ST. LOUIS — Mike Shildt is in a tough spot this week.
Now the Padres’ manager, Shildt spent nearly two decades in various coaching and scouting roles in the Cardinals’ organization, where he learned nearly everything he knows about management, he said.
Those two decades of lessons have taught Shildt one thing: focus on the game at hand. Shildt’s Padres find themselves in the middle of a fierce playoff race — the kind of summer-long battle that demands unwavering focus.
But on the other hand, there’s room for nostalgia. Shildt is coaching in St. Louis for the first time since the organization let him go after the 2021 season. He’ll be facing a team that features many of his former players.
“It’s good to be back,” Shildt said, speaking from the visitors’ dugout before the opener of a four-game series between the Padres and Cardinals on Monday night. “There’s a lot of people you want to see and a lot of good relationships, a lot of really, really good memories and good people. But most of all, it’s about the Padres coming in and playing good baseball.”
Shildt’s mentors, from George Kissell to Tony La Russa and so many others, would be proud of that answer. Because despite all the frills, the game itself is the priority.
Shildt’s Padres were in great form in the second half, and they’ve taken a lead in the National League wild-card race. The Cardinals, meanwhile, are running out of time to catch up to the teams ahead of them in the playoff race. They’re five games back of Atlanta for the final wild-card spot (and eight games back of San Diego).
It’s a crucial series for both clubs, no matter the context. But for Shildt, it’s an emotional series. He said he did his best to avoid thinking about his return until he arrived. But when he arrived at Busch Stadium Monday — in front of a crowd of friendly, familiar faces — it was inevitable. Shildt’s pregame media scrum was triple the size of its usual, filled with questions about his tenure with the Cardinals.
“There’s a time and a place for those memories,” he said. “I try to compartmentalize them. I smile when I think of those memories, because of the time I’ve spent here and the people who are here.”
Shildt spent four seasons as the Cardinals’ manager, and in each of his three full seasons at the helm, he reached the playoffs. He won the National League Manager of the Year Award in 2019 after guiding the Cardinals to the NLCS. In 2020 and 2021, his Cardinals teams lost in the Wild Card round, including a dramatic three-game series to the Padres in 2020.
Then, somewhat surprisingly, the Cardinals and Shildt parted ways after the 2021 season. At the time, the decision caught Shildt by surprise. A year later, he joined the Padres as an advisor. After Bob Melvin left last year, Shildt took over as manager.
“We don’t get a lot of mulligans in life,” Shildt said Monday when asked about leaving the Cardinals. “I haven’t lost any sleep over how I’ve done things for 18 years here. I can rest easy knowing I’ve done my best to be the steward of the organization. As Tony would say, I’ve tried to do my part, make my small contribution.”
“As I got more opportunities, the pieces of the puzzle got a little bigger. But I always wanted to do my best and had a pure heart to make sure this organization moved forward. I’m at peace with that.”
