Cardinals: What kind of job has Oli Marmol done as manager?

What kind of job has Oli Marmol done with the Cardinals?

Ben Cerutti (@stlfanbc7)

Ben is a blogger at Birds on the Black and host of the Conversation with Cerutti podcast

“I think that the Cardinals made a massive improvement when they went from Mike Matheny to Mike Shildt. Bullpen strategy alone was worth the transition.”

“I also believe that the Cardinals made an improvement when they went from Mike Shildt to Oli Marmol. I personally believe that Marmol has had fantastic bullpen management this year(for the most part-of course I will quibble now and then, without knowing what he knows about individuals being available that day). I also believe that Marmol’s willingness to play the matchups on offense and stick to his guns has made an enormous difference on this team”

Chris Lollis (@_ChirsLollis)

Chris is the founder of the Cardinals Nation 24/7 Facebook group and Facebook page. He also blogs at and co-hosts the Cardinals Nation 24/7 podcast

“Given the talent that St. Louis has, it’s hard to say how much better/worse the team has been under Marmol than if Shildt was still managing. Having said that, the shift to Marmol (and addition of Skip Schumaker) has seemed to provide a good clubhouse presence with both the young guys and veterans of the club.”

“There are definitely similarities in how Marmol and Shildt manage, but without direct knowledge of what goes on behind closed doors and just speaking as a fan, I’d say the Cardinals are a more energized team under Marmol. I think he probably has a hand  in Nootbaar. Donovan, Gorman, and others transitioning to this level better than if under Shildt.”

“And lastly, just listening to Marmol’s pre/postgame interviews, he doesn’t seem to sugarcoat things as much and isn’t afraid to point out what aspects aren’t clicking. Whereas under Shildt, we’d often hear the ‘Gotta tip our cap to the opposing team’ speech that sounded like a broken record, multiple times a week.”

Greg Simons (@GregSimonsSays)

Greg is one of our top bloggers here at Redbird Rants

“That’s such a tough call. Determining how much influence a manager has over a team’s record is challenging when other factors such as the composition of the 26-man roster, injuries, front-office influences, and simple dumb luck are all part of the equation. A manager can only move the needle so much.”

“Considering Shildt was at the helm during last season’s 17-game winning streak, it’s difficult to say he was a detriment last year. Of course, the team dismissed him because it thought his leadership wasn’t going to meld with the front office’s plans. Given that, I’ll say the team is doing better with Marmol than they would have with Shildt. That’s not an implication of the former manager, just an acknowledgement that the Cardinals had a plan in mind, and executing that plan would have been more challenging with Shildt in the dugout. St. Louis’ success is a positive reflection on Marmol’s ability to handle the playing time, pitching, decisions, and range of ages and personalities in the clubhouse. A rookie manager having a solid case for a Manager of the Year award is someone whose managerial career is off to a very good start.”