04/25/24
November 13, 2011
Mike Matheny New Cardinals Manager: The St. Louis Cardinals have named former catcher Mike Matheny as their manager to succeed Tony La Russa. He is the second major league manager hired this offseason with no managing experience.
Or maybe if he fails with managing, he can live out the Dave Duncan-inspired adage that former catchers making outstanding pitching coaches.
Pretty meh on this hire as a Cardinals fan. Not sure you turn over a team that should contend (at least in their division) for the next 2-3 years to a manager with zero prior managing experience. But, hey, I've lost the right to complain about anything Cardinals for at least the next 2-3 years. And Matheny does seem to be very well respected by current Cardinals players.
Wonder how this affects Pujols' decision. Prior indications suggested he was a supporter of Jose Oquendo for the job, and this probably can't be seen as anything other than a slap in the face to Oquendo. It would be one thing if the Cardinals hired a veteran manager (like a Francona), but to pass over a guy who has put in his time with the organization for someone who has not so much as served as a bench coach has got to sting.
Maybe the savings in years and dollars from what the Cardinals would have had to pay Francona or someone of his ilk can be applied towards the Pujols offer.
posted by holden at 12:54 AM on November 14, 2011
Matheny vs an experienced manager sounds like a pretty long stretch for this to be a good move for the Cardinals. If it's penny pinching by the owners, I should think that a few million extra bucks for a Francona or his equivalent in experience would be well within the limits of the owners' resources. Then again, William O. DeWitt III also owns US Playing Card Corp. and Arby's, neither of which is said by the stock market blogs I read to be doing well. Also, there might be a move by the City of St. Louis to try to recover some of the profit made by owners when they sold stock in the team.
posted by Howard_T at 04:01 PM on November 14, 2011
If he doesn't fulfill the old adage that former catchers make good managers, he can try his hand at fulfilling the old adage that former catchers make ___________ (insert adjective here) broadcasters.