The St. Louis Cardinals have had an interesting offseason, and not because of multiple acquisitions.
In fact, on that front, they’ve been relatively quiet, save for the signing of Willson Contreras.
In a stunning move, team legend Matt Holliday, who had been hired to take over as the team’s bench coach, resigned from his position, expressing his desire to spend more time with his family.
As a result, the Cardinals have replaced him with another former player in Joe McEwing.
Cardinals fans are understandably shocked by this news, but it appears that some have taken it too far and have been criticizing Holliday for his decision.
On Twitter, one fan expressed his disappointment in those who have been critical of Holliday.
I’m seeing a lot of tweets bashing Matt Holliday. I think it’s far out of line and inappropriate.
Matt made a decision to spend time with his family and I will always respect that reasoning.
With that being said, Joe McEwing is a great coach and is a great fit. #STLCards
— Cards Convo ™ (@CardinalsConvo) January 12, 2023
Obviously, this is disappointing news for Cardinals fans.
Holliday was with the team from 2009-2016 and was a key part of their World Series runs in 2011 and 2013, and fans were looking forward to having him back.
But this fan is correct that the 42-year-old’s decision should be respected and that it is not the fanbase’s place to bash or criticize the Cardinals Hall-of-Famer.
At the same time, McEwing is also a great addition to the Cards coaching staff.
He has spent the previous 16 seasons in the Chicago White Sox organization, serving as the bench coach and third-base coach.
“Super Joe”, as he was known, made his MLB debut with the Cardinals in 1998 after being drafted by the team in 1992.
McEwing was traded to the New York Mets after the 1999 season.
NEXT: MLB Analyst Reveals Why Cardinals Bench Coach Resigned