Padres manager Mike Shildt retires, cites ‘severe toll’ of job
Mike Shildt is retiring as manager of the San Diego Padres with two years remaining on his contract, saying “the routine of baseball season has taken a toll on me mentally, physically and emotionally.”
Shildt, 57, informed the team Saturday that he would retire, nine days after the Padres were eliminated by the Chicago Cubs in a tense three-game wild-card series. He said he made the decision on his own.
Shildt led the Padres to the playoffs in each of the two seasons he managed the franchise. The club confirmed Shildt’s decision on Monday.
“While my goal has always been to serve others, it is time for me to take care of myself and leave on my terms,” Shildt said in a statement given to the San Diego Union-Tribune. “I gave every fiber of my being to help realize Peter Seidler’s vision of bringing a World Series championship to San Diego.
“We didn’t reach the ultimate goal, but I’m proud of what the players, staff and organization were able to accomplish over the last two seasons.”
Shildt went 183-141 as manager in San Diego. The Padres won 90 games that season and finished second in the NL West before being eliminated by the Cubs.
“I am very grateful to our players,” Shildt said in his statement. “San Diego is rightly proud of the Padres players. This is a group that carries themselves with class, is dedicated to each other and has the common goal of winning a World Series. I love our players and will miss them dearly!!
“After 34 years of devoting myself to the rigors of coaching and management, I can look back with great pleasure on achieving my two main goals: helping players make the most of their God-given abilities and becoming better men. And also, winning matches.”
Before joining the Padres organization in early 2022 as player development coach, Shildt served as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals from 2018-2021, posting a winning record in each of his three full seasons. He was named NL Manager of the Year in 2019 after leading the Cards to 91 wins and the NL Central title.
“We would like to congratulate Mike on his successful career and thank him for his significant contributions to the Padres and the San Diego community over the past four years,” Padres general manager AJ Preller wrote in a statement.
Preller added that the search for a new Padres manager “will begin immediately with the goal of winning a World Series championship in 2026.”
The next Padres manager will be the sixth to work under Preller since he was hired to lead the baseball operations department in 2014, following Bud Black, Andy Green, Jayce Tingler, Bob Melvin and Shildt, whose retirement makes the Padres one of eight teams looking for a new manager this offseason.
Information from Alden Gonzalez of ESPN and the Associated Press was used in this report.
