Talking Baseball: Mike Shildt
Throughout the offseason, keep an eye out for my new series titled “Talking Baseball”. I’ll spend a few minutes each week talking to former baseball players about the game of baseball and much more.
Mike Shildt is a Charlotte, NC native. He grew up around the game of baseball with the Charlotte O’s. He’s worked in baseball in a number of capacities over the years. Now, he’s coming off a successful first season as a Triple-A manager in the St. Louis Cardinals organization, one of the most prolific organizations in the history of baseball. He’s doing what he loves to do.
I caught up with Mike, manager of the Memphis Redbirds, after talking baseball with him on air during an episode of the Schaefer Baseball Report, which airs on Saturdays at 11 AM on WFNZ. Jeff Schaefer and I talk baseball each week and it’s guests like Mike who make the show great.
Click here to listen to the episode with Mike
Before getting into the professional ranks, Shildt worked at the high school and collegiate levels. He has five years of college baseball coaching experience between stops at the Charlotte 49ers and his alma mater, UNC Asheville. Before making the transition to Minor League Baseball coach and eventually Minor League Baseball manager, Shildt worked three years as an associate scout for the Major League Scouting Bureau.
Since 2004, Shildt has worked in the St. Louis Cardinals organization in a number of positions. He’s worked his way up the organizational ladder and has had tons of success along the way.
Among some of his accomplishments, he guided the Johnson City Cardinals of the Rookie-level Appalachian League to back-to-back league championships in 2010–11. He later led Double-A Springfield to their first Texas League Championship in 2012. That team was named as the Baseball America Team of the Year.
It’s always great to see someone succeed — especially someone like Mike. I’ve had the privilege and honor to get to know Mike over the last few years, thanks to my job with the Charlotte Knights. His mom Lib worked for the Charlotte O’s and handled public relations among many things for the team over the years. It’s through Lib that Mike and I got to know each other. Much like Mike, I considered Lib a great friend. She keeps up-to-date with all Charlotte Knights news and I always enjoy the notes she sends me after a Knights win — and even after a Knights loss. I always look forward to her emails. It’s nice to know she is there keeping an eye on Charlotte baseball.
Here’s episode two of “Talking Baseball” with guest, Mike Shildt
[audio mp3=”https://knightfever.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/talking-baseball-episode-2-mike-shildt.mp3"][/audio]
