By David Saltzer and Rick Dykhuizen
Let’s say you’ve just been drafted by the Angels. You may be a bit nervous. You may not know what you’re really getting yourself into with professional baseball. You may not be sure how your “stuff” stacks up with other kids who just turned pro.
There is one thing that is certain: One of the first people in the organization who will help shape your future is Dave Stapleton, the manager for the Orem Owlz. Working with many of the newly drafted players, Stapleton’s job is to take them from wherever they were and turn them into professional baseball players. It’s his job to teach them Angels baseball and get them ready for a career in the Major Leagues.
Stapleton joined the Owlz this year after pitching for the Brewers organization and coaching at Grand Canyon College, his alma mater (the same college as Tim Salmon—although they were not teammates). The field at Grand Canyon College is partially named in his honor (Stapleton-Pierson Stadium).
In speaking with Stapleton, we got a strong sense that he has the skills to turn these players into professional athletes. He spoke with us about his main goals for the players, how he works with them, and those people who influenced his managerial style.
The biggest proof of Stapleton’s success so far can be found on the field. The Owlz are playing great baseball. Whenever the Angels aren’t playing, fans should tune into to the Owlz (www.oremowlz.com) game to learn about the future of the organization.
Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing interviews that we did with many of the Owlz players. Please click below for our interview with the Owlz Manager, Dave Stapleton.