Cardinals Dump Manager Mike Matheny

Everyone knows the old expression, “It’s not you, it’s me.” But we all know what it really means is: “It’s not me, it’s definitely you and that’s why I don’t want to be with you.” And so it was with the St. Louis Cardinals and Mike Matheny.

The team announced in a press release on Saturday that Matheny is out and bench coach Mike Shildt will serve as interim manager. Coaches John Mabry and Bill Mueller are also out.

Sure, it’s unusual for a team with a winning record to fire their manager mid-season. But the real surprise here is that Matheny was retained before the season. He is widely regarded as one of the more dubious managers in the game.

Questionable bullpen usage, unusual batting orders, playing time conflicts and rumors of clubhouse tension. These were the hallmarks of his career as a manager. However, the teams he managed had been generally successful. And it’s hard for a team to fire a manager with a winning record. Hard, but not impossible, as the team proved this weekend.

Matheny was an “old school” guy who was unlike many of the new breed of managers being brought in around the league. He managed the game as if he was 20 years older and going head to head with Sparky Anderson and Billy Martin.

Could the teams he managed have done better under a different manager? Probably. It’s hard to “prove” that one manager is better or worse than any other. Certainly there was a feeling that was the case among many Cardinals fans who were frustrated by his moves (and lack of moves) night in and night out.

With the National League super-teams struggling this season, the Cardinals still have a shot to be a Wild Card. And getting rid of Matheny could be better than any player they could get in a trade.

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