A surprise choice in the dugout is already getting all the right kind of noise from people who’ve shared it with him before.
The San Diego Padres didn’t just zig with the hiring of Craig Stammen — they swerved into a lane almost nobody had circled. A year removed from working quietly in the front office and barely three since his last big league inning, Stammen now steps into the manager’s chair on a three-year deal, succeeding Mike Shildt after consecutive postseason runs and a burnout-driven exit.