Stephen Vogt pulls hilarious prank during early season series against the Baltimore Orioles

The Cleveland Guardians have the right man for the job in manager Stephen Vogt. Replacing iconic manager and future Hall of Famer Terry Francona was no small feat, but the Guardians landed former All-Star catcher Vogt to lead the club, and so far it's looked like a great idea. In his three seasons with the Guardians, he's won two AL Central titles and is sitting at a 191-153 record. 

Clearly, what he's doing is working, and part of that success may have to do with his ability to keep things light in the clubhouse. Vogt is a big, light-hearted person who enjoys the rare prank, every now and then. It's something that the Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz discovered when they came to town this week. Albernaz has been a friend and confidant of Vogt for some time, even working for Vogt from 2023 to 2025 as a coach for the Guardians. 

Albernaz is described by some as Vogt's former "right-hand man" and was a huge part of the Guardians coaching staff during Vogt's first two seasons in Cleveland. He's been given a lot of credit for the club's success, so much so that the Orioles just had to have him to guide their club going forward, hiring him for the 2026 season as the team's new manager.

More: The Cleveland Guardians are lagging behind their 2025 counterparts in offense

The two men have such a friendship that when Albernaz came into town for the Guardians and Orioles series, Vogt pulled an epic prank on his friend. According to Jake Rill, the Orioles beat reporter for MLB.com, Vogt made sure that Albernaz's office was decorated appropriately for his former cohort and confidant. 

When Albernaz walked in, every piece of actual furniture was replaced with child-sized versions of everything. Every chair, desk, and anything else you could think of was reduced to a kids' version. That wasn't all, as the shower curtain was also switched out for a Spider-Man version and random items from the children's cartoon Bluey were adorned and strewed about the office. 

The prank goes to show you who Vogt is. He's someone who appreciates the lighter side of life. When you have a manager like that, it's very easy to play for him. You're likely to find guys more willing to put the work in to get better, and when that's the case, clubs only benefit. 

Losing Francona was painful, but Vogt has proven to be every bit as good as Francona was in Cleveland. At least for now. Vogt's only 41, and has a long career ahead of him but things are looking good for his legacy so far. 

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