Matheny: Conversations about my job security had been going on since last season

When the St. Louis Cardinals relieved manager Mike Matheny of his duties as manager on Saturday, it came as no surprise to the skipper.

Matheny said his job security had been a topic of conversation for quite some time and was told if the performance of the Cardinals didn't improve, his firing was "inevitable."

"This has been in conversation for quite a while," he told Rick Hummel of the St. Louis-Dispatch on Sunday. "We had conversations even last season that if we didn't improve the way we went about it, this would be inevitable.

"You always hear the term, 'Shakeup.' Cincinnati is a real good example with how well they're playing. They decided to make a (managerial) move early in the year and not to forfeit a season, which I completely agree with.

"This is a good Cardinals team, which is much better than their record shows."

Matheny had come under fire recently, not only because the Cardinals sat third in the NL Central at 47-46 after Saturday's loss to the Reds, but also because of reported tension in the Cardinals clubhouse.

The manager was barely communicating with outfielder Dexter Fowler, according to a report, and also approved of Bud Norris' harsh treatment of fellow reliever Jordan Hicks. He even issued fines to players based on reports given to him by Norris.

Despite all of this, Matheny didn't blame anyone but himself for the Cardinals' performance.

"I realize I have to take the responsibility. When we can't get things going right, that's my job," he said.

"When you have a number of good players and you've tried a number of things to get everyone going ... I know who shoulders the blame. The blame falls on my shoulders."