Cardinals hire Oliver Marmol, 35, as new manager

Oct. 25 (UPI) -- The St. Louis Cardinals hired 35-year-old Oliver Marmol as their new manager Friday, replacing fired manager Mike Shildt, the team announced.

Marmol is the youngest active manager in Major League Baseball.

"We are extremely pleased to name Oliver 'Oli' Marmol as our new manager," Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr. said in a news release.

"Oli is a career member of the Cardinals organization, and someone who has built excellent working relationships with our players, coaches and staff members at all levels.

"We believe that he possesses strong managerial skills that will allow for the continued success of our team."

The former Minor League Baseball utility man served as the Cardinals bench coach from 2019 through 2021. He was a hitting coach in the Cardinals' minor league system from 2011 through 2016. Marmol was the Cardinals' first base coach from 2017 through 2018.

"The entire organization felt that it was important to try and maintain the success, progress, and momentum that was built over the course of 2021 season," Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said. "We are excited to have Oli helping us to further grow that effort as we move forward.

"Oli has always been someone that I knew would one day become a manager, and today I am pleased to join in introducing him as the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals."

The Cardinals fired Shildt on Oct. 14, a week after they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2021 National League Wild Card Game. Mozeliak cited "philosophical differences" in a news conference to announce Shildt's dismissal.

Shildt led the Cardinals to a 90-72 regular-season record in 2021. The Cardinals won 18 of their final 19 regular-season games to finish second in the National League Central division.

Shildt's Cardinals went 252-199 in his four seasons as manager. They went 4-9 in the postseason. The 2019 National League Manager of the Year led the Cardinals to the 2019 NLCS, where they were swept by the Washington Nationals.

Shildt's contract was set to expire at the end of next season.

The Cardinals went 591-474 in the regular season and 21-22 in the postseason in seven seasons under manager Mike Matheny from 2012 through 2018. Matheny led the Cardinals to a World Series appearance in 2013.

Tony La Russa, who managed the Cardinals from 1996 through 2011, led the Cardinals to World Series titles in 2006 and 2011. The franchise also won titles in 1982, 1967, 1964, 1946, 1944, 1942, 1933, 1931 and 1926.

The Cardinals' 11 championships trail only the New York Yankees' 27 for the most in MLB history.