St. Louis Cardinals, Without Dave Duncan, Find Themselves Short Of Jake Westbrook Insurance

Derek Lilliquist Replaces Dave Duncan As St. Louis Cardinals Pitching Coach

Less than 24 hours after Dave Duncan announced he would be taking a leave of absence to better care for his wife -- who has been diagnosed with cancer -- the St. Louis Cardinals announced that they promoted Derek Lilliquist from bullpen coach to pitching coach. Dyer Miller will take over as the team's bullpen coach.

It's possible, though, that Dave Duncan could work in some capacity for the Cardinals in the future:

As for Duncan's possible relationship with the club beyond this season, Mozeliak said, "Time will tell. We're not closing the door to anything."

Duncan notified Mozeliak of his decision to step aside earlier this week and the club has agreed to assume Duncan's salary as pitching coach. The 2012 season represented the second installment of a two-year contract that also included an option for 2013.

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Dave Duncan Stepping Down From St. Louis Cardinals Pitching Coach Job

In a pretty unexpected move, St. Louis Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan has reportedly decided to step down from his current role with the team, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Duncan has been the pitching coach in St. Louis since 1995, and is generally considered to be one of the best coaches in the entire sport.

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, Duncan is leaving the team to spend time with his wife, Jeanne, who underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor on Aug. 21 of last year. The Cardinals are unsure of how long Duncan's absence will last, adding more uncertainty to a coaching staff that's already headed by newly minted manager Mike Matheny.

A formal announcement of Duncan's departure from the team will be announced by the Cardinals on Friday, and they intend to leave open the possibility for his return at some later date. Last season when Duncan missed time to be with his wife after the surgery, bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist filled the role of pitching coach. It's unclear at this point whether Matheny will opt to go that route again.

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St. Louis Cardinals Hire John Mabry As Assistant Hitting Coach

On Friday afternoon, the St. Louis Cardinals announced the addition of John Mabry to new manager Mike Matheny's coaching staff. Mabry is the team's new assistant hitting coach; he has a long history with both Matheny and the Cardinals organization:

Mabry, 41, was a sixth-round draft pick of the Cardinals in 1991. During his 14-year career, Mabry played for eight teams. He spent most of his career with the Cardinals, last playing for the local nine in 2005.

Matheny and Mabry are good friends.

The Cardinals also made some adjustments to their training staff, moving Barry Weinberg from the major-league staff to a Senior Medical Adviser post and promoting Chris Conroy to assistant trainer.

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St. Louis Cardinals Introduce Mike Matheny As New Manager

In a press conference held earlier today, the St. Louis Cardinals officially announced Mike Matheny will manage the team in 2012.

Matheny -- who has spent five years working in the Cardinals organization, but not as a manager -- appeared very grateful for the opportunity:

"I loved to play the game of baseball and I believe all the experiences I've learned up to this point, from the field and off the field, have led me to this point right now, to be what I was made to be," Matheny said. "And as I sit here as the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, I have to tell you, this is the greatest honor of my life."

The Cardinals had been searching for a new manager when Tony La Russa -- a likely first-ballot member of the Hall of Fame -- retired October 31st following the team's improbable World Series victory.

Matthew Leach of MLB.com suspects the hiring should not have a negative impact on the Cardinal's chances to land free agent slugger Albert Pujols, who may be swayed by the managerial choice in St. Louis:

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St. Louis Cardinals Update: Mike Matheny Set To Be Announced As New Manager

Following the retirement of Tony La Russa, numerous names have popped up as potential managerial candidates for the St. Louis Cardinals. However, according to the St. Louis Cardinals Twitter page, a decision has been made, with former Cardinals catcher Mike Matheny set to be announced as the new manager:

@Cardinals: Cardinals to unveil former catcher Mike Matheny as manager on Monday at Busch Stadium.

There had been some speculation that Matheny might be the primary target for the job, with Bernie Miklasz from the St. Louis Post Dispatch predicting that he would be named the next manager for the following reasons:

Immense leadership potential. A strong Cardinals pedigree; earned respect as a catcher here from 2000-2004. Could keep much of a veteran coaching staff together. Familiar with current Cardinals and has a good handle on their minor-league system. Popular with fans. Former teammates have called Mozeliak to urge Matheny's hiring. Has the respect of key veteran players. A Mozeliak ally, Matheny would work well with all branches of the baseball operation.

St. Louis Cardinals Won't Expand Manager Search Beyond Six, According To Report

The St. Louis Cardinals have already interviewed six different candidates for their managerial gig. On Thursday, Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated reported that the team doesn't plan on expanding its list of candidates beyond those that have already spoke with the team.

Those six men, who have all already been previously discussed in this storystream, are former Red Sox manager Terry Francona, Phillies Triple-A manager Ryne Sandberg, Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo, Cardinals Triple-A manager Chris Maloney, Cardinals special adviser Mike Matheny and White Sox third base Joe McEwing.

Some other notable names that have been floating as manager candidates by the media include Indians bench coach Sandy Alomar, Rays bench coach Dave Martinez, Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin and Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum.

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St. Louis Cardinals Manager Search: Ryne Sandberg Says Wednesday Interview Went 'As Well As It Could Have Gone'

On Wednesday, the St. Louis Cardinals interviewed Ryne Sandberg for their vacant managerial position, and Sandberg felt good about the process afterwords. In a telephone interview with The Associated Press following his sit down with Cardinals brass, Sandberg seemed pleased even though the interview lasted less than two hours. Here is what Sandberg had to say:

It was a comfortable conversation. From my standpoint, it went about as well as it could have gone...It was cool that the Cardinals thoughts to put me on their list and wanted to talk to me, with my history as a rival player. They agreed that in some ways that I would know the St. Louis Cardinals franchise, history and tradition as much as anyone else. I lived it on the field against them for 16 seasons.

Sandberg put together a Hall of Fame career as a player with the rival Chicago Cubs, and is one of the few candidates without any direct ties to the Cardinals organization.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league.

St. Louis Cardinals Manager Search: Ryne Sandberg, Jose Oquendo Interview On Wednesday

The St. Louis Cardinals are continuing their search for a new manager this week, and on Wednesday they completed interviews with two key candidates. According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Ryne Sandberg and Jose Oquendo both interviewed for the Cardinals' managerial gig on Wednesday. They're the fifth and sixth candidates to be interviewed for the position.

Sandberg, a Triple-A manager for the Phillies, and Oquendo, the Cardinals' third base coach, join four other known candidates that have already interviewed for the position. Terry Francona, Joe McEwing, Mike Matheny and Chris Malone all completed interviews previously with Cardinals management.

It's unclear if the team is going to schedule interviews for any other candidates, but the team may already be settled on hiring one of the six interviewed candidates.

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St. Louis Cardinals Interview Terry Francona For Cardinals Manager Position

The Boston sports radio station WEEI is reporting the St. Louis Cardinals have brought in former Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona in to interview for the open 2012 Cardinals manager position:

According to a major league source, former Red Sox manager Terry Francona is scheduled to interview for the St. Louis Cardinals' vacant managerial position Tuesday.

Long-time manager Tony La Russa retired last week following the Cardinals' wild World Series win, beginning what promises to be an interesting Cardinals off-season.

Among the Cardinal's objectives over the next few months, they must acquire a new manager, and they need to deal with Albert Pujols and their first base situation -- as well as sort through some of their smaller free agency departure such as Rafael Furcal.

Last week, former Cardinals infielder David Eckstein suggested that Pujols would return to St. Louis if the team made current third base coach Jose Oquendo the new manager, but it appears the major impasse with the Cardinals-Pujols negotiations involves the dollar amount, not the manager personnel.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league.

Mike Matheny Talks About His Interview For Job As St. Louis Cardinals Manager

On Friday, the St. Louis Cardinals interviewed former catcher Mike Matheny to possibly replace the recently retired Tony La Russa as the manager of the club. Matheny has the least managerial experience of any known candidates for the position, something he referred to as "the elephant that walked in with me" to the interview, but it turns out it might not be that big of a deal to the Cards' front office:

"That was defused right away. They made it clear that this is a leadership position and that what they were looking for to fill the role is a leader," Matheny said, according to the Post-Dispatch. "Yes, there are the baseball things and the knowledge of baseball, but we talked a lot about the characteristics that are necessary to be a leader at this level and a leader of that clubhouse."    

Matheny was known as a good clubhouse leader as a player with the Cardinals from 2000-2004, when he won three gold gloves and participated in four playoff runs. In fact, he was so respected by La Russa himself that the managerial legend once described Matheny as the only player he would let marry one of his daughters.

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St. Louis Cardinals Manager Search: Mike Matheny Interviewed; Terry Francona Not Around

The St. Louis Cardinals continue to work down the list of their managerial candidates, today interviewing former four-time Gold Glove catcher and present Cardinals minor league instructor Mike Matheny. According to STLToday.com, the Cardinals brought Matheny in today for an interview; they did not, however, bring Terry Francona in today as was expected.

The Cardinals, opting for a much more traditional interview process than the Chicago Cubs have begun, are interviewing as many as nine candidates following the departure of legendary manager Tony La Russa. STLToday reports that former Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona was expected to interview today, but was not on site.

Francona, who managed the Red Sox for eight years, twice leading them to World Series titles, was released last month when the club elected to not exercise his option. Controversy surrounded Francona as his team fell out of an easy playoff spot in 2011, losing in 9.5 game lead in a single month, amidst allegations and reports of misconduct in the locker room and dugout during games.

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Terry Francona In St. Louis On Friday To Interview For Vacant Managerial Position, According To Reports

The Cardinals officially commenced their search for a replacement to Tony La Russa on Thursday by interviewing AAA manager Chris Maloney and former Cardinal Joe McEwing. According to St. Louis Today and WEEI in Boston and They are continuing their search by meeting with former Red Sox manager Terry Francona on Friday.

Francona, who won World Series titles in 2004 and 2007 while managing the Red Sox, is considered a front-runner for the Cardinals job. Even Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein seems to think so:

"If that's the right fit for him, then I'd be happy for him, and he'd make them better," Epstein told Chicago media. "And he'd try to find a way to beat us and we'd go out, try to find a way to beat him. I certainly want what's best for him, and that's potentially a great fit for him. I'm sure he's at the top of (the Cardinals') list."

It seems Epstein truly wants the best for his long time friend. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have also scheduled interviews with third-base coach Jose Oquendo and former Cardinals catcher Mike Matheny.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league.

St. Louis Cardinals To Interview Terry Francona, Ryne Sandberg, Among Others

St. Louis Today is reporting the St. Louis Cardinals begin their search for a new manager today, interviewing no more than nine candidates in search for Tony La Russa's replacement. Among the names including in their search are recently released Boston Red Sox Manager Terry Francona and former Chicago Cubs great Ryne Sandberg.

According to Today, the list includes, but is not limited to:

• Terry Francona -- Francona led the Red Sox for eight seasons, twice guiding them to World Series championships. His departure from Boston does not come without controversy, however, as he presided over the 2011 Red Sox, which saw it's 9.5 game lead collapse in the month of September amid allegations of lackadaisical and apathetic behavior from players in the dugout and locker room.
• Ryne Sandberg -- The Hall of Fame second baseman played an impressive 15 seasons with the Cardinals' rival Cubs, and has been managing in the minor leagues since 2007. The Cardinals recently received permission from the Philadelphia Phillies -- for whom he presently works -- to interview Sandberg. Ryno built a reputation as being good with young players, but some have worried he may rub veterans the wrong way.
• José Oquendo -- Former middle infielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, Oquendo has served as the Cards' third base for over a decade and is no stranger to manager interviews. He has some minor league managerial experience and also served as Puerto Rico's manager twice in the World Baseball Classic.
• Chris Maloney -- A minor league manager for 20 years, Maloney most recently served as manager for the Memphis Redbirds, the Cards' Triple-A affiliate.
• Mike Matheny -- The former four-time gold glove catcher Mike Matheny has previously served as a special adviser to the Cardinals, but does not have managerial experience.
• Joe McEwing -- McEwing, currently the third base coach for the Chicago White Sox, played nine season in the majors as a utility player, first breaking into the majors with the St. Louis Cardinals who drafted him. He has been coaching and managing in the minors for three seasons.

Interestingly, the Cardinals have elected to not pursue either manager Joe Maddon or bench coach Dave Martinez, two managerial candidates with the Tampa Bay Rays considered top choices by the media.

For more on the Cardinals, check out Viva El Birdos, SB Nation's St. Louis Cardinals blog.

Report: St. Louis Cardinals To Interview Ryne Sandberg For Manager

The St. Louis Cardinals have received permission from the Philadelphia Phillies to interview Ryne Sandberg for their managerial gig.