The Cardinals announced Thursday that Matt Holliday has resigned his position as bench coach and the club has hired another former Cardinal in Joe McEwing to fill the position.
Holliday was hired shortly after former bench coach Skip Schumaker was hired as the Marlins new manager. In an interview with Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch, Holliday indicated that his decision to leave the job was motivated by his desire to spend more time with his family.
McEwing joins the Cardinals after spending 15 years coaching in the White Sox organization. He most recently was their third base coach but also served as the bench coach in Chicago for a number of years. McEwing has reportedly interviewed for a number of managerial positions including previously with the Cardinals. As a player, he made his MLB debut with St. Louis in 1998 and spent two seasons with the club.
The team also announced other changes to the coaching staff. Daniel Nicolaisen will be added to the Major League staff as the third hitting coach. Patrick “Packy” Elkins will now be responsible for gameday duties, planning for both hitting and pitching.