Column: Padres, Preller, should look into ex-Cardinals manager Shildt

If the Padres seek a manager who has the chops to challenge General Manager A.J. Preller — someone who could collaborate but also provide alternative views grounded in success — then the number of candidates should’ve grown by one this week when the Cardinals fired Mike Shildt.

All three Cardinals teams Shildt managed a full year reached the playoffs, arguably making the 53-year-old former bench coach, minor league manager and scout more qualified than Preller’s previous two managerial hires.

But there’s a catch: First, the Padres would have to find out what “philosophical” differences led to Shildt’s surprising dismissal Thursday.

For his surface MLB track record — a .559 win rate and finishes of first, second and second in the NL Central — Shildt deserves a look-see, but his Cardinals pedigree should further inspire Preller to extend an invitation.

Hey, Mike, let’s talk about managing. And let’s talk all things Cardinals.

The Cardinals are consistent winners; the Padres show no winning seasons in the past 10 journeys of 162 games, a franchise record for futility. The size of the two respective media markets allows for a reasonable comparison, as both St. Louis and San Diego are smaller media markets, ranking 23^rd and 27, respectively, in Nielsen’s 2021 designated market areas for the country.

The tradition-rich Cardinals far exceed their market size by attracting fans from throughout Missouri and other states. The sea of red that fills up Busch Stadium creates above-market revenues that enhance baseball operations.

While the Padres aren’t nearly as big of a draw, nor are they fully constained by small-market status. Their attendance — which ranked third in MLB this year — doesn’t crater as many others do amid non-contention. Petco Park and San Diego’s charms, alluring to fans of all teams, can allow the Padres to punch slightly above their weight class.

Other Cardinals alums worthy of Preller’s consideration ought to include Skip Schumacher, who was in San Diego’s dugout the past three years as a coach, most recently as Jayce Tingler’s associate manager.

(Sometimes, it pays to appreciate your own; see, Dave Roberts, the former Padres bench coach, under whom the Dodgers have a .622 win rate over six regular seasons and a .592 win rate in 42 postseason games.)

Schumacher, 41, may be a candidate to succeed Shildt in St. Louis.

If the Cardinals don’t hire Schumacher, Preller may want to see red twice over: Why not consider having a pair of Cardinals alums team up, given their complementary backgrounds?

Schumacher was an infielder for the Cardinals from 2005-12, after going up their farm system.

Shildt worked in the franchise nearly two decades, beginning as an area scout in 2003. Among his mentors was the late George Kissell, a legendary baseball sensei who, across six decades of coaching, helped foster and evolve the much-acclaimed “Cardinals Way.” Fundamentals. Quality of play. Teach-first development. Many Cardinals teams have met that standard.

Steeped in Cardinals development and no stranger to their evaluation methods, Shildt owns a replica of Kissell’s hallowed instructional book bestowed him by Kissell’s son, Dr. Richard Kissell. Per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Disptach, the book includes pages of “Georgisms” that Kissel’s son recreated.

“Destroy the first pitch before it destroys you.”

“It’s a Cardinal sin to make the first or last out at third!”

The elder Kissell implored Shildt, among others, to improve upon the Cardinals Way. So pages in the book were left blank, encouraging the recipient to write down upgrades.

Shildt has worked under recent innovators, too. Notably, industry disruptor Jeff Luhnow, who as GM expanded Shildt’s duties as a minor league instructor. Though polarizing and perhaps never to return to MLB in light of the Astros’ cheating scandal, Luhnow indisputably was associated with breakthrough successes in scouting and development, both with Houston and St. Louis.

It was team president John Mozeliak — under whom the Cardinals have reached the playoffs nine of 11 years and won their 11th World Series trophy — who elevated Shildt from bench coach to interim manager after Mozeliak fired Mike Matheny in August 2018.

Could Shildt provide insights into the Cardinals’ knack for growing their own good pitching? Last time the Padres had a winning “full” season, in 2010, two drivers behind that 90-victory run were Mat Latos and Tim Stauffer, pitchers they’d drafted and developed under GM Kevin Towers. Having received just one quality postseason start from a homegrown pitcher — from Joey Hamilton at St. Louis in 1996 — the Padres must improve at this bedrock task.

Getting to know Red Sox bench coach and former Padres outfielder Will Venable, now in the playoffs under much-praised Red Sox manager Alex Cora, could be useful, too. “Will is incredibly intelligent and has such a good understanding (of baseball) and concepts,” said a National League executive who worked with the 38-year-old Princeton alum. Venable, said an American League executive, someday could evolve into a “tremendous” manager.

When Larry Lucchino oversaw Padres operations as CEO and president, he viewed the team’s job openings as opportunities to forge relationships outside the organization and to grow. A similar approach in his search for a manager could benefit Preller, a much-praised scout yet much-challenged leader whose eight-year tenure hasn’t produced a winning “full” season.