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Negro Leagues Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick told the Associated Press on Thursday that he hopes to raise $30 million to expand into a new 30,000-square-foot facility and campus. Among the names attached to the ambitious project: San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt. More news: Padres Top Prospect Hits For Cycle in Impressive Display "There's a bigger story to tell," Shildt told the AP .
"What's taken place has been more grassroots oriented. They've been able to put it together without the resources to tell the full, big-picture story." According to the AP, Shildt was a frequent visitor of the museum when he managed the St.
Louis Cardinals (2018-21). More news: Padres Manager Believes Rules Change 'Makes Sense' After Luis Arraez Injury Scare Shildt's time with the Cardinals organization began much earlier than his first managerial job. After his playing career ended, Shildt coached at West Charlotte High School and later served as an assistant coach at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
In 2004, Shildt joined the Cardinals organization as a scout for North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. More news: Padres' Randy Vasquez Had Brutal Travel Day, Leading to Worst Start of 2025 Season After scouting, Shildt transitioned back into coaching, starting with the Cardinals' Single-A affiliate in the New York-Penn League in 2004 and 2005, while continuing his scouting duties. In 2006, he became a full-time coach, eventually managing the Johnson City Cardinals, where he led the team to two Appalachian League championships and earned Minor League Manager of the Year honors in 2009 and 2010.
Shildt continued to ascend through the minor league system, managing the Springfield Cardinals and Memphis Redbirds, before being promoted to the team's major league coaching staff in 2017 as the quality control coach and later the bench coach. In July 2018, following the dismissal of Mike Matheny, Shildt was named the Cardinals' interim manager. He was officially appointed as the team's manager in August of that year.
Under his leadership, the Cardinals reached the playoffs in three consecutive seasons (2019–21), with Shildt being named National League Manager of the Year in 2019. However, on Oct. 14, 2021, the Cardinals announced that they had parted ways with Shildt due to "philosophical differences" regarding the direction of the team, despite his successes.
Clearly, Shildt's connection to the Negro Leagues Museum — another Missouri institution, based in Kansas City — remains strong. A post to the museum's Twitter/X account says its expansion is "aimed at advancing the museum’s national mission of preserving the rich history of Negro Leagues baseball and its profound impact on social progress in America." For more news and notes on the San Diego Padres, head on over to Padres on SI .
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