After a disappointing 47-46 start, the St. Louis Cardinals decided to make some coaching changes, dismissing manager Mike Matheny and two of his coaches on Saturday.
The Cardinals made the move after their 8-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Aside from Matheny, also fired were hitting coach John Mabry and assistant hitting coach Bill Mueller.
The Cardinals then assigned bench coach Mike Shildt as the team's interim manager. Shildt previously managed the Cardinals' Minor League system for eight seasons. He is the first Major League manager since Dave Trembley without any playing experience to get the position.
Cardinals Thank Matheny For His Services
"Mike Matheny has served the St. Louis Cardinals organization with tremendous dedication and pride, and I am thankful for his service to the Cardinals over the past six and a half seasons," Cardinals principal owner Bill DeWitt Jr. said in a statement.
"On behalf of the entire Cardinals organization, I would like to wish Mike the very best," added DeWitt, who joined president of baseball operations John Mozeliak in meeting with Matheny after their loss to the Reds.
In an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Matheny said he has nothing but gratitude to his former squad.
The Cardinals also hired Triple-A hitting coach Mark Budaska and Minor League offensive strategist George Greer as hitting coaches. So far, the Cardinals haven't named a replacement bench coach, but Greer and third-base coach Jose Oquendo are both expected to fill that duty.
The Cardinals named Matheny as Tony LaRussa's replacement in 2011. In his tenure, he compiled a 591-473 win-loss mark and led the team to four straight postseason appearances from 2012 to 2015 and a National League title in 2013. However, the Cardinals failed to make it to the playoffs the past two seasons and are in danger of missing another postseason run as they are seven games behind the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.
According to MLB.com, the Cardinals might wait until the offseason to look for a replacement manager. Possible candidates are former Yankees manager Joe Girardi, Padres bench coach Mark McGwire, Jim Riggleman, Oquendo, and Stubby Clapp.
Cardinals Respond With First Win Under Shildt
The Cardinals gave Shildt his first win as a Major League manager with a 6-4 win over the Reds in the series finale at Busch Stadium. The win improved the Cardinals' record to 48-46 before the All-Star.
"Look, my job is to put guys in a position to where they can succeed," Shildt says. "Today, they played the game very well. I just sat back and let them do it."
Matt Carpenter and Dexter Fowler hit solo homers in the first and second innings, respectively, Tommy Pham added two RBIs while Jose Martinez and Yadier Molina drove in a run each for the Cardinals.
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