Cardinals name Shildt permanent manager

The St. Louis Cardinals announced Tuesday that Mike Shildt will have the interim tag removed and become the team's full-time manager.

Shildt received a three-year deal, according to multiple reports.

Shildt, 50, took over the team on July 15, one game before the All-Star break, when the previous manager Mike Matheny was fired. The team announced at the time that it would begin a search at the end of the season for its next manager.

The Cardinals were 47-46 when Shildt took over, 7 1/2 games out of the National League Central lead and behind a jumble of teams fighting for wild-card spots. Since then, they've gone an NL-best 26-12, entering Tuesday with a half-game lead for the first wild card, while sitting 4 1/2 games back of the Chicago Cubs for the division lead. St. Louis has won nine consecutive series.

"We are pleased to name Mike Shildt as the St. Louis Cardinals manager," Cardinals chairman and CEO Bill DeWitt Jr. said in a statement. "Mike is a veteran member of the Cardinals organization who has demonstrated strong leadership and coaching traits, formed by his many years of experience in the game, including his 15 years in the Cardinals system.

"The team's focused, high-level style of play under Mike is a standard that his teams consistently displayed during his prior years in the minors, and it has continued here at the Major League level."

Shildt has been in the Cardinals' organization since joining the team as an area scout in 2007. He became the Cardinals' third base coach midway through the 2017 season and moved to bench coach to open 2018.

"Over the past 15 years, Mike has been mentored by many great baseball men including George Kissell, Tony La Russa, and Mark DeJohn," stated Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak. "Now he has an opportunity to share his insights throughout the entire organization."

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