The 2022 MLB regular season has come to an end, and one team is making a big change. On Wednesday, The Kansas City Royals announced they have fired manager Mike Matheny after being with the team for three seasons. The Royals also announced that pitching coach Cal Eldred was also let go after his fifth season in the role.
“We are grateful to Mike for leading us through some unusual times these last three seasons,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said in a team statement. “He met those challenges head-on and helped us move forward in a positive manner. We thank him for his leadership and know his influence will have a positive impact moving forward.”
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Matheney was hired as the Royals’ manager in 2020 after spending seven seasons in the same role with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Royals never had a winning season under Matheny, including the 2021 campaign where they finished with a 65-97 record. Kansas City hasn’t reached the playoffs since winning the World Series in 2015 with manager Ned Yost.
“Managing the Royals has been a true privilege,” Matheny said in a statement. “I’m thankful to so many, primarily Dayton Moore and the coaches and players I’ve worked with. I would like to thank Mr. John Sherman and the ownership group for the opportunity to manage their team, and everyone involved in this great organization. I came to the Royals knowing it was an organization of excellence and care and was shown that care every single day. Royals fans should be excited about this group of players, and I look forward to watching them continue to grow.”
When Matheny was the manager of the Cardinals, he led the team to three NL Central titles and a World Series appearance in 2013. In 2015, Matheny led the Cardinals to 100 wins and became the first manager in MLB history to lead a team to the playoffs in each of his first four seasons. He was by the Cardinals midway through the 2018 season. Before spending time as a manager, Matheny was an MLB player from 1994-2006. He was the catcher for the Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants and won the Gold Glove Award four times.
