When the Cardinals parted ways in late September, their season over, beloved coach Jose Oquendo said he planned to head to Florida and talk to his family about whether he would return for an 18th season as third-base coach or stay there and work nearby.
Despite lobbying from the Cardinals, Oquendo notified officials that he would not accept their offer to return, choosing to take another position in the organization, one stationed at the team’s complex in Jupiter, Fla. Oquendo’s decision triggered a cascade of coaching changes for Mike Shildt’s staff that has the Cardinals now looking for a hitting coach or first-base coach.