St. Louis Cardinals: Mike Matheny FIRED, repeated- FIRED

The greatest St. Louis Cardinals news fell tonight and that was the dismissal of the Cardinals’ manager, hitting coach, and assistant hitting coach.

The St. Louis Cardinals have fired Mike Matheny and dismissed John Mabry and Bill Mueller. This after the Cardinals dropped two games to the once-bottom-dwelling-now-rebounding-under-a-new-manager Cincinnati Reds. And this after the Cardinals failed to record hits and runs.

The time for change had come. The time was long overdue and we fans had demanded the change on social media for far too long (since at least 2016). I was definitely one of them.

So imagine my excitement tonight when I read the press release that the St. Louis Cardinals sent out announcing the firing of Mike Matheny… And it got even better when I read that Mabry and Co. were also departing.

I do have this question though: did this move save John Mozeliak’s job?

Here’s the press release:

Notice that Michael Girsch is nowhere near this press release but Mozeliak is as is Bill DeWitt, Jr. So, does this decision save Mozeliak? Is Girsch included in the future organizational changes that will be discussed in the 11AM press conference?

Tomorrow morning then, Sunday morning at 11AM central time Mozeliak and DeWitt will inform the St. Louis Cardinals faithful (hopefully after they talk with the players) the other changes that are coming.

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As of tonight, Mike Shildt has been named the interim manager and there is- at least in my opinion- no one better to fill this particular role than Shildt. Shildt- a George Kissell Award Winner- led the Memphis Redbirds to a Championship and was brought up to the Cardinals to address clubhouse issues.

Shildt took over the third base coaching duties last season after a round of firings and assisted the club dramatically in the running department. With the return of Jose Oquendo, Shildt was resigned to the bench role but will now take over as the manager.

No update has been given for the hitting coach or assistant hitting coach. Perhaps we will learn tomorrow morning that Mark Budaska will be promoted and bring the power from Memphis with him. Or perhaps Stubby Clapp can come up as the interim hitting coach with Budaska serving as assistant… Then Clapp could take the reigns as manager at the end of the season?

Okay, I am just dreaming now. Regardless, the FireMatheny hashtag has finally witnessed its greatest coming of age. Now Shildt must prove himself tomorrow with the lineup, and as our writers have voiced, Dexter Fowler should probably be absent and Jedd Gyorko had better play everyday third base.

Tomorrow will be a big day for the St. Louis Cardinals but the party will start tonight for many of us.

Next: Should the Cardinals make front office changes?

What do you think of tonight’s news? Thanks for reading and look for more news tomorrow morning after the news conference.