Sport: Baseball
Born: June 2, 1981
Town: Livingston, New Jersey
Michael Chernoff was born June 2, 1981 in Livingston, NJ. His father, Mark Chernoff, was a radio executive who helped Howard Stern rise to prominence and then became program director at WFAN in the 1990s. The Chernoffs were big baseball fans and active members of the temple in Livingston. As a result, Mike grew up an admirer of all-time greats Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax. Father-and-son games of catch evolved into a varsity baseball career at the prestigious Pingry School, where Mike distinguished himself as a gifted student-athlete.
Mike was accepted at Princeton University in 1998 and was the regular shortstop for Scott Bradley’s Tigers as a junior and senior. Although Mike’s glove was pro quality, his bat was not; he was basically a .250 hitter against Division-I pitching. That marked the end of his playing career. Mike was an avid fantasy sports fan in high school and college, sharpening his skills as a talent evaluator. But it was during his years at Princeton that he was exposed to baseball operations up close and personal, scoring an internship with the Mets after his junior year and then with the Indians following his graduation in 2003. He earned a degree in Economics.
In Cleveland, Mike worked closely with Mike Hazen, who helped run the team’s scouting and player development staff. Hazen had played for Princeton in the 1990s. Mike’s baseball acumen also caught the attention of GM Mark Shapiro, who took him under his wing. The 2007 club won 96 games and a division title, and then beat the Yankees in the Division Series. In the ALCS against the Red Sox, the Indians held a 3–1 lead but the pitching imploded and they lost the series. Mike and the Cleveland brass watched in frustration as Boston went on to sweep the Colorado Rockies—surprise winners of the NL pennant—in the World Series.
Mike rose steadily through the organization, becoming Assistant General Manager to Chris Antonetti, who filled Shapiro’s shoes when he was promoted to club President. In 2016, Antonetti assumed the role of club President and Mike replaced him as GM. That season, the team won a franchise-record 14 games in a row and captured their first division title since 2007. The Indians went on to win the pennant and held a 3–1 lead over the Cubs in the World Series. As in 2007, however, they could not seal the deal, however, and lost in seven games.
In 2017, the Indians set an AL record with a 22-game winning streak. In 2020, he quelled rumors that he might take the Mets GM job after Steve Cohen bought the team and stayed in Cleveland. Mike had declined to interview for the Mets job in 2018, so his decision was not a complete surprise.
In 2021, the Indians took the field with a new name, the Guardians. Mike and his father still play catch at least once a month.