Remembering Lib Shildt
Working in baseball has afforded me many great opportunities. Perhaps the best of all, is meeting great people.
Over the course of my 13 years working in baseball, I’ve met many major and minor leaguers. I’ve met many players that I grew up admiring. I’ve met numerous Hall of Famers, celebrities, and many legends of the game.
Even more special, I’ve been fortunate to meet great people who have been associated with the game of baseball in other ways. Not all have played the game. Some have worked in the game behind-the-scenes.
These special people that I have met over the years are the ones that I could share stories with. People who understand the grind of the job. People who have become like family. For me, one of those very special people was Lib Shildt.
On any given day, an email from Lib could just pop up in my inbox. I always treasured those emails. They were about baseball —mostly about how the Charlotte Knights or the St. Louis Cardinals were playing. They were about life. And, more recently they were about my kids. It could have been about a photo she saw of my son or daughter on Facebook and she had to send me a sweet note. She always had nothing but nice things to say. An email from Lib was always special to me. It cheered me up on a long day at the ballpark.
Looking back over the last few days, I’ve come across a lot of those emails. I have probably saved most of them. I refer back to them sometimes, too.
Lib was a very special lady.
Sadly, she passed away last week at the age of 85. When I found out, my heart sank. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn’t expect it at that moment.
I last talked to her during the Cardinals playoff run. I sent her this photo of my daughter with her son, Mike, in the background. She liked it.
I first met Lib in 2013 when the Charlotte Knights were planning to close down Knights Stadium in Fort Mill, SC. Lib came to the stadium and we spoke about the final ceremony, which would mark an end to 25 seasons in Fort Mill. Lib worked for the Charlotte O’s as an administrative assistant and she still had contacts with many of the former players. I immediately saw her passion for the game of baseball and the Charlotte O’s. It was refreshing.
For that final game in Fort Mill, she helped arrange an appearance by some former Charlotte O’s players to take part in that final ceremony. That meeting was the start of a friendship — one that saw it’s fair share of emails and calls over the next few years. I looked up to her.
When BB&T Ballpark opened, she was there for a number of events. Along with her son Mike, she was there for a press conference as we unveiled our ballpark brick program. Her brick is a special one…
In April of 2014, she helped organize the first Charlotte O’s reunion at BB&T Ballpark. And, she was there on field to help celebrate.
She was there when we hosted the Triple-A Baseball All-Star Game. She got a chance to see Mike, as he was one of the coaches for the Pacific Coast League. That was a special, special moment.
She was there when we inducted Drungo Hazewood into the Charlotte Baseball Round Table of Honor. We even surprised her that day with the Buster Sloan Award.
She was also there and honored as part of our Women in Baseball Night in 2018. Sadly, that was the last game she attended at BB&T Ballpark.
Lib was a big part of the Charlotte baseball community. She knew the history of baseball in the Queen City and she was passionate about it.
And, she was a very proud mother.
Mike has gone on to so much success in his career. After years as a minor league coach, he made it to the bigs as a coach — and then as a manager. I remember when I heard the news that Mike was going to manage the Cardinals. I couldn’t wait to email Lib.
Just days ago, Mike was named National League Manager of the Year and his live interview on MLB Network was very touching. I’ve watched it several times since it first aired. I know Lib was watching from up above.
Congratulations, Mike.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to get to know Lib over the years. She’s made me a better person.
My deepest sympathies to Mike, the Shildt family, the Crockett family, and the entire Charlotte O’s family during this difficult time.
Lib’s passion of the game of baseball will live on forever. That’s for sure.
