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It seems appropriate for a new thread to discuss the interim manager. According to comments from Mo, the plan is for Shildt to be in place the remainder of the season and decide on the permanent manager then.
If you missed today's #STLCards press conference, you can watch the full version here: https://t.co/HfAGVyI05Z
— Bally Sports Midwest (@BallySportsMW) July 15, 2018
Really hope someone in the STL press explores the Shildt over Oquendo question. Was Jose asked and turned it down? Did they want to avoid the appearance that Jose was brought in to replace MM? Did they simply think Shildt was the better candidate?
I am not advocating for Oquendo. I simply would like to know why the most obvious and PR pleasing candidate wasn’t chosen.
Mo was asked about Oquendo during the press conference but gave a generic answer that he spoke with Jose, who is fully committed to help Shildt.
My view is that Shildt has been groomed for this day for years. Oquendo was quoted some months ago in a talk with Hummel, I believe, that his days of wanting to manage are over. None of us know if he was sincere, or just realizes that he was not and is not the organization’s top choice to lead the team.
I would hope the intent is to look outside the organization for our future manager.
I would like a fresh set of eyes rather than the yes men that were hired and promoted within the organization. We saw how that worked out when the high caliber, elite talent dried up and we had start relying on more mid level talent and an actual manager who was with it between the ears to find ways to win.
IMO Oquendo is a leftover from TLR. While respected by the organization is too close to that much beloved and long forgotten era. He will never be manager here.
#STLCards reached into the minor league ranks for replacements for fired hitting coaches John Mabry and Bill Mueller – selecting hitting gurus Mark Budaska and George Greer: https://t.co/pu6tgyZdpV pic.twitter.com/DSOgNbZZED
— Derek Shore (@D_Shore23) July 15, 2018
The Girardi speculation has already begun as I saw an article or two on msn about it…not bashing the interim guy, he’s just in a position where he has to keep up what’s going on but can’t really change much until and if he’s named the ongoing manager after this year…
Mike Shildt in the dugout didn’t look to me like the interim manager. I thought he looked like the new manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. I think if MM was running this game, Mikolas would have been left in to bat for himself so that he had a chance to get the win. That’s just the way MM did things. Shildt, OTOH, went for the win by pinch hitting Jose Martinez to get the run home. I though that was a momentum changer. The difference, IMHO is that, whereas MM would have been trying to get the win for one of his players, Shildt was trying to get the win for the fans, the organization, the team, and himself. Folks, that’s the way its supposed to be. If he keeps managing like that, he deserves to be manager next year.
To me Joe Girardi is just another pretty face. I’d rather have a down and dirty, win hungry manager than him. Not sure if Shildt is the guy yet, or not.
One other comment I have is that I hope WDWII stays involved. He’s getting up there, and he can’t do it forever, but……
Good point. Surely some combination of Cecil, Gregerson, Hicks, and Norris would have finished the game. Matheny wanted everybody to get a chance to play, sort of like in the Little Leagues.
But I think Shildt did one thing in the same TLR and Matheny mode. I think he pitched Hicks just to get him back on the horse, not because he was the best option for that situation
This includes a number of comments also made here.
My three take-aways from Mike Shildt’s first game as manager of the #STLCards. One is regarding the lineup and the other two are related to pitching deployment. Day 1 conclusion: Shildt is not going to be a Matheny clone. (free) https://t.co/kck2FPNG2N pic.twitter.com/TDcA0T2r5Q
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) July 16, 2018
The Cards have had a long time to measure Shildt’s scouting, teaching, and managerial talents as he progressed through the system. He may have a strong chance to win the job on a permanent basis.
CC, there was some talk that Norris may not have been available. If so, using the primary set up man to get the save would not seem unusual.
I like the decision to pitch Gant 4 innings. I had questioned why Matheny didn’t use some more long relief when he had a pitcher who was used to starting on the mound. When you use Gomber, Poncedeleon, Gant and Mayers in the ‘pen, you have the opportunity to save the rest of the ‘pen for another game if they are throwing well.
I would rather have one of them bat in the 6th or 7th inning than run up the appearances of Bowman, Hicks, Norris, etc. Maybe utilizing a ‘pen like that in years past would have saved the arms of Rosenthal, Siegrist, Maness and a few others.
Several people, myself included, have been talking a lot about Joe Girardi and other “big name” manager candidates but we should probably just let this season play out. Shildt shouldn’t be counted out yet. He obviously knows the system inside an out and the addition of Budaska should help. Sometimes interim guys can get the job done. Look at Riggleman with the Reds and Snitker with the Braves. It can happen. What if Shildt leads us to 40-28 second half and we finish with 88 wins? That would change the outlook on him for sure.
We might find out soon. 8 of our first 11 games out of the break are against the surging Cubs. Hopefully we survive that and can get on a roll.
Another variable will be how the front office handles the trade deadline. No one knows if we will buy, sell, both, or neither but the potential roster changes could impact Shildt also.
Shildt and some other possible manager candidates were discussed in an article by Jen Langosch.
Dusty Baker was one name that they listed that I don’t want under any circumstance. Joe Girardi and Jim Riggleman are 2 others that I am not sure that I am interested in anymore. To me, Stubby Clapp and Shildt are the 2 most intriguing internal candidates. There are a few external candidates that I would like to know a little more about.
On the TV broadcast yesterday, they talked about Shildt and the influence of George Kissell on him early in his career. He has been in every level of the organization as well, which was mentioned as one of the reasons for his appointment over Oquendo.
I also liked seeing Gant out there for an extended stretch. I have always felt that if a pitcher is going well, you leave him there when you can. This bit about only throwing a reliever for one inning has never been something I favor.
And last, I liked the lineup he used, and him using Martinez in a key situation off the bench. I think that is a better way to utilize Martinez.
Very astute article Brian. Other things that may not have anything to do with Shildt. Only 5 strikeouts and a lot less wild swings at pitches out of the zone. Ozuna seemed to have his lower half more stable than previously. I have noticed that he has not had his lower half in play a lot during the season. I still have hopes for him. He was a fearsome hitter last season at Miami.
Also, instead of taking the batting practice fastball down the middle on the first pitch, Carpenter hit it out. That sends a message that will benefit him going forward. As either Budaska or Greer said “if you swing at pitches you can’t hit, they will keep throwing them there.” In this case if you always take the first pitch they will keep throwing first pitch strikes well in the zone.
I hope DeJong quits often taking a first pitch strike. He needs all the swings he can get. I have high hopes for him.
I also liked the use of Gant. One of my criticisms of Matheny was that he never seemed to use his long man. If this is Shildt’s MO the bullpen can only benefit.
Thank you, Sooner. Just as a side note, Budaska and Greer had not arrived yet, so we will see their impact start to take hold perhaps in the post-break games.
I will also be talking with Danny Mac about Shildt and the new hitting coaches in our Tuesday podcast.
https://twitter.com/DannyMacTV/status/1019015862097887232Brian’s podcast discussion of Shildt and Budaska reminded me of something Goold mentioned in his Q&A chatwrap yesterday.
Goold responded to a question about Budaska working with players by saying that he would, if the players were open to it.
When asked to clarify, Goold mentioned that some (many?) players have their own personal coach with whom they work. He specifically mentioned both Ozuna and Fowler as having their own coaches as well as a couple of others whose names I’m not remembering. Said that players had to be open to working with St Louis’ hitting coach(es) as well. Goold was very careful to stress that he wasn’t trying to imply that any particular players wouldn’t work with Budaska, merely that outside coaches were used.
Remember the flap when Tony Rasmus went into the cages beneath Busch to help Colby? Part of his backing down from that was that he said that Colby was using a different external coach from him.
I remember Keith Hernandez writing about how his dad would watch every game on satellite and called him each night to go over his at-bats.
It does seem fairly common.
Derrick Goold did a piece “5 Cards issues to watch in second half”. As I do here, I read the comments made by readers.
This part of one that has me wondering. That “hidden” question is one that may define the Cardinal team for ’18 and perhaps for years to come.
Will Pena continue to collect dust on the bench, or will he get more PT so Yadi is fresher? This is really a question with another question hidden within. Yadi is old for his position. There’s no getting around that and he’d benefit with more rest. The hidden question is, will Shildt bow to veterans, as Matheny did, and allow them to say when they play? We’ll see.
That “veterans” is really veteran. To my knowledge, only Molina was allowed to call his own playing time, and that may have contributed to MM’s downfall. MM’s allowing that to be the case may have been perceived as a weakness or was causing other problems.
I believe that Shildt’s term will depend on the team’s performance.
Now Molina comments that he would welcome a player/manager job for himself. Shildt didn’t even break a sweat behind the bench yet. How did that sit with him?
We already know what the FO thinks of Molina.
I’d be interested in hearing what others may think of this. Maybe there is something here or maybe nothing at all.
Now Molina comments that he would welcome a player/manager job for himself. Shildt didn’t even break a sweat behind the bench yet. How did that sit with him?
We already know what the FO thinks of Molina.
I’d be interested in hearing what others may think of this. Maybe there is something here or maybe nothing at all.
This was discussed in length in the Molina thread. I thought it was a terrible thing for Molina to bring up and if I was Shildt I wouldn’t have liked it one bit. Most of the other posters thought I was wrong and just taking it out of context.
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