Former Cardinals manager Shildt retiring

Mike Shildt is retiring after two seasons as the San Diego Padres’ manager.

The Padres confirmed the 57-year-old Shildt’s decision Monday. In a letter to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Shildt said he is retiring because “the grind of the baseball season has taken a severe toll on me mentally, physically and emotionally.”

Shildt went 183-141 and led San Diego to two postseason appearances during his brief tenure.

Shildt was the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals from 2018-21, posting a winning record in each of his three full seasons. He was the NL Manager of the Year in 2019 after leading the Cards to 91 wins, the NL Central title and an NLCS appearance.

Shildt won at least 90 games in each of his four 162-game seasons with St. Louis and San Diego, and his teams made the playoffs in every one of his five full seasons in charge. 

But Shildt said he began to contemplate retirement during the current season, and he finalized his decision after the Padres’ painful elimination at Wrigley Field. San Diego’s high-priced roster scored just five total runs in its three games in Chicago.

Shildt’s departure means there could be nine new managers on opening day. The only years with as many managers starting the season who did not manage the team’s finale in the previous year were in 2003 and 2010, when there were 10 each, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.


(AP Photo Nam Huh)