Cardinals finalize Major League Coaching and Medical Staff for the 2012 Season

ST. LOUIS, Mo., December 2, 2011 – The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that former Major League infielder/outfielder John Mabry has been named as the team’s assistant hitting coach. He will join current hitting coach Mark McGwire, filling the vacancy created when Mike Aldrete was named the team’s bench coach earlier this off-season.

Mabry was drafted by St. Louis in the sixth round of the June 1991 draft and enjoyed a lengthy Major League career which included three stints with the Cardinals. He made his Major League debut in 1994 and put up some of his best offensive numbers with the Cardinals from 1995 – 1998. He hit a career high .307 in 1995 and during the 1996 season played in a career high 151 games, hitting .297 while collecting a career high 161 hits with a high 74 RBI.

His career included playing time with eight Major League teams and ended in 2007 with the Colorado Rockies. The 41 year-old lefty makes his home in St. Louis with his wife, Ann, and their four children. “We are excited to have John rejoin the Cardinals,” stated Sr. Vice President and General Manager John Mozeliak. “He brings a lot to the club when you consider both his baseball success and personality, and we look forward to having him around in a full-time roll.”

The team also announced Barry Weinberg has been promoted to Senior Medical Advisor and will work out of Jupiter, Fla. He will assist in all aspects of the medical department with focus on a developmental and mentoring program for the club’s minor league athletic trainers.

Chris Conroy will be promoted to St. Louis as Assistant Athletic Trainer. Conroy has spent 13 years in the St. Louis organization, the last seven as the medical trainer for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds. Final changes to the organization’s minor league training staff will be announced at a later date.