Let’s be clear: I very much want Mike Matheny to succeed, both for his own sake and for the benefit of the St. Louis Cardinals. But a variety of things about his decision-making have left me cold, so at least in this writer’s mind, it’s an uphill climb for him to become a top-echelon, major-league manager.
And it sure seems that he’s at a crossroads, as the front office has foisted a largely new coaching staff upon him. St. Louis Cardinals stalwarts Jose Oquendo and Willie McGee return, and Mike Maddux replaces Derek Lilliquist as the pitching coach.