Former Associate Manager Says Padres 'Got it Right' With Mike Shildt Hire
Upon their hiring of new manager Mike Shildt, the San Diego Padres have received all sorts of praise.
Shildt is a respected manager around the game of baseball from his time in the St. Louis Cardinals' organization. Many believe he can help turn the Padres around from their disastrous 2023 season.
San Diego still has plenty of star power on its roster. Internally, the Padres expect to remain competitive this season. San Diego will have a tough road within their division, but the leadership of Shildt should help.
The former first base coach and associate manager for the Padres, Skip Schumaker, believes that Shildt was the right person for the job. Schumaker is now the manager of the Miami Marlins, but he still has appreciation for Shildt.
“I did a couple rehab assignments unfortunately in Double-A [Springfield] when Shildt was the manager there [2012-14]. Mike is super disciplined. He knows the game extremely well. Is going to hit home with the fundamentals every single game. I don’t think he misses anything, as far as on-game situations, nothing’s going to speed up on him. I think guys are going to really like him. I think they got it right as fire as the hire and I’m hoping he does really well in that clubhouse and in that city.”
Shildt was promoted to manager the St. Louis Cardinals in 2018, and remained there until 2021 prior to joining the Padres' organization. The Cardinals went 252-199 during his tenure and reached the postseason each of his last three seasons. Shildt knows the game of baseball well and is ready to lead San Diego to the promised land.
“I love San Diego, and they deserve a championship. I just hope it’s not this year. I hope it’s the Marlins going at it. But Shildty’s awesome.”
— Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker, via the Ben & Woods Show
If the Padres can put their inconsistency behind them, they will have a good shot at getting back to postseason play this season. Shildt should help the team avoid the small mistakes that doomed them last year, and the Padres are excited to see how he molds the group together.
