Inside the Mind of a Manager: Vince Harrison – High-A Dayton Dragons

When we look at the farm systems for each team in Major League Baseball, the unsung heroes in developing the stars of tomorrow are the managers who shape that talent in the minor leagues.

Regardless of the level, managers are always tasked with putting their players in the best positions to succeed. To thrive as a manager in the minor leagues in particular, coaches need to strike a balance between setting a winning culture and individual player development.

After you wade through the obvious organizational expectations and structure, the mindsets and makeup of minor league managers are highly unique.

Built from a combination of personal experience and observing the failure and success of managers before them, we’re kicking off a new series for an inside look into minor league management.

On August 13th, I sat down with Vince Harrison, the manager of the Dayton Dragons. The Dragons are the High-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.

At the conclusion of his playing career, Harrison got his introduction to coaching with the Pirates, followed by becoming a hitting coach with the Diamondbacks organization in 2014.

After five seasons as a hitting coach and three seasons managing within the Diamondbacks’ system, Harrison joined the Reds’ organization in 2023 and was named the manager for the Dayton Dragons for the 2024 season, guiding them to a postseason berth.

During my conversation with Harrison, we discussed navigating the challenges of a developing system, a look at his rich family history within baseball, the importance of networking, building a genuine relationship with his players, and much more.

Here is my full conversation with Harrison, as we get a look inside the mind of a minor league manager. 

The following Q&A was transcribed as spoken.

Q & A with Dayton Dragons Manager Vince Harrison

Emily Waldon:

During your time playing at Kentucky, was there anybody who made that initial impact on your life as a manager?

Vince Harrison:

I had a few influences. I had an uncle, John Shelby who played in the big leagues for over 10 years and got a couple World Series rings. So, I grew up following his career and when he finished playing, he got into coaching and managing in the minor leagues.

You mentioned me going to Kentucky, my college coach was one of the biggest influences on me just as a person in general. On the coaching side, a couple things that they both had in common are both just very loyal, just great humans who tend to put others ahead of themselves.

Their value systems were just great. They were good people that were just easy to be around. Those were probably my two biggest influences as far as being able to push me towards that thought of managing.

Waldon:

You were a 13th-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2001. Who was somebody at the professional level who stood out to you through their example as a manager?

Harrison:

I mean, I had a bunch of them. I think there’s multiple guys that I played for that had an influence, but I played for a guy for a couple years in the Tampa Bay system, Mako Olivares, who had a lot of success over in Puerto Rico. He was very wise, a lot of his terminology and jokes went over our heads, but when you can sit down and think about the things he said, he was very, very influential.

My first year in Double-A, I had Charlie Montoya who ended up becoming a big league manager and managed with Toronto for a few years. Of the guys that I saw respected in the game and had the opportunity to play for, those are two of the guys that probably gave me the most perspective just because I think they were caring, they were real about feelings, and they were real about getting players better.

I think I felt their passion for the game a lot through their coaching. I think eventually getting into coaching, you start to realize that your style comes from a combination of things.

Whether it be the people you liked, people who have the most influence on you, guys that you liked playing for, and maybe even some guys that you worked for or worked with or played under that may have given you some things that you probably didn’t want in a manager and kind of prepared you for staying away from these things.

Things that didn’t necessarily resonate with me or I didn’t necessarily love took that as a note and kind of rolled with that and said, “Make sure you don’t make that happen if you ever get the position to be in there.”

Waldon:

In talking with current managers, they all seem to agree they had a moment where they could see themselves moving into management after their playing career, but the only hesitation was, “If I let my mind go there, I’m going to lose the momentum of being a player.”

Did you ever have that moment personally where you could see that happening, but you said, “I’m not quite ready to take the player uniform off yet?”

Harrison:

For me, I kind of know the exact moment. It was 2005, I was coming off wrist surgery. I was going to be in Triple-A that year. I feel like that was probably the year, if I stayed healthy that I would’ve made a debut in the big leagues.

But the unfortunate timing of a wrist injury that didn’t heal correctly, which ended up having two surgeries, put me back in Cincinnati. But it coincided with my brother Josh’s senior year and basically the high school coach let me run the team as far as drills and how we went about things and how we handle stuff.

Since I was physically in person and not away at spring training and playing a season, I put into my brother and his teammates what I would’ve been doing. Our high school team ended up going to the state final four, which hadn’t been done in 30 years.

I mean, we were a couple of  pitches away from playing for a state title, but that moment was, or just that season was a great deal for me because, like I said, it was my brother’s team, and his best friend on the team was my little brother also. So, I basically took them through what I was doing.

Then three years later, they’re both drafted because they went to college for three years, and then they got the cheat code to what a pro trains like. So, for me, they got to be my Guinea pigs, and I got to implement some ideas and some kind of strategies and stuff.

So, we had that success, and I think that’s when it was like, “Man, I could see that happening.” The irony is I think that’s when I actually met my wife and she wasn’t into baseball at all and I can remember her having a conversation with me saying, “Hey, don’t get mad at me, but I saw the way you were with those players,” and she was like, “You were born for this.”

This was within maybe a couple of weeks of us just starting to date, and my mind was, “I shouldn’t even be here.” If I were healthy, I wouldn’t be here. I’d be hitting baseballs on the field, or you’d be watching me on TV, making my debut. But instead, I was back at Princeton High School in Cincinnati, and we were making our own history, and little did I know at the time, it was just going to be probably one of the more crucial parts of my life.

It coincided with my brother being a senior in high school, who didn’t have any scholarship offers, and it allowed me to help him get into college. Then I met my wife then and missed that whole year.

I came back the next year and actually tore my quad and ended up having surgery the following spring. So, I missed back-to-back years, and it gave me some real perspective on how I’ve always kind of had that passion for coaching, I think. It just kind of came naturally, but physically being able to play definitely helped push me to that when you’re done playing, we know where our heart is.

Waldon:

With the Pirates, Diamondbacks, and now the Reds’ organizations, you’ve had a chance to witness different player development processes. What were some of the biggest takeaways you’ve had from that regarding shaping the way you approach developing your players?

Harrison:

I think you kind of see what different organizations prioritize. You may get a visual on the types of players that intrigue that org or a certain playing style, but the one takeaway for me from being in three different orgs, for me personally, it’s all about building relationships with guys because everyone learns in a different way.

The coaching in high school is way different than coaching in pro ball, because you got a different level of talent, you’ve got various backgrounds, but then you actually enter a language barrier deal. So just finding out that building a relationship is a key component to be able to get through.

Back in the day, we just did what we were told because that’s how we learned. I think that mindset isn’t as prevalent as it used to be. It’s just about being adaptive with the times and the people. I think that’s been a big factor for me. I feel like we all have our styles and whatever we find important, but I’m big on just trying to build a relationship with players as people to be able to have the conversations necessary for them to be effective, and for me to be effective.

Waldon:

With certain managers going more of the hands-on route with player relationships, and some who are more hands-off, how have you found that balance that allows you to keep that professional distance from the players but still keeping that personal connection that allows them to build trust with you in return?

Harrison:

Right. I think it kind of just ties in though the last thing I said is really about building a relationship with the person, because I think that just creates the necessary methods of communication.

I think when you learn about the people you’re dealing with, you realize that some people you can push, and some people, you probably need to soften the blow. Some people you need to leave alone to figure it out. I mean we’ve all got different learning styles, so the more you can know about the person, I think, the more effective you can be as a coach/communicator.

Waldon:

When it comes to the personalities of the players you’re managing, how have you found the ability to read the room and see when someone needs a moment or saying, “I can tell they need me to sit and talk them through this.” Do you tie that to your relationship building and just learning how to read each guy individually?

Harrison:

Yeah. Yeah. I think that’s a big factor, but I think it’s also same thing as a player, as a coach. For me, if I’m constantly just receptive and trying to learn, then the answers will be given to you. Reading the room is tough, if you don’t know people. But if you know the people and you can read body language and know how they respond to certain outcomes per se, then I think sometimes the answers are a little bit easier to get just because of what you’ve learned from just being around it.

Waldon:

You’ve had a chance to experience the ebb and flow of seeing success and then going through a rebuilding phase. You went to the postseason with Dayton last year. Now, you’ve got a bit of a different look this year, more of a focus on players learning their identity. How have you balanced navigating a challenging season from a managerial role while still keeping the players motivated, even in the low points of a season?

Harrison:

Right. I mean, I think you said it. It’s all about keeping that growth mindset, meaning there’s things I’ve still got to learn. Not to say that it’s not frustrating but being able to deal with that frustration of not having the outcome I wanted, and maybe my understanding the magnitude of some things that the players didn’t at the moment.

It also helps you reflect back where when I can look back and say, when I was 21 or 22, the things that may have been small things to me on the field or small things or moments in a game, are definitely magnified when you coach it, when you can see the game when you’ve had experience on both sides and can see it from a different lens.

The number one goal is just to always remind the players of why you’re doing it and why they’re doing it. I think they’re all playing because they want to get to the big leagues. I don’t think there’s another answer you really get.

There’s really no one playing that doesn’t want to get to the big leagues. And there’s certain things that come with that. There’s responsibility, there’s professionalism, there’s the need and ability to grow. You have to be able to balance your internal personal feelings when given the opportunity to grow and understand that mistakes and things are part of the deal.

You have to find that balance of when you can jump on something right away and then maybe times when you need to let it chill and find another time to revisit.

For me, that’s where I try to use the opportunity to build those relationships with guys. I found it to be a lot easier when you can have a better relationship with the guy, and they know that you care about them as a person and you’re not just their coach.

That’s when they’re willing to talk about more. And sometimes that leads to maybe being able to have a tough conversation without it being tough, because you can give the player what they need without them feeling like you’re tearing them down or beating them up. You’re just giving them the information they need and they’re going to be a lot more receptive to it if they know that you’ve got their best interest at heart.

Waldon:

Talk to me about the value of your coaching staff. How important is that for you as a manager to fall back on and to be reminded that you’re not carrying that entire load by yourself?

Harrison:

Yeah, I mean it’s great one for me. I don’t ever feel like I have to carry that by myself. The guys I get to work with, I get opportunities to learn from them often, get opportunities to learn from them daily through the conversations, being able to talk through game situations and through player success and struggles to understand it.

As a manager, I bounce around. I will bounce around and be in the bullpens with the pitchers because I know what they’re working on and talk them through situations. I’ll be in the cages, which is pretty easy considering me being a former hitting coach, it’s really easy for me to just hang out in the cage and talk. That part comes a little more naturally.

Being able to be in the bullpen with my guy, Willie Blair and just talk about pitchers and situations and games and the things they’re working on, they definitely keep me sharp. Then our outfield coach, first base coach Peterson Plaz this year, he’s been great for me personally because he’s a younger coach and he hasn’t been coaching that long.

He asked a lot of questions, and I got him to come out of his shell. He’s a really quiet dude, really good person, naturally on the quiet side. I’ve encouraged him to ask me questions because I think when I get his perspective on some things, it just makes me realize, “Oh, I didn’t see it from that way, or I didn’t look at it that way.” In the big picture, it has just created more conversation opportunities for us, and it has really strengthened our relationship.

I think it’s been good because (Plaz) has helped me see things that maybe he was thinking, but he also keeps me sharp because I’m always prepared for him to ask me something challenging. I’m always happy to get that challenge because as I said before, I’ve tried to keep this growth mindset as a coach too. I don’t ever want to feel like I’ve got all the answers.

I want to keep looking for them. Sometimes, when someone you work with every day knows you and knows how you go about things and starts to understand the way you think, just having that avenue to create that conversation gives us both opportunities to learn about each other and figure out what we need. He’s been great. I mean, this staff has been great for me. They’ve really helped me in so many ways.

Waldon:

What would you say has been the most fulfilling aspect of being in a managerial role?

Harrison:

I know I’m a people person and I think the most fulfilling thing about it is I’ve been able to create relationships with different coaches, but also be able to connect with front offices, even front offices of other teams.

Generally the front offices of other teams are contacts for when you go into a new city. So, it’s also nice to just have those relationships and just even when you go somewhere that’s not home to know that, “Oh, I know someone there, or at least there’s a familiar face.” I think overall it has created some friendships that may friendships for life, but also creates a comfort level for when it’s not just baseball people.

And what I mean is, it’s not just on the field personnel, it’s people in the front office and even media related. There’s just so many avenues that you get being a manager that you don’t get as a hitting coach because hitting coach, you’re generally in the cages behind the scenes and not being able to be out and bounce around to meet other people.

Waldon:

What was your “Welcome to managing in professional baseball” moment?

Harrison:

That is such a challenging question. I think it was probably my first game as a manager in 2019. Home game. I was in Kane County, and we were playing Clinton and their manager is a friend of mine who I actually work with now, Mike Jacobs.

Their hitting coach was a guy, Frankie Moore, who was one of my teammates and one of the first people I met in pro ball. We came up through the minors together in the Tampa Bay system. It was like this big, “Okay, I’ve been in pro ball now for nine years, but on this side as a coach, I’m actually making the decisions.” I just remember, “Jeez, I can’t really impact the game anymore.”

It felt like, “This is out of my hands. I can’t do anything other than sit back and watch and trust our preparation.” Our first game of year was freezing, but I can just remember after the game not being able to feel my fingers and my hitting coach, who was a former big leaguer and big league scout and my pitching coach, also a former big leaguer and just one of the greatest men I’ve ever met in baseball, they both came right to me and handed me the lineup card. They were like, “Man, first of many.” I think that was my moment.

Waldon:

That’s when it became real.

Harrison:

Yeah, because it was real. Then I’m like, “Oh, I’m just playing a game against my boys, guys I know.” Then it was like, “Oh man, I’ve got to go make a pitching change in the third.” All these things were just happening fast. Then, when the game ended, I’m like, “Man, it’s cold. All I can think about is just getting warm.” I felt like they saw the moment a little bigger than I did at the time. I was just like, “All right, let’s go shake hands.” We were shaking hands like we always do, but here was the lineup card from my first game. You just won your first game in a way you wanted to, so that was cool.

Waldon:

What was the best piece of advice you ever received about how to be a successful professional manager?

Harrison:

I don’t know if I ever got any advice on how to be a manager, but I would say one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever gotten was get to know your players. That’s always resonated with me in the back of my head, “Get to know your players.” It’ll give you an idea who you’re working with and as we stated before, you just get a better idea of how to operate in the same space, because you’re going to spend a lot of time together in the same little bubble.

So, for me, it’s get to know your players and as they get higher when you start managing for real, get to know your bullpen, so you can know how to effectively use them. The hitting part is going to be a little bit easier for me to see some things but getting to know the players and getting to know the bullpen because I wasn’t a pitcher were two things that I really had to hone in on.