Manager Miles in Depth: Playing the Scoreboard
Ballers Manager Aaron Miles on His Coaching Philosophy, Winning It All, and His Love for Oakland Baseball
By Chris Drue, Ballers Beat Writer
The goal was always in view.
At the end of each winter, after returning home to Antioch for the offseason, Aaron Miles would sit in the passenger seat as his mother drove him to the airport to begin another year of the minor league grind in pursuit of the Bigs. As their car crested the familiar rise on 880 and the concrete mass of the Oakland Coliseum came into view against the backdrop of the Oakland Hills, Miles would point out the window and tell her: “Someday, I’m going to play there.”
The scrappy, switch-hitting infielder eventually did. Drafted straight out of Antioch High in 1995, Miles built a nine-season MLB career where he hit .281 with 19 home runs, 229 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases. In his debut season, he was a standout Rookie of the Year contender, leading all MLB rookies in hits and runs. Miles would reach the pinnacle of the sport by earning a World Series ring with the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals. His journey took him through both sides of Chicago, Colorado, St. Louis and Los Angeles. In a brief twist of fate, Miles was actually in the Oakland organization for two months during the 2010 offseason before being traded for Willy Tavaras and Adam “Rosie” Rosales.
After retiring in 2012 and beginning his new career as a coach, the baseball world eventually came full circle. It is now as a manager where Miles finds himself tackling another tall challenge, back on an East Bay diamond in a role that may be more consequential than his playing days. As the manager of the Oakland Ballers, it’s not just about getting to the Bigs—it’s about building a winning culture and a new baseball community from the ground up. “For me to be a part of bringing baseball back to Oakland and doing it in such a [winning] fashion with these great owners and community... it’s a beautiful thing,” Miles shares. “I have a lot of the same memories as the fans do growing up watching Oakland baseball, and to be a part of not letting that die has been really special to me.”
Play the Scoreboard, Play to Win
Miles learned from legends as a Major Leaguer, playing under managers like Tony La Russa, Joe Torre, and Don Mattingly. It would be a philosophy from his mentor La Russa that would become his mantra: “Play the Scoreboard.” To “play the scoreboard” is to win by approaching every game inning-by-inning, pitch-by-pitch—it’s about making constant adjustments based on where the game is, a philosophy La Russa championed and popularized.
He explains that this mantra takes on a much more urgent meaning in the Pioneer League than it does in the affiliated minor leagues. In Miles’ view, independent baseball is closer to the Big Leagues because the development happens within a "win-at-all-costs" environment. Because in “indie ball,” if you don’t win, it might be all over.
“If you can’t help us win, you are probably going to go home. So it comes down to playing the scoreboard … it’s what you can do at that moment to win the baseball game. And that’s what it is in the Big Leagues,” Miles explains. “Obviously, there is development so our guys can move on... but how they do that is they play to win—they prove that they are winning baseball players. And it’s getting harder every year because the league keeps getting better; the talent keeps rising.”
Miles with Aaron Miles at San Quentin, Courtesy Darrell Lavin Photography
Managing that intensity requires a strong personal connection with at least 25 distinct personalities in the clubhouse, and Miles acknowledges that connecting with every single player is a challenge. “But you need to try. You need to have a personal relationship with all of them—know what makes them tick, know what you need to tell them, know when they need a day off. You need to know your team.”
Miles points to Tyler “T-Lo” Lozano as a prime example of a player who would make a great coach because of his ability to connect with others. Lozano, who played for the B’s through 2024 and 2025 and recently hung up his cleats, was the “glue” of the championship clubhouse. “Tyler checks all the boxes. He’s a leader who can connect with anyone from any corner of the country... he could be an absolutely phenomenal manager one day,” he notes. “I wish him the best in his other endeavors that he’s embarking on right now… I think that baseball will always be there [for him].”
Don’t Call It a Hot Streak
It was just under halfway through the 2025 season when Miles realized that the B’s winning ways were no fluke.
Oakland had just finished a monster road trip where they went 12-1 after sweeping the Rocky Mountain Vibes—with catcher Dillon Tatum leading the charge by hitting a video game-esque 11 home runs in just two weeks. Dylan Matsuoka had also been named the league’s Pitcher of the Week and pitchers Gabe Tanner and Noah Millikan were hitting their stride after recently signing with the club.
After seeing the Missoula Paddleheads control first place all season long, Oakland had now leapfrogged its way to the top. “[At first] I just thought we were hitting a hot streak... and it seemed like the hot streak never ended,” Miles recalls as the B’s hit the halfway point of the season.
But the true "eye-opener" came from a conversation with 20-year veteran manager and scout Kash Beauchamp during a stop in Boise. “He told me that he thought this [Oakland B’s] team was the best Pioneer League team that he’d ever seen,” Miles shares. “You believe that coming from him. So it stopped being a hot streak—we were just really good. I knew then: Missoula needs to watch out now.”
That dominance ultimately led to the B’s breaking the league record for wins, bringing home to Oakland a championship, and Miles being named Manager of the Year. But that success set a fairly high precedent, one that Miles acknowledges will be tough to beat. “The pressure is on me now to throw out a winner again or they might find another ex-Oakland A to take my job!” Miles laughs. “I don’t take that lightly—I’m a competitor. I want the people of Oakland to [know that] the people in charge are going to give them a winning team every year.”
The Oakland Advantage
The mission to defend Oakland’s title begins at Raimondi Park. Miles has seen stadiums and baseball fans from the Bronx to Chavez Revine, but he contends that the atmosphere currently growing in West Oakland is truly special, providing an edge that cannot be manufactured or bought. “Our fans really bring it," Miles says. "It’s a vibe that when it gets rocking there, it’s a tough place to play for the other team. We got the drums and our hardcore Oakland baseball fans being as loud as they can–it’s been quite an advantage for us. Guys get rattled by it. I love it.”
Miles is also quick to point out that it’s a point of pride that the Oakland Ballers and Raimondi Park is a community space for all. “No matter where you come from, what walk of life you’re on, everyone is represented here. Being from here, it’s a source of pride.”
Not long ago, Aaron Miles sat in the passenger seat of his mom’s car as a minor leaguer—an East Bay native seeing his dreams just in his grasp. He’s now in pursuit of another dream—developing the next generation of baseball talent and helping build a new baseball legacy in Oakland.
It’s a connection deeply personal to Miles—before he was a World Series champ, Miles was another Oakland baseball fan, idolizing Rickey Henderson, Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, Walt Weiss and Mike Gallego.
“My passion for baseball started first with catch with my dad. But equally as important, my passion for baseball grew through being an Oakland baseball fan,” Miles shared during his championship address at City Hall following the historic 2025 campaign. “It has been such an honor to provide an unbelievable memory to the same people that I hold the same memories with and that built my passion for the game… I am honored to be your manager.”
Miles is excited to continue forging a new path for Oakland baseball. “We’re going to continue to build this thing … we’ve been on the right track for a while now and [it’s] growing. Oakland is home.”
The goal is again in view, just east of 880.
All images and video used with permission from the Oakland Ballers and Aaron Miles.
Chris Drue is an East Bay native who has loved baseball since visiting the Coliseum with his dad as a kid. His favorite combo at Raimondi Park is a Fieldwork Day Money and a veggie dog (in a helmet!). His favorite pitch is the eephus, with a Barry Zito 12-6 curveball (circa 2002) a very close second. Find him onInstagram.
