Why Mike Shildt Drama Shows More Positives With Cardinals Current Skipper

In light of the Mike Shildt drama, the Cardinals are in a much better place in terms of who is in the dugout calling the shots.

Apr 21, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals made a shocking decision after the 2021 season when they fired then-manager Mike Shildt and subsequently replaced him with Oli Marmol.

At the time of the firing, John Mozeliak framed it as he and Shildt having "philosophical differences", but reports from Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union Tribune and Jon Heyman of the New York Post reveal what actually took place, and that much of what happened in St. Louis led to a similar situation with him departing as manager of the Padres.

Shildt reportedly was unkind to many of his coaches in both St. Louis and San Diego, and even nearly fought one of his coaches with the Padres. In light of this news, fans who were originally critical of Shildt being removed from the picture should see Marmol in a completely different light.

Mike Shildt Drama Makes Oli Marmol Look Better

Apr 9, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals manager Oli Marmol makes a pitching change in the seventh inning during game against the Milwaukee Brewersat American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Based on the reports, it appears that Mozeliak made the right choice to replace Shildt with Marmol. Fans have been critical of Marmol because St. Louis has missed the playoffs each of the last three seasons. But Marmol is not to blame for this.

In fact, many of Marmol's players and coaches have come to his defense despite the criticism he has received, per Katie Woo.

New president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom also chose to keep Marmol for at least one more season, which is a testament to what he has been able to do as the team's manager despite having very limited resources over the past three years.

But beyond that, it's clear that there isn't any discord among the coaching staff with Marmol in charge instead of Shildt. Marmol's communication with his staff and his team have been excellent, as Woo notes. He has been honest about situations and has even managed to recruit some former Cardinals fan favorites to join the coaching staff such as Daniel Descalso and Jon Jay.

While not much is known about what goes on behind the scenes, Marmol appears to be much better communicator than Shildt ever was. Because of that, he has the trust of everybody in the organization.

Marmol appears to have brought balance to the organization in a way that Shildt never could with his strong and ever-improving communication skills and ability to have honest conversations with his players and coaches.

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