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ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals fire manager Mike Shildt after wild-card loss to Dodgers

The St. Louis Cardinals finished strong in September, winning a franchise-record 17 consecutive games and claiming the National League's second wild-card playoff spot.

But it wasn't enough to save manager Mike Shildt's job.

The Cardinals announced Thursday that Shildt -- the 2019 NL manager of the year -- has been relieved of his duties after four seasons at the helm.

"We have determined that we have a philosophical difference in the direction that our Major League club is going," Cardinals team president John Mozeliak told reporters in announcing Shildt's dismissal. 

Mike Shildt took over for Mike Matheny as Cardinals manager midway through the 2018 season and led the team to three playoff berths in his three full seasons.

After taking over as manager when Mike Matheny was fired in the middle of the 2018 season, Shildt, 53, led the Cardinals to an overall record of 252-199 (.559). The team made the playoffs in each of his three full seasons, reaching the NLCS in 2019.

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In this year's NL wild-card game, the Cardinals battled the 106-win Los Angeles Dodgers in a nail-biter, only to lose 3-1 on Chris Taylor's walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth

However, the "philosophical difference" Shildt apparently had with the front office was too much to overcome.

”With just one year remaining on Mike’s contract, it was in everyone’s best interests that we address this now," Mozeliak said.

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