Manager
Oliver "Oli" Marmol was named the 51st manager in Cardinals franchise history on October 25, 2021, and at age 35, the youngest since Marty Marion who piloted the team at age 34 in 1951. He was signed to a three-year contract that runs thru the 2024 season. Marmol spent the past five seasons as a member of the Cardinals Major League Coaching Staff, the past three (2019-21) as the team's Bench Coach after serving as the First Base Coach from 2017-18. Oli, who was born in New Jersey, and is of Dominican descent, is only the second minority to manage the Cardinals and the first since Cuban-born Mike González did so for parts of the 1938 and 1940 seasons. Marmol spent five seasons (2012-16) managing in the Cardinals farm system, leading his teams to the postseason in four of those five seasons, including the New York-Penn League title in 2014 with State College (Pa.). Marmol's teams were a combined 268-225 (.544), posting league-best 48-win seasons in both 2013 and 2014 at State College. In 2015, his first season managing at Palm Beach, the Cardinals reached the postseason for the first time since 2008, winning the Florida State League South Division second half before being eliminated in the first round. Prior to 2015, the last time Palm Beach had reached the FSL postseason, Marmol was the team's second baseman. In 2014, Marmol led the State College team to the New York-Penn League Championship, defeating Hudson Valley in two straight games when facing elimination, then defeated Tri-City for the crown. The Spikes posted 48 wins for the second consecutive season, a year after Marmol led State College to the best record in the New York-Penn League at 48-27. The former Cardinals minor league infielder led the 2012 Johnson City squad to a 39-28 record and a playoff appearance in his first season as a manager. Marmol began his coaching career in 2011 as the hitting coach at the Gulf Coast League level under manager Steve Turco. Marmol spent four years playing in the Cardinals system, finishing his career with the Palm Beach Cardinals in 2010. Marmol was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2004 out of Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Fla., but decided to forego professional ball to attend college, where he batted .327 over three seasons at the College of Charleston (S.C.). He was drafted out of college in the sixth round of the 2007 June First-Year Player Draft by St. Louis. Marmol was voted the recipient of the Cardinals organization's prestigious George Kissell Award in 2013 for excellence in player development. In January of 2015, Oli, along with a young man named Josiah Viera were named co-recipients of the "Good Guy" Award presented by the St. Louis Chapter of the BBWAA. Marmol had befriended Josiah who had an extremely rare genetic disease that accelerates aging in children, and had him join in team activities at State College. Marmol resides in Jacksonville, Fla. in the off-season with his wife, Amber, and their daughters Riley and Kylie.