ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - If you're still trying to decode the "philosophical differences" there were between the St. Louis Cardinals and ex-manager Mike Shildt which led to his firing, our guest on Sports Open Line may have some insight.
Rob Neyer, baseball writer known for his use of sabermetrics and commissioner of the West Coast League (a collegiate summer baseball league), explained how a move like this has become much more common over the years.
"So much relies on the philosophical agreement between the manager and the front office ... Most general managers essential demand these days that managers are in lockstep as an organization and that might not sit well with people," Neyer says.
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It brings to mind Dodger manager Dave Roberts, who is battling for back-to-back World Series championships. He has openly stated he considers himself a "middle manager" and knows he's part of a system, as opposed to a manager creating a system and running it.
So he says there's some precedent for St. Louis to fire Shildt after back-to-back-to-back playoff appearances and a 2019 Manager of the Year award.
"It's surprising, but not shocking in the way that it would have been shocking 10 or 20 years ago," Neyer says. "It just wouldn't happen. These guys would remain in their job until they lost. And then you would look for an excuse to fire them."
Some other recent examples of that are in 2017, when the Yankees, Nationals and Red Sox each fired their respective managers (Joe Girardi, Dusty Baker and John Farrell) after 90-plus win seasons and playoff spots.
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