Mike Shildt says goodbye to Cardinals in emotional press conference

Mike Shildt is out as the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals after three and a half seasons.

After the St. Louis Cardinals made the choice to move on from Mike Shildt due to “philosophical differences”, St. Louis’ former manager finally got the chance to say farewell to his former team. On Monday, Shildt took the opportunity to thank St. Louis for the opportunity to be the Cardinals’ manger.

Despite the emotions that surrounded his firing, Shildt made sure to spend his press conference expressing gratitude for those who had been with him and helped him over the years. According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Shildt also took the time to thank St. Louis for “[taking] a chance on a young baseball man” when they brought him in to their organization.

Mike Shildt says farewell to the St. Louis Cardinals with an emotional press conference

Even if the timing of the firing seems odd to everyone on the outside looking in, it appears as if he was truly grateful for the mere opportunity to be manager these past few years. He refused to comment on the differences that led to his ousting last week.

That sort of respect for the Cardinals organization is impressive and noteworthy. Nobody could have blamed him if he’d spoken out in anger, but that’s not what Shildt did.

The Cardinals have yet to name a new manager following Shildt’s firing and it’s not exactly clear who they will put in that position.

It’s also not clear what Shildt’s next stop or where he’ll end up coaching next. Shildt was named the NL Manager of the Year in 2019 and his teams were generally successful under his guidance, so he should have an opportunity available in the future if he wants one.