Matheny is fired up after joining the Royals in the dugout.
SURPRISE, Arizona When the St. Louis Cardinals played the Kansas City Royals in their yearly interleague series, Mike Matheny had nothing but respect for them. He’s just as impressed now that he’s guiding the Royals.
Matheny remarked on Friday, “I always had a lot of respect for them.” It’s the ideal state for an organization to be in. It’s amazing to observe how individuals approach the process of growth and strive to foster a winning environment.
He remarked, “It’s exciting to be involved because you know they’ve been there, done that, and are setting it up to happen again.”
The Royals have seen success, taking home the 2015 World Series and two consecutive American League pennants. After dropping 103 games in the previous season, they’re back at the bottom and have to start over.
The previous time Matheny was promoted to manager, the standards were quite high. Tony La Russa, who retired following the Cardinals’ 2011 World Series victory, was replaced by him.
The Cardinals had six 1-2 seasons with a.555 winning percentage under Matheny. They finished out of the postseason in 2016 and 2017, and Matheny was dismissed in the middle of the 2018 season with St. Louis one game over.500. They did, however, win three NL Central crowns and one pennant.
A year ago, Matheny was recruited by the Royals to work in the player development department. After the conclusion of the previous season, veteran manager Ned Yost resigned, and Matheny took over as manager.
Matheny is a seasoned manager who is committed to the long term, despite his young age of 49. His family just purchased a home in the suburbs of Kansas City.
“I think it’s important to be part of the community, and to use the privilege and responsibility of this position to make an impact,” Matheny stated.
Concussions caused the four-time Gold Glove catcher’s playing career to end prematurely. Matheny attributes his rehabilitation to learning to speak Spanish and picking up the guitar and chess.
