5 candidates to replace Mike Matheny as St. Louis Cardinals manager
In the wake of Mike Matheny’s firing, who could replace him as St. Louis Cardinals manager?
After a second straight loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday, and a second straight one-sided defeat, the St. Louis Cardinals fired manager Mike Matheny. Hitting coach John Mabry and assistant hitting coach Bill Mueller were also let go. Bench coach Mike Shildt will take over as interim manager.
The Cardinals are still above .500 entering Sunday’s action, but they have lost 10 of the their last 15 games to fall behind in the National League Wild Card race and 7.5 games back in the NL Central. They never finished below .500 in Matheny’s six full seasons as manager, but two straight seasons without a playoff berth and a likely third in a row was not going to suffice. Add indications of internal strife to the mix, in particular as it relates to struggling outfielder Dexter Fowler and how Bud Norris is “mentoring” Jordan Hicks in the bullpen, and a change became necessary.
The managerial gig in St. Louis offers great job security. Since Tony La Russa took over in 1996, the Cardinals have had exactly two full-time managers. That stability is also rooted in success, and a standard of success, so the next manager will be subject to high expectations internally and externally.
Looking ahead to 2019, here are five candidates to be the next Cardinals manager.
5. Stubby Clapp
Clapp is in his second season as manager of the Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate in Memphis. He led the Red Birds to the Pacific Coast League title in his first season, and he also won PCL Manager of the Year. The Red Birds are in first place in their division right now this year, with a 13-game lead.
Clapp worked from 2007-2012 in the Houston Astros’ organization, as a hitting coach and minor league manager, before moving the Toronto Blue Jays organization as a hitting coach in High-A and Double-A. He also has coaching experience for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic and Pan Am Games.
Clapp may be able to reach and motivate players, particularly young players, in a way Matheny eventually proved he couldn’t. If the Cardinals value him as an internal candidate, and there’s good reason to think they will, Clapp may get more than a cursory interview.