RetroSimba

In his approach to managing the Cardinals, Mike Matheny adheres to a philosophy practiced by Vince Lombardi, with roots in Jesuit doctrine.

Meeting with media before the Cardinals began workouts on Feb. 27, 2016, at their Jupiter, Fla., training base, Matheny was asked by columnist Mike Bauman of MLB.com about how the Cardinals, after attaining 100 wins in 2015, could improve in 2016.

Matheny provided an answer that recalled one of the leadership principles of Lombardi, who transformed the Green Bay Packers into NFL champions in the 1960s.

Lombardi, educated by Jesuits at Fordham University, believed in pursuing perfection. Like the Jesuits, Lombardi understood that perfection is humanly impossible, but he relished the challenge of the journey, experiencing how close one could come to achieving it.

Matheny philosophy

Matheny expressed the same belief.

“The idea is, we’re shooting for perfection, shooting for it while also knowing that it is not attainable,” Matheny said. “But the pursuit of it is. The idea really makes limitless expectations for ourselves, because we’re always pushing.

“And I think as each individual takes that perspective, we get into the place where we as a group always have a higher ceiling.

“So we don’t put a number as far as wins out there … It’s ‘How can we be better, each of us in what we do, and what we bring to the table?’ And then, with that being the case, keep pushing the needle forward.”

Lombardi philosophy

In his 1999 biography of Lombardi, author David Maraniss reported that Lombardi called the pursuit of perfection “a man’s personal commitment to excellence and victory.”

“Perfection was to be considered on a more ethereal realm than mere competition,” Maraniss wrote. “Winning was part of it, but not all of it. His mother, Matilda, had instilled in Lombardi an anxious perfectionism.

“The Jesuits had taught him that human perfection was unattainable, but that all human beings should still work toward it by using their God-given capacities to the fullest.”

Said Lombardi: “Complete victory can never be won. It must be pursued. It must be wooed with all of one’s might … The spirit, the will to excel, the will to win _ they endure, they last forever. These are the qualities, I think, that are larger and more important than any of the events that occasion them.”

Jesuit philosophy

The Jesuits are a Roman Catholic order of priests and brothers founded in 1540 by Ignatius Loyola, a Spanish soldier and aristocrat who became a mystic, according to the Web site jesuits.org.

Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pope.

The Jesuits are known for their educational, missionary and charitable work.

According to the Jesuits Web site, “In the vision of our founder, we seek to find God in all things. We dedicate ourselves to the greater glory of God and the good of all humanity. And we do so gratefully in collaboration with others who share our values … the extended Jesuit family.”

Previously: Michigan mentor: Bill Freehan prepared Mike Matheny

Previously: Tony La Russa: Proud pupil of mentor Paul Richards