Assistant Coach
Willie McGee returns to the Cardinals Major League coaching staff for his fifth season and is responsible for a variety of areas including outfield play, base running and hitting. Prior to 2018, McGee spent several seasons serving as a Special Assistant to the GM, assisting with instruction at both the Major and Minor League levels. McGee is a decorated member of the Cardinals organization, a beloved figure among Cardinals fans and a member of the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame (inducted in 2014). McGee, who came to the Cardinals organization in October of 1981 in a trade with the New York Yankees for pitcher Bob Sykes, emerged on the national scene in 1982 when he starred during the World Series with his spectacular catches and a pair of key homers that helped the Redbirds to their first World Championship since 1967. As a key member of the Redbirds during the “Whitey Ball” era, McGee helped the Cardinals to two additional World Series appearances in 1985 and 1987 and in 1985 he became the first Cardinal voted the National League's Most Valuable Player since 1979 (Keith Hernandez), leading the Senior Circuit with his .353 batting average, 216 hits and 18 triples. His .353 batting mark and 216 hits from 1985 still stand as the Cardinals single-season records for a switch-hitter. A four-time All-Star (1983, 1985, 1987, 1988), the fleetfooted McGee posted a career batting mark of .295 with 352 steals and 94 triples in 18 seasons with St. Louis (1981-90 & 1996-99), Oakland (1990), San Francisco (1991-94) and Boston (1995). He currently ranks among Cardinals all-time top-10 leaders in stolen bases (301-4th), triples (83-7th) and pinch-hits (59-3rd). In July of 1990, McGee was traded to the Oakland Athletics and helped them to the American League Championship. That year he became the first player in Major League history to win a batting title (.335) in one league after having been traded to a team in the other league. After stints in San Francisco and Boston, Willie returned to St. Louis in 1996 and helped the Cardinals to the N.L. Central title before retiring after the 1999 season. McGee won Rawlings Gold Glove awards for defensive excellence in 1983, 1985 and 1986 and was a National League Silver Slugger recipient in 1985. A 1976 graduate of Harry Ellis High School in Richmond, Calif., McGee and his wife, Vivian, have five children, Nanuashika, Jessica, Whitney, Virginia, William, and eight grandchildren.