Mark Kertenian, Southern California native and manager of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the Class A Advanced minor league affiliate of the Dodgers, has a long history with the sport of baseball and the state of California as he looks to win his third championship in as many years.

Kertenian began his managerial career in 2017 with the Dodgers rookie-level Ogden Raptors where he led them to their first-ever Pioneer League championship. The 2018 season saw him move down south to Arizona where he led the Arizona League (AZL) Dodgers to their first championship since 2011.

In his first year as Quakes manager, Kertenian is already halfway to his first California League Championship, having guided the Quakes to a first-half title, thereby assuring them a spot in the 2019 playoffs. 

For Kertenian, the Quakes are close to home which, of course, is a huge perk. 

“It only makes it better, but it’s not why any of us do what we do. The game is a game of travel. Sometimes you get lucky to be in an area like I am now, which is where I’m from and it’s refreshing and awesome to see faces that I’ve known my whole life and for them to come and enjoy games, family and friends, it’s been neat, but it’s not something that has to happen for happiness.”

Before taking the reigns as the manager of the reigning 2018 Cal League champion Quakes, Kertenian attended Arcadia High School, LA City College, and Point Loma Nazarene to continue his baseball career. After playing one season with Point Loma, Kertenian switched to coaching at Cal State Northridge, a move that has truly paid off for him. 

In between his time as a coach at Northridge, University of Nevada, and Florida International University, he also coached collegiate wood bat summer league teams.

“Two summers, I coached a collegiate team, Hawaii,” said Kertenian. “It was a combined group from a lot of different colleges and universities all over the country. For collegiate summer league, it’s typical that guys will go out after their college seasons and play wooden bat season and I’ve managed three teams like that.

“For other college summer leagues, like the Cape Cod Summer League, they [the players] have to have eligibility left, so they go there for the summer and they return to their colleges with some more reps under their belt and experiences,” he added.

Kertenian made the switch from college ball to pro ball in 2017 and although his summers are now otherwise occupied with affiliated baseball, he still sees the same pattern of learning and gaining experience in the Dodgers minor leaguers.

“Some organizations might prioritize certain things at each level with the ultimate vision of the growth to becoming a major league player,” said Kertenian. “I think in this organization, with the continuity that we have, you just have to collaborate with a large group of people and make sure that you’re addressing the needs of the individuals and the group per their place in life. No place is more valuable than another within an organization because guys typically touch most levels in their path, so they’re all important.”

With two and a half years under his belt in the Dodgers organization in three different locations, Kertenian still sees the impact of each level. Since both Ogden and the AZL are rookie-level affiliates, their seasons start in June rather than April. This means a longer season for the first time full-season manager, but he sees the benefit of it.  

“Being here [in Rancho Cucamonga], it’s definitely with a group of more experienced players,” said Kertenian. “There are more games, but it’s still a path in a Dodger player’s development, so it’s equally as important.”

Ultimately, the longer season and generally larger stadium sizes allow for more fans to be exposed to upcoming prospects while they are still working on honing their talents. There are many factors that come in to play at the Advanced Single-A level, especially for the Dodger prospects who play in the hitter-friendly California League. Pitchers are required to work hard to prevent runs in the warm and breezy So Cal climates that can aid a hitter. Whereas the hitters are trying to take advantage of the conditions that their own pitchers are fighting against. This benefits the players by forcing them to be the best they can to rise above the competition. 

“The Quakes have a very rich history and it’s a beautiful park and a really good league,” said Kertenian. “I think the challenge of the league here is very healthy for the players. There’s good competition going on and as you’ll see, with a big crowd, there’s energy behind it. But like I said, every level has its own importance and you can’t measure that through struts, tracking, or level.”

With just about a month left in the California League season, Kertenian and the Quakes look to finish the regular season strong and battle through the playoffs with the hopes of winning the Cal League Championship for the second year in a row for Rancho and the first time for Kertenian. 

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