Despite leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a wild-card berth with a franchise-record 17-game winning streak, the manager was dismissed.
Team president of baseball operations John Mozeliak cited “philosophical differences” as the reason for his firing but declined to elaborate, stating the issue had only recently arisen. While the manager was entering the final year of his contract, Mozeliak said that wasn’t the sole factor behind the decision. Mike Shildt had previously signed a three-year extension following the previous season.
“We just weren’t aligned on the direction of the team,” Mozeliak explained. “Rather than go into 2022 with uncertainty hanging over us, we felt it was best to make a clean break now and approach the new season with a fresh perspective.”
Mozeliak didn’t comment on specific candidates to replace Shildt but indicated there were several strong internal options, adding that the remaining coaching staff under contract would likely return.
“2021 was a great success for us, and we take pride in what we accomplished—especially making history with the winning streak,” Mozeliak said. “But decisions like this are about the organization’s long-term direction, not just one season.”
He said he met with the coaching staff Friday but didn’t speak with Shildt again until informing him of the decision. According to Mozeliak, Shildt was “very shocked” by the news.
Shildt, 53, led the Cardinals to three playoff appearances, including the 2021 wild-card game loss to the Dodgers on a walk-off home run. His overall record with St. Louis was 252-199. He won the NL Central in 2019 and was named National League Manager of the Year that season, though the team was later swept by the Nationals in the NLCS. In 2020, his club was eliminated in the wild-card round by the Padres.
Originally hired by Mozeliak as a scout in 2004, Shildt spent years managing in the minors before joining the major league coaching staff. He took over as interim manager in July 2018 after Mike Matheny’s dismissal and was made full-time manager the following month, becoming the 50th in franchise history.
“There are reasons for every decision we make,” Mozeliak concluded. “While we tend to keep internal matters private, we’re optimistic about where this club is heading and believe the leadership in the clubhouse needs to be unified.”
Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr. added, “Continuity matters to me—but only when it supports progress. This was a collective decision based on what we believe is best for the team’s future.”