Cardinals announce extension for Matheny
Redbirds manager signed through 2017 season
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that Manager Mike Matheny has agreed to a three-year contract extension through the 2017 season. The team announced this past February that it had exercised Matheny's option for the 2014 season.
"We are pleased to announce that Mike Matheny will be leading our ball club for the foreseeable future," stated Cardinals Senior V.P./General Manager John Mozeliak. "He continues to demonstrate the leadership skills necessary to produce winning baseball and has quickly established himself as a respected manager and leader."
Cardinals Chairman William O. DeWitt, Jr. added, "Mike has done an outstanding job in his first two seasons and we are thrilled to have him as our manager for at least the next four years."
Matheny, 43, has guided the Cardinals to postseason appearances in each of his first two seasons at the helm, including back-to-back trips to the National League Championship Series and a World Series appearance this past season. His 2013 team earned the franchise its 19th League Championship and the team's 9th N.L. Central Division title with a Major League-leading 97-65 won-loss mark.
In his two seasons as St. Louis manager, Matheny has posted a 185-139 record (.571 win pct. - 4th best in majors) in regular season play and a 16-14 mark in the postseason. His team won the 2012 Wild Card game and Division Series and in 2013 posted wins in both the Division and League Championship Series. Matheny's 16 postseason wins and 30 postseason games managed the past two seasons (2012-13) lead all managers.
Matheny is the first Cardinals manager to have piloted the team to the postseason in each of his first two full seasons with the ball club and he's the 8th all-time to have done so, joining Ron Gardenhire (2002-04), Bob Brenly (2001-02), Larry Dierker (1997-99), Ralph Houk (1961-63), Mickey Cochrane (1934-35), Bucky Harris (1924-25) and Hughie Jennings (1907-09).
Matheny, who in 2012, at the age of 41, was the youngest manager in the majors, piloted the Cardinals to the National League Championship Series while also becoming the first rookie manager to lead the Redbirds to the postseason since Eddie Dyer did so in 1946.
Matheny is slated to manage the 2014 National League All-Star team next July in Minneapolis.