The Kansas City Royals have named Mike Matheny their new manager. Matheny succeeds Ned Yost who retired after nearly 10 seasons in the dugout. The former St. Louis Cardinals skipper has been viewed as a potential successor since joining the Royals late in 2018 as a special advisor to GM Dayton Moore.
Matheny managed the Cardinals from 2012 to the middle of the 2018 season when he was replaced by Mike Shildt. He had the unenviable task of succeeding Tony LaRussa after guiding the Cardinals to World Series titles in 2006 and 2011. The Cardinals did win three straight NL Central titles between 2013-2015 winning the NL pennant in 2013 before falling to the Boston Red Sox in six games. After failing to reach the post-season in 2016 and 2017, Matheny was fired after amid questionable game strategy and tensions with his players and tolerating hazing despite a ban on such activity in the collective agreement between MLB and the MLBPA.
Can Matheny learn from his mistakes be it in dealing with player personnel and in game decisions? The terms of Matheny's contract are unclear. How long a leash will he be given? Until I am clearer on those terms the jury is out as to whether Matheny will be a king or a fool.
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