Cardinals remove interim tag, name Mike Shildt manager

The St. Louis Cardinals removed the interim tag from Mike Shildt's title and named him their full-time manager, the team announced Tuesday.

The deal signed by Shildt runs for the rest of this season and the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

"We are pleased to name Mike Shildt as the St. Louis Cardinals manager," stated Cardinals' Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Bill DeWitt, Jr in a team 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."

St. Louis has gone 26-12 since firing manager Mike Matheny on July 14 and naming Shildt his interim replacement.

The Cardinals (73-58) enter Tuesday just 4½ games behind the first-place Cubs in the NL Central and one-half game ahead of the Brewers (73-59) for the league's first wild card.

"Mike Shildt has made many stops throughout the Cardinals organization, and today he achieves another position - Manager of the St. Louis Cardinals," added Cardinals' President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak. "Over the past 15 years, Mike has been mentored by many great baseball men including George Kissell, Tony La Russa and Mark DeJohn. Now he has an opportunity to share his insights throughout the entire organization."