Eras Are Not Defined By Their Beginnings

Eras Are Not Defined by Their Beginnings

A Look at the First Four Seasons of Cardinal Managers

In St. Louis, a manager doesn’t simply take over a ballclub — he steps into a tradition. Generations of fans have watched men like Billy Southworth, Whitey Herzog, and Tony La Russa guide this franchise through seasons of triumph and transition. Now, as Oliver Marmol completes his first four years in the Cardinal dugout, it feels like a fitting moment to pause and look back. Not to rush judgment, and not to draw sweeping conclusions — but to let the numbers offer perspective on how managerial eras have begun in St. Louis.

When you talk about Cardinal managers, you’re not talking about placeholders. You’re talking about eras. Each man inherits something different — a roster in transition, a veteran core, a rebuilding project, or a club on the brink. And eventually, every era is measured the same way.

Wins and losses.

So let’s step back and look at the first four seasons under Billy Southworth, Whitey Herzog, Tony La Russa, and Oliver Marmol.

Billy Southworth, Hall of Famer,  (1940–1943) 
84–69
97–56
106–48
105–49
Four-year total: 392–222 - (.638)

That stretch wasn’t just successful — it was historic. Three pennants. One World Championship. A .638 winning percentage that still sets a benchmark for managerial excellence.

Whitey Herzog, Hall of Famer,  (1980–1983)
74–88
59–43 (strike season)
92–70 (World Champions)
79–83
Four-year total: 304–284 - (.517)

Whitey’s beginning was uneven. But by Year Three, the reshaped roster and Whiteyball identity delivered a championship. The climb was intentional, even if it wasn’t immediate.

Tony La Russa, Hall of Famer, (1996–1999)
88–74
73–89
83–79
75–86
Four-year total: 319–328 - (.493)

Year one brought October baseball. The next three brought growing pains. The sustained dominance that would define the 2000s was still under construction.

Oliver Marmol,  (2022–2025)
93–69
71–91
83–79
76–86
Four-year total: 323–325 - (.499)

A division title in Year One. Turbulence that followed. Through four seasons, Marmol’s record sits remarkably close to the early returns of Herzog and La Russa — well below Southworth’s historic pace, but squarely within the range of managers who would later define championship eras.

History doesn’t guarantee outcomes. It doesn’t excuse poor play, and it doesn’t promise future banners. But it does provide perspective.

In St. Louis, eras are rarely defined in their first four seasons.

They are defined by what comes next.