St. Louis Cardinals envisage a bright future under the current manager – MLB News
St. Louis Cardinals' manager Mike Matheny has said he would not have accepted the managerial responsibility of the club had he not been assured of his capability to handle it.
When Tony La Russa announced retirement last year as the Cardinals’ manager, lying ahead were a host of challenges that rookie manager, Mike Matheny, capably handled as he established his credibility beyond any doubt.
The very fact that the team sped their way into the National League Championship Series substantiated they had a manager whose supervisory functions were not to be disputed.
"I know there is a high level of expectation with the job," Matheny said. "If I didn't think I could handle it, I wouldn't have walked into the interview process."
After the initial stumbling-blocks that could jeopardise the Cardinals’ race for the playoffs, players regained their energy and confidence back to channel them towards success.
Among those blocks, for example, was departure of pitching coach Dave Duncan that raised a lot of questions about the morale of the pitchers to face the rivals.
It did not stop there. The Cardinals did not have Chris Carpenter – the ace pitcher, in the rotation due to the Tommy John surgery that he had to undergo. Unexcelled and unsurpassed slugger Albert Pujols signed a multi-million dollar contract with the Los Angeles Angels.
Rafael Furcal had his respective fitness problem, being out of the line-up. However, none of these issues, serious and big as they were, bogged down the manager and the team as they moved ahead. Instead, they marched forward.
In their last 70 games, the Cardinals won 41 to book a place in the Wild Card race. That came when the Cardinals’ first half was almost a narration of breakdown.
Bleak as the immediate future seemed back then, the Cardinals' manager, with the help of the players, coped with it effectively.
"Sure, I second-guessed myself," Matheny said. "Cardinals fans second-guessed every move -- and they deserve that. ... But you take your failures and success, and you learn from them. I kept close notes, worked with the coaches and tried to make sure we were helping guys."
They were the defending champion this year, and fought well to retain their status. Although they could not succeed in that, they have set their eyes on the title in the upcoming season.
With the not-so-disappointing result at the end or vice versa, the Cardinals – under the able leadership of Mike Matheny, envisage a bright future for the club.
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