St. Louis Cardinals great surprisingly resigns as team’s bench coach

Aug 8, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Matt Holliday (7) looks on in the dugout against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

Just months after returning to the franchise, one St. Louis Cardinals great has had a change of heart.

The Cardinals announced on Thursday that Matt Holliday, who was just hired as a bench coach for the team in November, has resigned from his post. Holliday will now be replaced by Joe McEwing, another retired ex-Cardinals player.

“When it came down to it, I just didn’t want to miss all the things with my kids,” Holliday told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in a statement. “In theory, four months out it seemed like something I wanted. As it got closer, I just felt like I stopped playing [in the majors] because I didn’t want to miss all the things you miss. When you say ‘yes’ to something you say ‘no’ to something else.”

Holliday, 42, played for the Cardinals from 2009 to 2016. During that time, he made four All-Star teams, took home a Silver Slugger Award, and helped St. Louis win the World Series in 2011. Holliday retired from baseball after the 2018 season and was recently inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame.

While Holliday signed on to join the coaching staff of second-year Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol, he now resigns before coaching a single game for the team. You can’t fault Holliday for wanting to spend more time with his family though — a few months ago, his son Jackson got a big MLB break.