Cardinals hire Joe McEwing as bench coach; Matt Holliday resigns post
Packy Elkins responsible for additional roles; Daniel Nicolaisen added to Major League staff
ST. LOUIS, Mo., January 12, 2023 – The St. Louis Cardinals have hired Joe McEwing as their bench coach after Matt Holliday resigned the position.
McEwing, 50, a native of the Philadelphia metro area, comes to St. Louis after spending 15 years coaching with the White Sox organization, most recently as the third base coach from 2021-22, also serving as the bench coach from 2017-20 under manager Rick Renteria.
Originally selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 28th round of the 1992 First-Year Player Draft, McEwing made his Major League debut with the Cardinals in 1998 and played two seasons before a Spring Training trade in 2000 sent him to the New York Mets for pitcher Jesse Orosco. He placed fifth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting in 1999.
McEwing finished his nine-year playing career with the Mets, Kansas City Royals and Houston Astros compiling a career batting average of .251 with 25 home runs, 158 RBI, while playing every position on the field except catcher and pitcher. Following his official retirement from playing professional baseball in 2008, he was hired as the hitting coach for the Charlotte Knights, Triple-A affiliate of the White Sox.
In 2009, McEwing was selected as manager of Winston-Salem (A), the White Sox South Atlantic League affiliate and was named Manager of the Year in his first two seasons (2009-10). After a season managing Charlotte (AAA) in 2011 and s afll with the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League, McEwing was promoted to the White Sox Major League coaching staff as the third base coach, where he served from 2012-16.
During his term as bench coach McEwing filled in as manager for 11 games and was 6-5 in those contests.
Off the field, McEwing was inducted into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame in New York City in 2013 along with former major league outfielder Rusty Staub, Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley and Boston sportswriter Dan O’Shaughnessy.
Holliday, 42, who was hired by the Cardinals as the bench coach on November 6, 2022, after serving as the volunteer coach for Oklahoma State University, has resigned from his post. Daniel Nicolaisen will be added to the Major League staff as the third hitting coach. Patrick “Packy” Elkins will be responsible for gameday duties, planning for both hitting and pitching.