Column: Angels’ wins silence the usual rumors about Mike Scioscia’s future

The rumors resurfaced annually, as the Angels’ most recent postseason appearance — in 2009 —became an increasingly distant memory.

Maybe Mike Scioscia had become stale after so long in one job — 15 seasons, the longest-tenured manager in the major leagues. If he couldn’t get a team with an exorbitant payroll into the playoffs, surely his days as their manager had to be numbered.

General Manager Jerry Dipoto quashed that speculation in August 2012, and owner Arte Moreno gave Scioscia the dreaded vote of confidence in May of last year, before the injury-plagued Angels compiled their worst season in a decade. Still, Scioscia’s status wasn’t clear until October, when he and Dipoto confirmed they’d be back this season.

Pitcher Jered Weaver never believed Scioscia’s job was in jeopardy. The mention of those rumors Sunday had Weaver snorting with laughter.

“No, because if you fire Scioscia, who are you going to get that’s any better than him?” said Weaver, one of four players left from that last playoff team, with shortstop Erick Aybar, second baseman Howie Kendrick and pitcher Kevin Jepsen.

“He’s got a pretty good track record. It’s tough to manage when you’ve got a lot of injuries and guys that are supposed to play that aren’t in the lineup. But he always makes the most of it. He always figures out a way to get through it and to win.”

Those rumors have been silenced this season. It’s about time.

“I think it was just silly,” catcher Hank Conger said. “He’s one of the best coaches out there. The best manager in the league. It was really just a matter of us trying to stay healthy and for us players just to play.”

Although their 10-game winning streak ended Sunday in a 6-1 loss to the Houston Astros, the Angels own the best record in baseball (93-56) and have a magic number of four to clinch the American League West. Scioscia’s fingerprints are all over their success.

They have a chance to win 100 games for only the second time in club history despite getting little from the now-injured Josh Hamilton and not much offense, until lately, from third baseman David Freese. Their season could have gone sour after they lost starters Garrett Richards and Tyler Skaggs to injuries. But Scioscia creatively met that challenge by using Hector Santiago as a six-inning starter — a role Santiago has filled well aside from his struggles Sunday — and by turning the fifth spot into a bullpen day that has worked out better than could have been anticipated.

“I don’t think there’s anybody else better out there that’s going to be able to guide this team in the right direction,” said Weaver, who has responded well to again being the staff ace. “I owe him a lot to where I am today as far as the learning process of the game. I don’t think he’s going anywhere.”

Scioscia credited the reconfigured bullpen for the Angels’ success, and that surely has been crucial. The relief corps, weak at the start of the season, has become a key asset thanks to Dipoto’s acquisition of Jason Grilli in June and Huston Street in July.

“I think managers tend to get a lot smarter when you have a bullpen,” Scioscia said. “And I think that’s the biggest thing that we’re seeing, because nothing’s changed in, certainly, my philosophy or our philosophy about how we want to get ready to play and how we want to teach the game and how we want to play.”

“I think we have a team that is much better at taking advantage of what guys on the offensive side can create,” he said. “And we’re holding leads probably the best we have in, I’m going to say, five years.”

Conger praised Scioscia for keeping things fresh and exerting a calming presence that players appreciate.

“It’s funny because even last year, people were maybe questioning clubhouse leadership from us players,” Conger said. “I think winning kind of solves everything. I think you see how much respect everybody has for him because of how hard each and every single player plays. You’ve got guys who are banged up but they go out there to put their necks on the line to try and play through some injuries, and it really shows.”

It comes through loud and clear. Certainly loud enough to silence all those rumors about Scioscia’s supposed professional demise.

helene.elliott@latimes.com

Twitter: @helenenothelen