photo: Bill DeWitt Jr., John Mozeliak, Mike Shildt (Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports Images)
The 2-3 week by the St. Louis Cardinals was dominated by the club’s dismissal of its manager and hitting coaches and the hiring of an interim skipper. In our history feature, past Cardinals in-season managerial changes are remembered.
Cardinals dismiss manager and two coaches
Following an ugly loss to the Reds on Saturday night, the Cardinals announced that manager Mike Matheny and hitting coaches John Mabry and Bill Mueller were removed from their duties. Bench coach Mike Shildt was named interim manager and minor league coaches Mark Budaska and George Greer will take over hitting instruction.
The dismissal of Matheny came as a surprise to most, mostly due to its timing. Matheny had presided over a Cardinals club that had failed to make the postseason in 2016 and 2017, and was chronically underachieving again this season, on track for a third postseason miss. The team entered the final series prior to the All Star break only one game above .500. Two ugly losses on Friday and Saturday to the last place Reds didn’t help the situation, though it was revealed that the decision was made on Friday.
Matheny, 47, who was in his seventh season as manager and was under contract through 2020, was the first Cardinals manager dismissed mid-season since Joe Torre in 1995. In a press conference on Sunday morning, club owner Bill DeWitt Jr., President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak, and General Manager Mike Girsch stressed that the decision was made due to what they termed as needing a fresh voice and approach for the team, in an effort to staunch what appeared to be another failed effort to reach the postseason.
Matheny was hired following the 2011 season, when Tony La Russa retired after leading the Cardinals to their 11th World Series Championship. Matheny had no prior professional managing or coaching experience when he took over. Under Matheny, the Cardinals went to the postseason in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. The team went to the World Series in 2013 but lost to the Boston Red Sox. Two NLCS appearances in 2012 and 2014 led to losses to the San Francisco Giants. A loss to the Cubs in the NLDS in 2015 was the last postseason appearance under Matheny’s tenure and signaled a change in power in the Central Division.
Stories concerning clubhouse tensions had surfaced in the weeks prior to Matheny’s dismissal, though those tensions were downplayed by the organization as overblown.
Shildt, 49, has served on the major league coaching staff for much of the last two seasons, rising to bench coach this season. Prior to that, the North Carolina native spent eight seasons managing at various levels in the Cardinals minor league system, including the Memphis Redbirds and also has a scouting background. Shildt is expected to remain the manager throughout the remainder of the season.
Game Recaps
Monday, July 9 – Off day
Tuesday, July 10 – Cardinals 14 at White Sox 2
The Cardinals pummeled the White Sox in Chicago in the opener of a two-game interleague series. Miles Mikolas took the mound for the Redbirds and pitched six innings, giving up two runs on three hits. The right hander struck out six and walked one. Brett Cecil, Greg Holland, and John Brebbia each pitched a scoreless inning of relief. Mikolas picked up his 10thwin.
The Redbirds offense scored in the third on RBI singles by Jose Martinez and Marcell Ozuna. A ground out by Yairo Munoz in the fourth plated a run, and a sac fly by Yadier Molina in the fifth put another on the board. Two runs came home in the sixth on a passed ball and a wild pitch, and Jedd Gyorko drew a walk with the bases loaded. With the bases still loaded, Dexter Fowler hit a grand slam to left center field. In the eighth, Kolten Wong added a two run home run to right center field. Jose Martinez doubled in a run in the ninth and went 3-for-4 with two RBI overall. Wong was 4-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Fowler and Matt Carpenter were both 2-for-5. Paul DeJong was 2-for-6 with three runs scored.
Wednesday, July 11 – Cardinals 0 at White Sox 4
The Cardinals were unable to complete the two game sweep, as they were blanked by the White Sox on Wednesday. The offense managed only four hits, a double by Matt Carpenter, and singles by Yadier Molina, Paul DeJong, and Jose Martinez.
Starter Luke Weaver pitched six innings, giving up one run on three hits. The right hander fanned seven and walked two. Weaver was the hard-luck loser, tagged with his eighth of the season. Mike Mayers pitched the seventh and surrendered two runs on three hits. Jordan Hicks allowed one run in the eighth.
Molina made a fielding error, but also picked a runner off first base. Marcell Ozuna had an outfield assist.
Thursday, July 12 – Off day
Friday, July 13 – Cardinals 1, Reds 9
The Cardinals finished the pre-All-Star segment of the season with a three-game home series against a last-place, but surging Reds club, one that the Cardinals had dominated up to that point. The result was not good.
The first game was ugly, as the offense couldn’t score and the bullpen coughed up numerous runs. Carlos Martinez’ start was so-so, as he pitched five innings and gave up three runs on six hits. The first two relievers were fresh off the disabled list and neither were sharp.
Luke Gregerson came on in the sixth and surrendered a hit and a walk. With two outs in the inning, he was replaced by Tyler Lyons, who struck out Scooter Gennett. Lyons returned for the seventh, and after getting Joey Votto out, yielded a double and a single to the next two hitters. In came Sam Tuivailala, who walked his first batter and then gave up a double to score one inherited runner. The next batter hit a three run home run, with all three runs charged to Tuivailala. Tuivailala induced a ground out, then gave up a single, and with two outs in the inning, Brett Cecil was brought in. Cecil got the final out of the inning. Cecil returned to pitch the eighth and surrendered a run of his own. Six runs scored against three pitchers over two innings. Greg Holland pitched a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals’ lone run came in the first inning on an RBI single by Yadier Molina. Molina’s single was one of four hits by the offense. Paul DeJong, Marcell Ozuna, and Carlos Martinez each singled.
Saturday, July 14 – Cardinals 2, Reds 8
Things went no better for the Cardinals in the second game, and in some respects, it was worse. The Redbirds took a 2-0 lead and carried it into the sixth inning. Two rain delays certainly didn’t help the situation. Unfortunately, the offense didn’t add on to its lead and that cost them. The first run came in the first inning, on a solo home run by Matt Carpenter. Following a rain delay, the Cardinals returned to score a second run in the fourth on an RBI ground out by Marcell Ozuna. The offense managed nine hits in total. Carpenter and Dexter Fowler were both 2-for-4.
Jack Flaherty was the starter, and despite a reasonably short rain delay after the first inning, Flaherty was able to pitch five scoreless innings. The longer rain delay after the fifth kept the right hander from returning to the mound. Instead, Mike Mayers took the sixth and gave up the first run to the Reds. After Mayers left the mound, the wheels came off the bus. Jordan Hicks left the seventh with one out achieved and four Reds runs already in. Hicks was charged with both a blown save and the loss. Greg Holland induced two pop outs to put an end to the carnage, but he returned for the eighth and things didn’t go so well on the second try. Holland gave up three singles to load the bases. In came Tyler Lyons, who gave up a two run single to Joey Votto. Both runs were charged to Holland. Lyons did get the second out but was replaced by Luke Gregerson who secured the final out of the eighth. Pitching in a 7-2 blowout, closer Bud Norris began the ninth, gave up two singles, hit two batters, and gave up one run. Brett Cecil came in and got Joey Votto to ground out.
In addition to the bullpen woes, there were defensive lapses as well. Paul DeJong made a missed catch error and Norris made a throwing error. One defensive highlight was Yadier Molina picking Scooter Gennett off third base.
Sunday, July 15 – Cardinals 6, Reds 4
Sunday came, and things went better for the Cardinals, though they accomplished the win with a different manager in the dugout. The evening before, the Cardinals relieved Mike Matheny of his duties, along with hitting coaches John Mabry and Bill Mueller.
Miles Mikolas was the starter, but he wasn’t effective, pitching only four very labored innings and giving up three runs on six hits. Interim manager Mike Shildt pulled Mikolas after the fourth inning and brought in John Gant, who kept the Cardinals in the game by pitching four scoreless innings. Jordan Hicks took the ninth and was more effective than the previous evening. Hicks did surrender a run, but the Cardinals had scored enough for it to not matter. Hicks earned his second save and Gant got the win.
As he did the previous day, Matt Carpenter hit a solo home run in his first at bat to put the Cardinals up 1-0. Dexter Fowler repeated the act in the second. After the Reds tied it up, Tommy Pham, replacing injured Harrison Bader, singled in the fourth to put the Redbirds back in the lead. Pinch hitter Jose Martinez added to the score with an RBI ground out. Yadier Molina then singled to drive in the third run of the inning, putting the Redbirds up 6-3. Pham went 2-for-2 in the win.
Big Picture
The Cardinals finished the last week prior to the All Star break 2-3. The team went 1-1 against the White Sox and 1-2 against the Reds. The Cardinals are now 48-46 and in third place in the Division going into the break. They are tied for fifth in the wild card race, four games back.
The dismal record during the week was aided by poor pitching, especially by the bullpen. The offense continues to be inconsistent, scoring 14 runs against the White Sox one day, and going scoreless against them the next. The team was outscored 17-2 in the first two games of the Reds series.
Defensive issues cropped up again over the weekend. Like the offense, the defense takes two steps forward then two steps back and has done so all season. While errors are not the best indicator of defensive performance, the Cardinals lead all of baseball with 77.
This chronic underachieving by the Cardinals has persisted throughout the season and has put the team in jeopardy of missing the postseason for the third straight year. In an attempt to reverse this course, the organization dismissed manager Mike Matheny and coaches John Mabry and Bill Mueller on Saturday. Mike Shildt was named interim manager. The team won the final game against the Reds on Sunday.
Post All-Star break, the Cardinals enter into a stretch of baseball which will likely be the deciding factor on how the team handles the trade deadline, which is fast approaching. The Cardinals have five games against the first-place Cubs beginning Thursday, including a doubleheader on Saturday. The team plays the Cubs again the following weekend in St. Louis. A poor showing in these games may result in the Cardinals being sellers at the deadline.
| NL Central standings | W | L | Pct | GB |
| Chicago | 55 | 38 | 0.591 | – |
| Milwaukee | 55 | 43 | 0.561 | 2.5 |
| St. Louis | 48 | 46 | 0.511 | 7.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 48 | 49 | 0.495 | 9 |
| Cincinnati | 43 | 53 | 0.448 | 13.5 |
Who’s Hot
Over the past five games (does not contain recent Sunday game results):
- Matt Carpenter has an OPS of 1.460. He has two HRs, two doubles, and four RBI.
- Yairo Munoz has an OPS of 1.413. He has one HR and four RBI.
- Kolten Wong has an OPS of .938. He has one HR, two doubles, and two RBI
- Jose Martinez has an OPS of .971. He has one double and three RBI.
- Luke Weaver has an ERA of 1.50 and a WHIP of 0.83.
- Brett Cecil has an ERA of 2.25 and a WHIP of 1.25.
Who’s Not
Over the past five games (does not contain recent Sunday games):
- Tommy Pham has an OPS of .071.
- Marcell Ozuna has an OPS of .332.
- Yadier Molina has an OPS of .464.
- Harrison Bader has an OPS of .452.
- Carlos Martinez has an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.60
- Mike Mayers has an ERA of 7.36 and a WHIP of 1.91.
- John Brebbia has an ERA of 13.50 and a WHIP of 2.00.
- Tyler Lyons has an ERA of 18.00 and a WHIP of 3.00.
- Jordan Hicks has an ERA of 33.75 and a WHIP of 4.50.
- Greg Holland has an ERA of 17.18 and a WHIP of 3.00.
- Bud Norris has an ERA of 13.50 and a WHIP of 3.00.
- Sam Tuivailala has an ERA of 27.00 and a WHIP of 5.25.
A Look at Cardinals Lineups
The lineups over the last five games (does not contain recent Sunday game):
- The leadoff hitter has been Matt Carpenter for four games and Harrison Bader for one game.
- The number two hitter has been Tommy Pham for two games, Paul DeJong for two games, and Kolten Wong for one game.
- The number three hitter has been Jose Martinez for three games and Yadier Molina for one game.
- The cleanup hitter has been Marcell Ozuna.
- The fifth hitter has been Molina for three games, and Jedd Gyorko for two games.
- The sixth hitter has been Gyorko for three games, DeJong for one game, and Dexter Fowler for one game.
- The seventh hitter has been DeJong for two games, Fowler for one game, Pham for one game, and Yairo Munoz for one game.
- The eighth hitter has been one game each for Munoz, Pham, Fowler, Wong, and Francisco Pena.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
Joel Sherman of the NY Post reports unnamed sources speculating that Carlos Martinez could become available on the trade market.
Transactions
- 7/11 The Cardinals sent LHP Tyler Lyons on a rehab assignment to the Springfield Cardinals.
- 7/13 The Cardinals activated LHP Tyler Lyons from the 10 day disabled list.
- 7/13 The Cardinals activated RHP Luke Gregerson from the 10 day disabled list.
- 7/13 The Cardinals optioned RHP Luke Weaver to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 7/13 The Cardinals optioned RHP John Brebbia to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 7/14 The Cardinals sent OF Tyler O’Neill on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds
Injury Report
- RHP Dominic Leone (right upper arm nerve irritation) was transferred from the 10 day DL to the 60 day DL. Leone has begun a throwing program but is not close to being sent on a rehab assignment
- RHP Alex Reyes (right lat strain) had surgery on June 6 to reattach a tendon in his right lat. The right hander was transferred from the 10 day DL to the 60 day DL. Reyes is expected to be out for the remainder of the season.
- RHP Adam Wainwright (right elbow inflammation) continues on the 60 day DL. Wainwright has begun a throwing program but is several weeks away from beginning a rehab assignment
- RHP Michael Wacha (left oblique strain) continues on the 10 day DL. Wacha underwent an ultrasound and the team in encouraged by his healing. Wacha has not as yet been given clearance to begin a throwing program. It is expected the right hander will need about three weeks of throwing before beginning a rehab assignment.
- Tyler O’Neill (left groin strain) was placed on the 10 day DL on July 5. The outfielder was sent on a rehab assignment to Memphis on July 14.
- Harrison Bader suffered a mild hyperextension of his left knee rounding first base in Sunday’s game. Bader was removed from the game for precautionary reasons, but the injury is not considered serious and Bader will likely be available to play after the All-Star break.
Looking Ahead
The All-Star break begins Monday. Yadier Molina will be in Washington as a reserve for the National League in Wednesday’s game. The catcher is an injury replacement for Buster Posey. Pitcher Miles Mikolas was not allowed to pitch in the All-Star Game after starting on Sunday, but had planned to participate in the festivities. Instead, he has returned home to Jupiter, FL to be with his expectant wife. Third baseman Matt Carpenter was among the five players on the NL Final Vote fan ballot, but did not win.
The Cardinals will return to game action on Thursday in Chicago, in the only MLB game scheduled that day. The Redbirds will play five games with the Cubs, including a doubleheader on Saturday. The rotation for after the break has not been set.
Following the Cubs series in Chicago, the Cardinals travel to Cincinnati to play three with the Reds beginning Monday. After an off day Thursday, the Cardinals return home to again play the Cubs in a weekend series.
The homestand will continue with a four-game series with the Rockies. On August 3, the Cardinals travel to Pittsburgh for a weekend series.
After leaving Pittsburgh, the Redbirds travel to Miami for a three-game set.
The Cardinals’ regular season schedule can be found here.
Blast from the Past
Manager Mike Matheny was relieved of his duties this past weekend, being the first Cardinals manager since Joe Torre in 1995 to be fired during the season. This article reflects on other managers who suffered the same fate.
Joe Torre was the last manager to be fired during the season before Matheny. Torre followed interim skipper Red Schoendienst, who filled in after Whitey Herzog resigned during the 1990 season. Torre managed three full seasons and the strike shortened season in 1994. Despite winning seasons in those three years, Torre was unable to take his teams to the postseason. Torre was fired in June of 1995, in advance of selling the team to current owner Bill DeWitt Jr. Torre went on to have a Hall of Fame managerial career with the Yankees.
Ken Boyer had had a successful playing career, including 10 years with the Cardinals. After his playing career was done, Boyer was hired by the Cardinals to manage in their minor league system and was promoted to St. Louis in early 1978 after unpopular manager Vern Rapp was fired. Boyer managed one full season in 1979, posting a record of 86-76 for third place in the NL East. Boyer was fired 51 games into the 1980 season after posting a record of 18-33. Boyer developed lung cancer shortly after and died in 1982. Boyer was replaced by Herzog,
The aforementioned Vern Rapp was hired as St. Louis manager in 1977 to replace Schoendienst. The Cardinals placed third in the NL East that season, and Rapp’s strict style of managing made him unpopular with his players. Most notably Rapp made pitcher Al Hrabosky shave off his famous mustache developed as part of his “Mad Hungarian” persona. That made Hrabosky demand a trade to get away from Rapp. Rapp was fired the following season, on April 25.
Solly Hemus was player/manager of the Cardinals in 1959. Hemus appeared as a player in only 24 games, mostly as a pinch hitter, and then concentrated solely on managing after that. The Cardinals finished in seventh place in 1959 with a record of 71-83. In his second season in 1960, the team improved to third place with a record of 86-68. Hemus was known to resort to racial disparagement of his black players, most notably Bob Gibson and Curt Flood. A mediocre start to the 1961 season that led to a 33-41 midseason mark led to the dismissal of Hemus in July 1961.
Other Cardinals managers to be fired during a season included Ray Blades in 1940 and Gabby Street in 1933.
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