Front Row Seat: Mike Shildt explains his sudden retirement
The now-retired former Padres manager talked to a couple of reporters but things remain as murky as ever.
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Darren Smith
San Diego Padres
Mike Shildt retires as Padres manager - San Diego Union-Tribune
After two seasons as the Padres’ manager, he is walking away from a contract that has two years remaining, citing a “severe toll” the job has taken on him “mentally and physically.”
Shildt, who has led his team to the postseason in each of the five full seasons he has managed, informed the Padres of his decision on Saturday.
In a letter he emailed to the Union-Tribune, Shildt said: “It’s time I take care of myself and exit on my terms.”
Mike Shildt says decision to retire was his own, but Padres questions remain - The Athletic
Shildt, 57, said he began thinking in late August about the possibility of retiring. The now-former manager said that during the past season he experienced, among other things, poor sleep, chest pains, hair loss and, in an age of pervasive sports gambling, even death threats from strangers. He added that after the Padres’ season-ending loss to the Chicago Cubs in the National League Wild Card Series, he told Preller he wanted to head home for a week to recharge and reflect.
According to Shildt, Preller — who is scheduled to address reporters via zoom Tuesday — did not react with surprise. The general manager, Shildt said, could tell he was “worn down.”
Mike Shildt explains stunning decision to retire as San Diego Padres manager - USA Today
Several executives in baseball told USA TODAY Sports this summer that the relationship between Shildt and AJ Preller, president of baseball operations, and his coaching staff had become strained – but Shildt denied that was the reason for his departure.
“That wasn’t it," he told USA TODAY Sports.
