Pro Perspective: Scott Servias
Teams
- Houston Astros, 1991 - 1995, 2001; Chicago Cubs, 1995 - 1998; San Francisco Giants, 1999 - 2000; Colorado Rockies, 2000.
Wisconsin Roots
Scott Servais was born on June 4, 1967 in La Crosse, WI, in the western part of the state near Minnesota.
He was a standout ballplayer at Westby High School, being drafted in the second round by the New York Mets at only 18 years old.
However, instead of signing with the Mets, Scott decided to go to college instead. He attended Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska and had an incredible college baseball career there. In 2003, he was inducted into the Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame.
In 1988, Scott was drafted again. This time he went in the third round to the Houston Astros and he signed.
That same year, Scott was a member of the gold medal-winning US men’s Baseball team at the Seoul summer Olympics.
Playing in the Big Leagues
Scott spent the 1989 and 1990 seasons in the Houston minor league system, playing for teams like the Columbus Mudcats and the Osceola Astros.
He made his big league debut in a game at Wrigley field against the Cubs on July 12, 1991.
Scott had one at bat in the game, being inserted into the lineup as a pinch hitter in the 9th inning of an eventual 5 – 2 loss.
During the next few seasons, Servais platooned with a number of catchers like Eddie Taubensee and Tony Eusebio. By 1994, Scott was assuming most of Houston's catching duties.
Servais was traded to the Chicago Cubs in 1995 along with teammate Luis Gonzalez. He had his most prominent seasons with the Cubs, serving as their primary starting catcher from 1996 – 1998.
The Cubs reached the postseason in 1998, and Scott went 2 for 3 in an NLDS loss to the Braves.
The rest of Scott’s playing career was spent with the San Francisco Giants, the Colorado Rockies, and a short 2001 stint back with the Houston Astros – where it all began for him.
Over the course of 11 MLB seasons, Scott Servais hit .245 and collected 611 hits, 63 home runs, and 319 RBIs.
Behind the plate he maintained a .991 fielding percentage, he had 4 pick offs and he caught 207 runners stealing, good for a 27% career caught stealing percentage.
Managerial Career
After his playing career ended, Scott Servais began a career in MLB front offices beginning with a role for the Texas Rangers.
In 2001, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hired him to be their assistant General Manager (GM).
After his former boss with the Angels – Jerry Dipoto – took over the GM role with the Seattle Mariners, Dipoto hired Scott as the Mariners’ Manager for the 2016 season.
He has led the Seattle Mariners as Manager ever since.
In his role, Scott has managed stars like Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, Felix Hernandez and Julio Rodriguez. Through the end of the 2022 season, he collected 528 wins and 504 losses (.512) as Seattle’s skipper.
Q&A with Scott Servais
Scott is a former big league catcher and current big league Manager with multiple decades of MLB experience under his belt. He has played for or with many notable Baseball figures, such as Dusty Baker, Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Ryne Sandberg and Barry Bonds.
I wrote Scott a few months ago seeking his perspective on my normal questions for catchers. He signed a card for me and he graciously replied to my questions, as seen below.
Like the others in this Pro Perspective series, I wanted to share Scott’s responses with readers in the hope that his viewpoint will benefit catchers looking to improve their game.
Here are Scott’s responses to my questions, as you can also see in the image below.
Question 1: What is your favorite memory from playing in the major leagues?
Answer: (no response given)
Question 2: What do you think is the most important skill that a catcher should have?
Answer: #1 – Lead the pitchers. #2 – Be a good receiver of pitches.
Question 3: If you could give only one piece of advice to young catchers hoping to one day play professionally, what would it be?
Answer: #1 – Play with passion and make your team better! Your energy is very important!
Scott’s answers to me point to the need for catchers to be good leaders – a topic we have addressed before.
This includes having an enthusiastic passion for the game and a passion for winning. This type of passion is contagious, helping to motivate your teammates.
Thanks for Reading
We appreciate you stopping by to learn more about Scott Servias catcher, the front office exec and the big league manager.
We have a handful of Pro Perspectives in the works, which will be published soon. Keep an eye out for them!
As always, feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.
Scott Perry
Scott Perry is the owner and lead author at Catchers Home. He's a former baseball player, a current coach, a husband and a Dad. He remains as passionate about baseball today as he was as a kid.