Episode 118: Mike Matheny - A Softening of the Heart

Sports Connections with David Smale

There’s no question that Mike Matheny hit the ground running as a Major League Baseball manager. With no managerial experience, Matheny led the St. Louis Cardinals to the postseason in each of his first four seasons at the helm, including three straight National League Central titles. But after starting the 2018 season at 47-46—he never had a losing season in seven seasons—he was fired. Much of the criticism was his handling of the clubhouse culture and lack of acceptance of analytics. But two seasons into his Royals tenure, Matheny has fully embraced the role of analytics in the game, and his players love him. He joins us to talk about how he’s changed.