Alumni Spotlight: Mike Shildt

By Mike Gore

Mike Shildt is once again managing a major league team.

The 1993 UNC Asheville graduate who played and coached for the Bulldog program will be managing the San Diego Padres this season. He spent the last two years working in the Padre organization before being elevated to the managerial spot last November.

Mike was the National League Manager of the Year in 2019 as he led the St. Louis Cardinals to the National League Championship series as skipper. He was let go following the 2021 season despite leading St. Louis to three straight post-season berths and a franchise-record 17-game winning streak in 2021. One baseball observer said recently: "That may go down as the worst decision the Cardinals have ever made."

Mike has moved beyond St. Louis and is relishing the opportunity to manage again.

"I am incredibly grateful for this wonderful opportunity," Mike said recently from Arizona as the Padres prepare for Spring Training and the 2024 season. "We're excited about the season and believe we have a good core of players returning. We also like the new players we've brought in and have some players in our organization who are ready to make an impact on the major league level."

Mike had served as a manager for more than a decade with the Cardinal organization and that made the last two seasons a little different.

"It was a little different not to manage the last two years," Mike admitted. "But I think the break was healthy for me. I had to look at myself and figure out what I wanted to do next, and I realized I did want to be a manager again."

Mike is looking forward to the opportunity that has presented itself in San Diego. The Padres made a surprising run to the National League Championship Series in 2022 and just missed making the playoffs last season. There's talent back but just a handful of players back from the 2022 club that just missed getting to the World Series.

"We have some great returning players on our roster right now that helped us get to the NLCS two years ago but a majority of that team is not with us anymore," stated Shildt. "But we have enough guys who were a part of that experience in 2022 that will help us this season."

Mike will manage some players who are familiar with baseball fans everywhere. They'll be led by third baseman Manny Machado, one of the best hitters in baseball. Talented outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. returns after a rough 2023 season along with shortstop Xander Bogaerts. The starting pitching staff will be led by Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish.

The former Bulldog is also looking at some younger players to help the Padres this season.

"We've got some talented guys in our organization who may be ready to make an impact," said Shildt.

The Padres are in a tough division in the National League West. San Diego has plenty of tough competition in the Los Angeles Dodgers who have won the West 10 of the last 11 years and have only improved with some marquee signings in the off-season. The Arizona Diamondbacks made the playoffs last year and went all the way to the World Series.

"We're in a tough division and we know that. We know what the Dodgers did in the off-season. Arizona played in the World Series and only got better. San Francisco signed some good players in the off-season and Colorado has some great pieces," stated Shildt.

"We need to take care of our business. Our goal is to be a fundamentally sound team and organization year-after-year," Mike added. "We want to compete for the division title this year and every year.

Mike may be in Arizona right now and traveling around the country managing the Padres in 2024 but that doesn't mean he isn't keeping tabs on UNC Asheville.

"I really like the job Scott Freidholm (UNC Asheville head baseball coach) is doing and how he's improved the program," he said. "They had a good year last season and seems like they have the potential to have another good season in 2024. I love the fact that they have the Preseason Player of the Year (Robbie Burnett). Don't worry I'll be following the Bulldogs this year like I do every season!"

University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics

Players Mentioned

Robbie Burnett

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