Much has been written and spoken about how difficult it must have been for Mike Matheny to follow in the boots of Hall of Fame Cardinals manager Tony La Russa after the 2011 season.
But it surely couldn’t have been much different, and perhaps it was even harder, for Derek Lilliquist to take over from esteemed pitching coach Dave Duncan in August 2011 after Duncan’s wife, Jeanine, was diagnosed with a brain tumor that later would claim her life.
Lilliquist, who was the bullpen coach on what would become a World Series champion, recalled, “As a team, we weren’t in a very good spot at that time.