The Miami Marlins officially named Clayton McCullough as it’s new manager. The Dodgers first base coach replaces Skip Schumacher as the man in charge of the Marlins dugout. McCullough explained his excitement about the opportunity in front of him to 7’s Josh Moser. “This is maybe the first time it felt like it’s kind of started to sink in or maybe my feet hit the ground when Bruce and Peter handed me the jersey. Put it on. Now, the realization that this is official now,” said McCullough. “I’m extremely excited.” “86 is your number? Why 86?” asked Moser. “So four years ago, my first opportunity on a major league staff, when it’s something you kind of connect with family we needed to have numbers that were over a certain threshold or so and I kind of wanted my wife’s birthday, but a player had it. So I felt the next best thing was the year so it has a little tie to my wife and family,” he said.”86 is not your like typical, popular baseball jersey.” “Well, 86 hopefully going to bring a lot of success to this field. How would you define success in your first season in charge?” asked Moser. “I think success will be defined [when] we look back at the end of the 2025 season and look at the strides that we’ve made. That doesn’t mean that winning each night is not going to be a goal. We, each day, put our best foot forward as a group and as an organization. Get a little bit better each day as a staff,” he said. “ You know us doing what’s in best interest of our players and we look back at the end of the season and go, you know we put some incredible processes in place. Our systems were strong. We feel really confident about the direction we’re going with and still the intent to come out each night and win a baseball game.” “We understand you’re coming from the Dodgers coming off the World Series run. For fans that have been watching for years, wanting to experience that feeling, what was that actually like for you to reach the pinnacle?” asked Moser. “I can still remember jogging down first base line, top of the ninth inning in game five, you know you’re three outs away you got a one run lead, you wanted to score some mor but you’re like man we’re three outs away from this happening. When that last out was made, Walker Buehler gets the strike out, the elation, exhaustion. You know how many people had to contribute,” he said. “There were fingerprints all over that championship through the Major League staff players, player development, scouting, and then you realize that the people are what make it drive and makes this thing goes.” “So that’s what so exciting here too, is the type of people that we’re going to be continuing to bring in that we already have in place. Everyone’s fingerprints will be on the successes of Marlins moving forward,” he continued. “From everyone that speaks to you, they speak so highly of you, they mention character over and over again. What do you want the character of your team to be next year?” asked Moser. “I think it’s a group of our fans can come out and be proud of. They’re going to wok hard. Come out with a real competitive edge and a real competitive fire each night when they go out there to play. And then we just look to be focusing on those things we can control each day. There’s so much outside noise and outside factors, let’s be discipline and stay on top of what we can control preparing the right way each single day,” he said. “You’re so serious in you approach to all of this. We know that you’ve dedicated your entire life, but today is about you. Realizing how far you’ve come in the moment your in and you’re in the Major League. How much has that sunk in?” asked Moser. “It’s getting there. I think putting the jersey on, when Bruce and Peter slipped the jersey on. Now, your officially the seventh manager in Miami Marlins history, your thinking ‘Okay like it’s here’ so many people aided and helped me along the way to even have a chance to be in this time of position. So I know it’s less about me and all the other people. My family has always been there. My feet are just now kind of hitting the ground,” said McCullough. “How do you celebrate this?” asked Moser. “Go give my family another hug. We’ll just pinch ourselves at some point and think you know, it’s real,” said McCullough. Schumaker is now the manager in waiting for the Texas Rangers.