Holliday Resigns Cardinals Bench Coach Role, Creating Major Project Back Home

Two months ago, Matt Holliday accepted the bench-coach job with the St. Louis Cardinals.

He never got to spring training.

Holliday has informed the Cardinal he was stepping down from the position, and looking forward to creating his own program back in Oklahoma, where he has built an indoor practice facility, and laid out a series of baseball fields. He also is expected to continue to serve the Oklahoma State University team as a volunteer coach.

In Holliday’s place, the Cardinals hired Joe McEwing as their bench coach, which led to promoting Daniel Nicolaisen to the big-league staff as a third-hitting coach, and Patrick “Packy” Elkins to oversee gameday duties, planning for both hitting and pitching.

McEwing, 50, a native of the Philadelphia metro area, comes to St. Louis after spending 15 years coaching with the White Sox organization, most recently as the third base coach from 2021-22, also serving as the bench coach from 2017-20 under manager Rick Renteria.

He was originally drated by the Cardinals in the 28th round of the 1992 First-Year Player Draft, and made his MLB debut with St. Louis in 1998,

Holliday, who will turn 43 on Sunday, decided it was time to spend more time at home where he can continue to have his hand in baseball but will be able to spend more time with his family.

Holliday, who originally with with the Colorado Rockies as a ninth-round draft pick out of high school, made his big-league debutwith the Rockies (2004-08) and finished his playing career with a return to the Rockies in 2018. In between, he was with Oakland (2009), St. Louis (2019-16) and the New York Yankees (2017).

A career .299 hitter, Holliday retired with a resume of 2,096 hits, 310 home runs, and 1,220 RBI.

He big-league resume includes:

— Seven-time All-Star (2006-08, 2010-12 and 2015).

— Part of the Cardinals 2011 World Championship team.

— The NLCS MVP in 2007.

— A four-time Sliver Slugger Award Winner (2006-08, 2010).

— The 2007 NL batting champion and NL RBI leader.

— Induced into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame.