Mike Shildt is the new permanent manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. The organisation gave the former interim manager a new contract until the end of the 2020 season.
Shildt had taken over the Cardinals after Mike Matheny was released. Previously, he was the team’s benchmark coach.
“Why now? We could have waited, but we felt that this was the right time,” said President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak on Tuesday at Busch Stadium. “As we said from the beginning, we have used this time to see how he is doing this job. And we just feel like we couldn’t find a better man for the job. Mike has shown that he is up to the task.”
Mozeliak added: “It just makes sense to do it now. Everything is going well and the players have built up a certain momentum. Having Mike Shildt as manager is a great story. And I hope the next chapter will be even better.”
The Cardinals ran the risk of missing the playoffs for the third time in a row until they separated from Matheny. Since July 15th they are now 27-12, which is the best balance of the MLB in this period. And after their 5-2 win over Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, they are leading the Milwaukee Brewers in the race for the first National League Wildcard by a game and a half.
Shild was nevertheless modest: “I’ve been very much attached to the success of the last six weeks,” Shildt said: “I recognize that, but I can’t accept it. The players make the plays and run on the bases. “They are a special group and I am proud to be a part of it.”
This article was published without previous view by the Major League Baseball.