ST. LOUIS, Mo., November 3, 2016 – The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that they have signed Manager Mike Matheny to a three-year extension through the 2020 season.

Matheny, 46, has led the Cardinals to a 461-349 record over his five seasons as manager, averaging 92 wins per season, the most wins among all Major League managers since 2012.  The Cardinals won three consecutive National League Central Division titles (2013-15), a National League Championship in 2013 and made the postseason in four of Matheny’s first five seasons.  Matheny’s .569 winning percentage currently ranks 18^th all-time in the history of Major League Baseball managers and he stands 5^th on the Cardinals all-time managerial wins list.

“Mike has continued the Cardinals tradition of winning in his first five years as manager and we are happy to extend his contract leading our club on the field through 2020,” said Cardinals Principal Owner and CEO, Bill DeWitt, Jr.

The Cardinals coaching staff has promoted Palm Beach manager Oliver Marmol to the Major League first base coaching position, while Memphis manager Mike Shildt was promoted to the Cardinals Quality Control Coach, a uniform position on the Major League staff.  Bill Mueller will return to his duties as Assistant Hitting Coach, a position he held in 2015.  All of the remaining coaches will return to their positions in 2017 except for Assistant Hitting Coach Derrick May, who will not return.  May was added to the staff for 2016 when third base coach Jose Oquendo had to take a medical leave of absence.

Several transactions were made in the Cardinals Scouting Department.  The Cardinals hired Bob Gebhard as a Senior Special Assistant to the General Manager.  Gebhard was a past member of the Cardinals front office staff from 2000-04 and will be entering his 53^rd season working in professional baseball.  Jared Odom was promoted to Manager of Pro Scouting, giving Baseball Operations Analyst Tyler Hadzinsky an increased role in amateur scouting.

Matt Bayer received a new title of Amateur Baseball Analyst, increasing his role in scouting players with an emphasis on the department’s new incorporation of video scouting.

Long-time Cardinals National and Southeast Regional Cross Checker Roger Smith announced his retirement at the conclusion of 2016, leading to several promotions in the Cardinals Scouting department.

Aaron Looper was promoted into Smith’s role of National Cross Checker, Aaron Krawiec was promoted to West Regional Cross Checker, Ty Boyles was promoted to Midwest Regional Cross Checker and Kevin Saucier (saw-SHAY), a 25-year veteran of the Major League Scouting Bureau, was hired as the Southeast Regional Cross Checker.

Changes in the Amateur Scouting department of the Cardinals include the hiring of Brock Ungricht, a former assistant baseball coach at Stanford University, as a Southern California area scout.  Jabari Barnett, who was the Amateur Scouting Video Coordinator with the Los Angeles Dodgers, will take over the role of an area scout for the Cardinals in South Texas and Western Louisiana.  T.C. Calhoun, a 4^th Coach with the Cardinals Texas League affiliate in Springfield (AA), takes over as area scout in the Virginias and North Carolina.  Nathan Sopena, the Cardinals 4^th Coach with the Cardinals Midwest League affiliate in Peoria (A), will become an area scout in the Upper Midwest.

“We are pleased to move forward with Mike’s contract and a revamped coaching staff.  We are excited about the changes to our scouting department and look forward to finalizing our Player Development staff in the near future,” said Cardinals Sr. Vice President/General Manager John Mozeliak.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Jim Field.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS

The Big Ten will play six Friday night football games a year starting in 2017 and continuing through at least 2022.

Senior Associate Commissioner Mark Rudner says the games are being added as part of the conference’s new television agreements with ESPN/ABC and Fox. The six games will be spread over September and October and allow more Big Ten schools to get national exposure.

The Big Ten already has had Friday night games on Labor Day weekend. Those games will continue and be counted among the six each year.

Rudner said the conference expects to announce the 2017 Friday night schedule within the next week.

Michigan and Penn State already have declined to host Friday night games on their campuses.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith will miss Sunday’s game against Jacksonville after his head bounced hard off the turf twice during last weekend’s game in Indianapolis.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Running back Jamaal Charles had exploratory surgery on his right knee Wednesday as the Chiefs try to determine why there is lingering pain from reconstructive surgery last season.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Jim Field.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (7.0MB)

Subscribe: RSS

IRVING, Texas (AP) — BYU quarterback Taysom Hill and Western Michigan quarterback Zach Terrell are among 12 finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which honors the top scholar-athlete in college football.

The other finalists announced Tuesday by the National Football Foundation for the academic Heisman are:

— Karter Schult, defensive lineman, Northern Iowa

— Chris Beaschler, linebacker, Dayton

— Tim Crawley, wide receiver, San Jose State

— DeVon Edwards, safety, Duke

— Brooks Ellis, linebacker, Arkansas

— Carter Hanson, linebacker, Saint John’s (Minn.)

— Ryan Janvion, safety, Wake Forest

— Zay Jones, wide receiver, East Carolina

— Cooper Rush, quarterback, Central Michigan

— Tyler Sullivan, quarterback, Delta State

Each finalist receives an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. The winner will be announced Dec. 6 at the National Football Foundation’s Hall of Fame banquet in New York. The winner will receive an additional $7,000 in scholarship money and the Campbell Trophy.

Hill missed most of the last two seasons for BYU with serious injuries. He is pursuing an MBA and is the only player in school history with 4,000 yards passing and 2,000 receiving in a career. Terrell is also pursuing an MBA while leading No. 17 Western Michigan to its first ranking in the AP Top 25 in school history.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s offense has typically revolved around the idea that a strong line and interchangeable running backs will open up the passing game. The Hawkeyes didn’t expect its receivers to be so ineffective that their entire offensive identity would be compromised.

Iowa (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) heads into November with a serious deficiency at wide receiver. Only one of them, senior Riley McCarron, is among active Hawkeyes in the top four on the team in catches — and Iowa is just 107th nationally in passing offense (180.3 yards per game). That statistic is even more glaring given that the Hawkeyes have a senior quarterback, C.J. Beathard, who many pegged as among the Big Ten’s best entering this season.

Iowa, which is coming off its bye week, plays at No. 20 Penn State (6-2, 4-1) on Saturday. The Hawkeyes might take on a different look this weekend, as back Akrum Wadley said Tuesday that he occasionally worked as a slot receiver in practice during the bye.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles is going back on injured reserve after developing swelling in his surgically repaired right knee, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the Chiefs had not announced the move.

The designation means the four-time Pro Bowl running back will miss at least eight weeks, so he could return for the end of the regular season and the playoffs. Charles only had 12 carries for 40 yards in three games this season.

The Chiefs, already thin at running back after Spencer Ware sustained a concussion Sunday, signed former Titans second-round pick Bishop Sankey on Tuesday. They cut linebackers Sam Barrington and Sio Moore.