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San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt announced his sudden retirement from the sport on Monday citing the 'severe toll' of baseball on his mental and physical health.
The 57-year-old had only been at the helm in San Diego for two years and still had another two remaining on his contract but informed the Padres on Saturday that he would be stepping down from his position.
Shildt led San Diego to the postseason in both of his seasons in charge. Nine days before he decided to call it quits, the team suffered a brutal playoff elimination in a tense three-game wild card series loss to the Chicago Cubs.
He said that the made the decision to retire of his own accord and the club confirmed his decision on 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.'
'While it has always been about serving others, it's time I take care of myself and exit on my terms,' his letter added. 'I gave every fiber of my being to help achieve Peter Seidler's vision of bringing a World Series Championship to San Diego.
San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt announced his sudden retirement on Monday
The 57-year-old had only been at the helm in San Diego for two years and had two remaining
'We fell short of the ultimate goal, but I am proud of what the players, staff and organization were able to accomplish the last two seasons.'
Shildt went 183-141 during his brief tenure. The Padres won 90 games this season and finished second in the NL West before being knocked out by the Cubs.
'I am most grateful for our players,' Shildt said in his statement. 'San Diego is rightfully proud of the Padres players. It is a group that conducts themselves with class, is dedicated to each other and the common goal of winning a World Series. I love our players and will miss them dearly!!
'After 34 years of dedicating myself to the rigors of coaching and managing, I can with great enjoyment look back on achieving my two primary goals: To help players get the most out of their God given ability and become better men. Also, to win games.'
The Padres' general manager, A.J. Preller, praised Shildt for his work with the organization over the past couple of years,
'His dedication and passion for the game of baseball will leave an impact on our organization, and we wish him the best in his next chapter,' Preller said in a brief statement.
Preller will begin looking immediately for his fifth full-time manager since taking over the Padres' front office in 2014.
Before joining the Padres organization in early 2022 as a player development coach, 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.
The Padres' season came to an end with a brutal wild-card series loss to the Chicago Cubs
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.
'While it has always been about serving others, it's time I take care of myself and exit on my terms,' Shildt wrote.
Shildt, who never played professional baseball, took over in San Diego in November 2023 after Bob Melvin left the Padres to manage the San Francisco Giants, who fired him last month.
Melvin, Shildt and Jayce Tingler - who managed the Padres from 2020-21 - have presided over the longest stretch of sustained contention in team history despite the turnover in the dugout. The Padres have made four playoff appearances in the last six seasons and won four playoff series, reaching the NLCS in 2022.
The Padres have also persevered after the death of popular owner Peter Seidler, whose aggressive spending and charisma energized the San Diego fan base and powered Preller's ability to build a long-struggling team into a consistent winner. John Seidler became the Padres' chairman after his brother's death in November 2023.
The Padres´ new manager will be the eighth person to lead the dugout since Preller fired Bud Black in June 2015. Their chief rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers, has been managed by San Diego County product Dave Roberts since November 2015.
San Diego becomes the eighth MLB team with a managerial opening and the ninth to change managers in this offseason. Texas has already hired Skip Schumaker, but there are openings with the Padres, Angels, Braves, Orioles, Twins, Giants, Nationals and Rockies.
