tri-City in 2021, we were struggling as a team,” Smith recalled. “But (Schatzley) did a really good job of keeping up the culture and making sure everyone showed up every day and was ready to roll, get better every day and competed every day.”

Schatzley has managed pitcher Ky Bush for all 26 of his professional starts, first with Tri-City then again in Rocket City last season. He’s not surprised in the results.

“There’s nobody more deserving of that award than Andy,” Bush said. “He works his butt off. He pushes us hard. The energy and attitude he brings each day to the field, it makes us want to compete and play better.”

Southpaw Kolton Ingram was in a similar spot to Bush, with a strong 2021 resulting in a call from Tri-City to Rocket City, where be became one of the best relievers in Double-A baseball.

“He’s a great guy and a great manager,” Ingram said. “What I like about Andy is that he demands respect in a very subtle way. He doesn’t micromanage, but he still keeps the group together and makes sure we’re going about our business the right way.”

Ben Joyce and Zach Neto were each drafted by the Angels in 2022. Entering Minor League Baseball as highly ranked prospects with a lot of hype to their names, they both credit their manager for their integration to the professional game.

“He welcomed me for my first professional outings,” Joyce said. “He made me feel so welcome when I got here and he really wants the best for all the players. We all appreciated what he did for us.”

“He’s already impacted my career big-time. My first day when we were in Biloxi he helped guide me through pro ball for the first time,” Neto said. “Throughout the whole season he helped me keep my ego down and let me just go out there and play. Having that manager there that trusts you and is a player’s coach, there’s no better feeling.”

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Trey Cabbage and Preston Palmeiro have each been playing Minor League Baseball for many years, while Schatzley was fine-tuning his craft as Associate Head Coach at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. Both Palmeiro and Cabbage have had plenty of managers, but few compare to their Trash Pandas skipper.

“He’s probably the hardest working manager I’ve had in my career,” Palmeiro said. “He’s the first guy at the ballpark and the last one out, always willing to work no matter what the conditions where. He’s someone that I can lean on and someone I can trust. It feels like he’s more of a friend than a coach which is nice.”

“A great man, a great manager,” Cabbage said with a smile on his face. “He’s a players coach, an easy guy to play for. He asks one thing of us, to be ready to go every day. It’s easy to do it with a leader like that.”

In 2022, four members of the Trash Pandas eventually worked their way to the big leagues and made their MLB debut for the Angels. All were promoted straight to the show from Double-A, and Schatzley was the one that delivered the news that would change their careers.

Chase Silseth was drafted by the Angels in the 11^th round in 2021. In May 2022, he became the first 2021 draftee from any team to make his MLB debut. He made seven starts for the Angels last year, and began 2023 as the Opening Day starter for Triple-A Salt Lake.

“You can only go as far as your leader takes you. The leadership that (Schatzley) and the coaching staff showed was incredible. The entire coaching staff was perfect,” Silseth said. “He’s a tremendous leader and he took us extremely far into the playoffs. He deserved that award. It was a phenomenal year to be managed under Andy.”

Logan O’Hoppe began 2022 in the Philadelphia Phillies system. One of the best catching prospects in the game, he was traded to the Angels at the deadline and assigned to Rocket City. Moving to a new organization was tough. However, O’Hoppe dominated during his time with the Trash Pandas, leading to his MLB debut last September. He began 2023 as the Angels’ Opening Day catcher.

“That award is so well deserved and I’m so happy that he got recognized for all he does for us,” O’Hoppe said. “Once I got to Huntsville he took me in right away and I went to shake his hand the first time I met him and he just put his arms out and gave me a big hug. So from the get-go, he was great and someone that I'm lucky enough to have in my corner now and he won't be getting rid of me anytime soon. He’s a special man for sure”

Bryce Teodosio will return to the Trash Pandas in 2023 after spending the entire 2022 season in Rocket City. In one of Schatzley’s gutsiest calls as a manger, he waved Teodosio home for an inside-the-park home run on June 19, giving the Trash Pandas the lead in an eventual 7-2 win over Montgomery, clinching the first half title and a spot in the playoffs. He can’t wait to get back to work.

“Andy’s had a huge impact on my career. What he does for us physically and mentally. He’s the same guy every day, win or loss. He’s very competitive and he’s going to give it his all no matter what,” Teodosio said. “He truly inspires me every day and inspires every other player on the team to show up with the right attitude. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know him over the past year and can’t wait to continue to spend time with him in the future.”

With a group of many returning players mixed with new young talent, the Trash Pandas look to be a competitive team in 2023. With Schatzley and a talented coaching staff leading the way, there’s no telling how far the team will go.