The New Skipper
For as long as I can remember, Tony LaRussa has been the manager of the St Louis Cardinals. Let’s be real. I was all of 11 when he came on board. I have consciously known nothing but LaRussa as the manager.
That said, I do vividly remember Matheny behind the plate. I loved watching him play and was glad that my team had that caliber of a catcher. When it was announced that Matheny was coming back as the skipper, I was one of the masses who was absolutely thrilled. Having someone with that kind of rapport with the team, as well as the incredible amount of knowledge about the game of baseball in general coming into lead the team, well, that’s just a recipe for success.
He sounds just as excited as the rest of the guys. The comment I chuckled at the most was suggesting that he’s been writing up lineups since the day he got the job, just like he was certain the rest of us had been.
He’s right. Who hasn’t suggested some sort of lineup at least once this off-season?
On the Winter Warm-Up:
“This is the first reality check that baseball’s real close. … It’s been overwhelming the well-wishes from the fans. People are in love with Cardinals baseball, and they should be.”
On the upcoming Spring Training:
“I’ve put together a pretty good check lit of things that need to be accomplished. … There’s some distinct things we want to get covered. … It’ll look similar [to past STs]. Hard work, doing things right. We’re hitting base running hard again…a lot of focus on fundamentals.”
On the team:
“I believe we’re also well-rounded…that’s really what you’d like to have.”
On the lineup:
“Who do we have in place, what do they have to offer, and how do we maximize it? I’d like to see these guys use the talents they have. … You just trust guys with instincts.”
The new skipper has quite clearly been preparing for the upcoming season, and having the type of personality he does, he’s ready. He’s determined to focus more on fundamentals, on getting the team, young and old alike, to take a closer look at exactly how they play the game.
So far every single player has said they’re excited to play for him. They’re glad to have such a well-rounded baseball mind in the club house.
As fans, I think we’re in for a supreme treat. He might be brand new to this, but he’s ready.
