We got some breaking news on Thursday that shook the baseball world as the St. Louis Cardinals announced the firing of manager Mike Shildt. Shildt took over the Cardinals’ managerial position in the middle of the 2018 season. Now he’s gone after leading the Cardinals to three straight postseason appearances, one of which was a trip to the NLCS.
Shildt won the Manager of the Year award in 2019 and was a top-five candidate in 2018. This surprising news happened to come just hours before game five of the NLDS between the Dodgers and Giants. Now the Cardinals start the process of the managerial hire and there are plenty of candidates to replace the Cardinals skipper.
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Five Candidates to Replace Mike Shildt
Stubby Clapp
After President of Baseball Operations John Mozeiak expressed interest in bringing in internal options, first-base coach Stubby Clapp was one of the first names to come to mind. Before coming up to the big league, Clapp managed the Memphis Redbirds in Triple-A. He lead them to back-to-back pacific coast league titles and a Triple-A Championship. After receiving interest from teams like the Blue Jays and Pirates, Clapp might be a hot commodity and the Cardinals would be wise to hire a guy the clubhouse respects and admires.
Oliver Marmol
Another internal option would be current Cardinals current bench coach Oliver Marmol. He’s been up in the big leagues for three years now, two of them as the first-base coach. Marmol has earned his way through the organization and knows the ends and outs of how this team operates. With only being age 35 with all the knowledge that he has is ideal for this team to strike and snatch Marmol to replace Mike Shildt as the next Cardinals manager.
Skip Schumaker
Even though Skip Schumaker isn’t a internal option, he’s played 11 years in the big leagues, eight of them with the Cardinals. He was drafted by them in 2001 and was a big part of the 2011 World Series team in St. Louis. Saying he knows how the Cardinals operate might be an understatement. Schumaker is the current bench coach for the Padres, who’s adapted to the way the game is played today. He is a fan favorite in St. Louis and even though that alone shouldn’t get you the job, he has the wealth of knowledge that can lead this ball club.
Buck Showalter
If the Cardinals want someone with years of managerial experience, look no further than Buck Showalter. He managed 20 years in the MLB while winning three Manger of the Year awards (1994, 2004, 2014) for three different teams. Showalter is a current analyst for the MLB Network but is interested in returning to the big leagues. He has a record 1,551-1,517 with four teams. The Cardinals are headed in the way of analytics so Showalter might be on the outside looking in but if they like winning in the immediate future, this is their man.
Matt Holliday
This might be a long shot but another former player might be a candidate to replace Mike Shildt and that’s Matt Holliday. Like Schumaker, Holiday knows this organization inside and out. Even though he’s a current volunteer assistant coach with Oklahoma State, managing a team you spent eight years with and grew a bond with would seem intriguing. Holliday is another fan favorite that comes from a long lineage of coaching experience. He’s endeared a lot of success with the Cardinals in his playing days and that drive and passion could spill into the managerial position.
Other Candidates to Consider
Jose Oquendo
Bruce Bochy
Mark McGwire
Joe McEwing
Eduardo Perez
Mark DeRosa
Joe Esparza
Jeff Bannister
Brad Ausmus
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