Learning more about Albernaz from a few people close to him

The first managerial hire for Mike Elias in December 2018 presented Brandon Hyde with his first opportunity in the majors after serving as a coach and working in a variety of roles in the minors. He was tasked with guiding the Orioles, coming off a 115-loss season, through a painful rebuild and back into contention. Deficiencies in the roster were part of the inheritance.

The second managerial hire for Elias has given Craig Albernaz his first chance in the majors after serving as a coach and associate manager and working in a variety of roles in the minors. He’s tasked with orchestrating an immediate turnaround from last place to the playoffs. Anything less is unacceptable.

A daunting task? Anyone who’s familiar with Albernaz’s ascension from non-drafted catcher to his current post is confident that he’s ready for the challenge, that he’s absolutely the right man for the job.

Mitch Lukevics was on the ground floor as Tampa Bay’s farm director for 14 seasons. The Rays needed a catcher in camp after an unexpected retirement. Lukevics phoned scouting director R.J. Harrison, who was at a showcase with one of his Florida scouts. Albernaz played at Eckerd College in Fort Lauderdale and got a recommendation that seemed to come out of nowhere.

“Let’s go, sign him up,” Lukevics said.

This may not be the actual beginning, but it’s a good starting point to Albernaz’s story.

Albernaz played in the minors for nine seasons, throwing out 44 percent of runners attempting to steal. He spent five seasons in the Rays’ system as a coach, manager and field coordinator, earning three championship rings. Former Giants manager Gabe Kapler snatched him away as bullpen and catching coach from 2020-23, before Guardians manager Stephen Vogt hired him as bench coach in 2024 and promoted him to associate manager in 2025.

The Orioles interviewed Albernaz earlier this month and announced his hiring yesterday as their 21^st manager.

“He was a great player for us,” said Lukevics, now a Rays senior advisor. “I mean, what an arm. Couldn’t hit, but God, could he throw. A great teammate. You can see how he becomes a big league manager because of the intangibles this young man had when he came to us. His attitude, his aptitude. He was one where, no job too small.

“It wasn’t like he was a frontline player. Worked his tail off. The work ethic was off the charts. And before you know it, his playing career is over and, what do you think Albie? He had wonderful player intangibles, and those same intangibles are for a great staff member. Attitude, aptitude, work ethic. Genuinely a good person. Who do you want to teach your players? You don’t want some schmuck.

“He had all that, and before you know it, being a manager for us and being a coordinator in the lower levels for a year, and boom, Gabe, that son of a gun took him from us with San Francisco. And good for him because he got the exposure he needed. He had the minor league exposure, and now he gets with Kapler over there and he gets the big league exposure, and that worked out. And Stephen, another one of our players, he gets the job with Cleveland and he takes Albie. He learned the game in the minors and then he gets this wonderful education with Gabe and Stephen that help him become what he is. And voila, major league manager. I wish he was in a different division, though.

“I think you’re gonna like him. He’s direct. He’s a no-nonsense guy. He’s serious, yet can have a good laugh at himself. What a wonderful journey from making one call, we need a catcher, Somebody happened to retire, and our guys are like, ‘Yeah, we know a guy.’ Boom. You never know. He captured everybody while he was here.”

Bill Mathews was Eckerd’s head coach during Albernaz’s playing days and has worked as Tampa Bay’s official scorer for 19 seasons.

“I’d do anything for Albie,” Mathews said after taking a call from a reporter.

The fondness and trust are best illustrated by how Albernaz was the first babysitter for Mathews’ son Zach, who's now 35. They remain close friends today.

“There were some legit tears. We were a little chocked up last night when we found out,” Mathews said.

Mathews brought Albernaz to Eckerd on the recommendation of a Giants scout.

“He said, ‘I’ve got this kid, he’s street tough, he’s got the best arm you’ll ever see, and he’s 5-6,” Mathews recalled. “I said, ‘Is he a second baseman?’ He said, ‘No, he’s a catcher.’ I said, ‘Sure, why not?’

“Everything that was said was true. And I figured there had to be something I could do to help him out, knowing what it’s like to be away from home. My wife and I would go to dinner and Albie and his roommate would come over and shoot hoops with Zach and watch the ballgame with Zach. It really showed those guys the other side, that it’s not about you, it’s about everybody.

“He was a leader. He’s got a savvy baseball mind. He can read body language. He can look somebody in the eye and know exactly what they’re doing in terms of truth or untruth. He’s just got that knack.”

Mathews received a call from Lukevics two days after the draft when the Rays were searching for that minor league catcher, which ties together this tale.

“He said, ‘Hey, what’s Albie doing,’ I said, ‘Well, he’s still working out with us. We got him an independent tryout.’ He said, ‘Bring him over, I’ll give him a thousand bucks,'" Mathews recounted.

They met at Tropicana Field, Albernaz signed his contract, “and the rest is history,” Mathews said.

“Pretty amazing. I recruited him, and to see what he was then, just a street kid from just outside of Boston, to what he is now is really remarkable, and it’s a tribute to the game, because the game taught him how to put others ahead of himself, and that’s why he’s so well respected. Any player who’s ever been around him, every single one to the man has nothing but great things to say about Albie.”

Mathews assumed that Albernaz would eventually become a college coach because of his treatment of players and how they received him.

“College coaching is a lot more about relationships. You’re not just a piece of a business machine. You’re a person with a name,” Mathews said.

“The big leagues, I never dreamed of that. It’s just incredible. I have very good friends, life-long friends, who are absolute die-hard Orioles fans, and they have all said, ‘If you give him your blessing, then we’re OK with it because we need somebody who can go in there and make young guys listen and old guys adjust.’ That’s kind of the case with every big league team, but Albie’s got this ... it’s an instinct, and it changes pitch by pitch, player by player. It’s really fascinating to talk to him about players.

“When he was catching for me, he called all the pitches. I never called a pitch for four years. I didn’t have to. And he picked off 44 guys in four years of college baseball. His pop time was absurd, 1.78 for four years. Absurd. And absurd arm strength. And the quickness of his release was truly remarkable.”

Albernaz is known for relating and connecting to younger players, perhaps because he turns 43 on Thursday. The Orioles can’t wait to introduce him to their core group, the batch of former high-round draft picks and top prospects who will dictate the height of a bounce back season.

“They’ve got really wonderful skill players, so that’s a good match,” Lukevics said. “The one thing we always stress in the minor leagues is, you have to have great patience. It’s really a game of failure, and in the minor leagues it’s the potential to perform, and in the big leagues it’s all about performance. But there’s great failure. Even when you hit .300. So do you have the patience to nurture these young kids? I think Albie has learned this.

“He’s a smart young guy. His aptitude’s fabulous, but his attitude is what makes Albie Albie, really. He could not have worked under a better person than Stephen and Gabe, so it gave him a wonderful education. Last year he had a couple interviews, too, and sometimes that doesn’t work out and you learn from them.

“Probably this extra year with Stephen helped him even more so. We all learn. Nobody knows everything about the game. And the game’s constantly changing. I remember when you had to know the rules and know Spanish, and now if you don’t get involved in all these metrics and stuff like that, you’re far behind, you’re in the past. And what’s new next year? And Albie has that intellect to keep up with it. I’m sure with the front office, that will be a help, as well.”

Lukevics is like a proud father to former players and minor league coaches and managers, including Albernaz, Vogt, Matt Quatraro, Rocco Baldelli and Charlie Montoyo, who graduated to major league managing gigs.

“It gives me goosebumps,” he said.

“These guys are one of 30. So cool for Craig Albernaz. You talk to a lot of different guys, I’d be surprised if any of them tells you different. In Bowling Green, his team was Baseball America’s Team of the Year. He had the ability to lead men.

“Look at his background. He wasn’t a No. 1 pick, he wasn’t this or that. He had to fight and claw to get what he wanted. And he hasn’t changed. That’s another wonderful aspect of Craig Albernaz. Craig is who he is. He hasn’t changed a lick from when he was a player. Is he smarter? Of course he is. He has more experience. Does he know the game? Of course he knows the game much better. But the person? The Craig Albernaz you’re going to see, he’s the same kid who came into spring training that first year when he signed. He’s no different. He’s the same person we hired as a manager. He’s no different. That’s a wonderful trait. That’s who you’re getting.”

Everyone has a story about Albernaz. One of the best for Mathews actually involves a home run that cost Eckerd a game against Barry University.

“The umpire for some reason gave Albie another ball, didn’t realize it was a walk-off,” Mathews said. “Albie just let out a yell and threw the ball from home plate over the batter’s eye in center field. It was his therapy.”

Perhaps he's a cure for everything that ailed the Orioles in 2025.