Royals fire manager Mike Matheny, pitching coach Cal Eldred

The Kansas City Royals fired manager Mike Matheny and pitching coach Cal Eldred on Wednesday night following the team's final game of the season. Matheny took over as manager ahead of the shortened 2020 season after Ned Yost retired. In his three seasons at the helm, the Royals never finished above fourth place in the five-team American League Central. This year, they finished last at 65-97 (.401) following a 9-2 loss to the Guardians on Wednesday. Kansas City went 165-219 (.430) under Matheny. Prior to his time with the Royals, Matheny, 52, served as manager of the Cardinals from 2012-18, leading St. Louis to a World Series appearance in 2013. He had much more success with the National League club, leading the Cardinals to a 591-474 record (.555) over seven seasons. Eldred, 54, had been the Royals' pitching coach since 2018. This year, the Royals finished with the worst ERA in the American League (4.70). The pitching staff also had the fewest strikeouts (1,191) and most walks (589) among AL squads. --Field Level Media