PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, PDSPHIL
The St. Louis Cardinals’ search for a new manager didn’t leave their dugout. The franchise announced Monday that Oliver “Oli” Marmol has been promoted from bench coach, making him the Redbirds’ 51st field manager in club history.
The 35-year-old will be the youngest manager in the big leagues when he fills out his first lineup card next spring. He’s also younger than two of his most established players, 40-year-old hurler Adam Wainwright and 39-year-old backstop Yadier Molina. But the Cardinals are betting Marmol’s age belies his wisdom as they stay in-house with a crucial hire and preserve some continuity for a club poised to make another run at a postseason berth next summer.
“The entire organization felt that it was important to try and maintain the success, progress, and momentum that was built over the course of 2021 season,” John Mozeliak, the Cardinals’ president of baseball operations, said in a statement. “We are excited to have Oli helping us to further grow that effort as we move forward. Oli has always been someone that I knew would one day become a manager, and today I am pleased to join in introducing him as the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals.”
Much like his predecessor, Mike Shildt, who was ousted on October 14 due to what the front office called “philosophical differences,” Marmol is an organizational man who has been employed by the Cardinals since the team selected him in the sixth round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. He has served on the major league coaching staff since 2017, spending two seasons as first base coach before transitioning to the bench coach role in 2019.
After toiling as a minor league infielder for four seasons, Marmol began his coaching career as the hitting instructor for the Gulf Coast League Cardinals in 2011. He spent the next five seasons as a manager at the lower levels of the system, serving one year at Johnson City (Rookie), and two years each at State College (Short Season-A) and Palm Beach (High-A). Four of those five campaigns included postseason berths. In 2013, Marmol received the organization’s George Kissell Award for excellence in player development.
“Oli is a career member of the Cardinals organization, and someone who has built excellent working relationships with our players, coaches and staff members at all levels,” said owner Bill Dewitt Jr. “We believe that he possesses strong managerial skills that will allow for the continued success of our team.”
