Mike Schildt is out as St. Louis Cardinals manager. Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak announced the move on Thursday during a press conference, citing philosophical differences.

Schildt just guided the Cardinals to a team-record 17-game winning streak at the end of the regular season that sent the redbirds to the NL Wild Card Game. The Cardinals dropped that wild card game to the LA Dodgers with a walk-off home run ending the game.

“While these decisions are difficult, both parties agreed that philosophical differences related to the direction of the organization brought us to this conclusion,” stated Cardinals’ President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak.”With just one year remaining on Mike’s contract, it was in everyone’s best interests that we address this now.”

Shildt, 53, was named the Cardinals interim manager on July 15, 2018 and had his interim title removed on August 28, 2018.  He spent 13 years (2004-16) in player development as a scout, coach and manager before joining the Cardinals Major League coaching staff in 2017.

In his three-plus seasons as the Cardinals Manager, Shildt posted a 252-199 won-loss record and was voted National League Manager of the Year in 2019 by the BBWAA.

Today’s announcement marks just the third managerial change for the Cardinals dating to 1996, when the team hired Hall of Fame Manager Tony La Russa.  Mike Matheny (2012-18) and Shildt (2018-21) have followed La Russa’s 16-year tenure in St. Louis that was capped off with a World Series title in 2011.