Padres' Mike Shildt Reveals His Only Regret After Announcing Retirement

San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt (8) and third base coach Tim Leiper (33) walk back to the dugout after after benches cleared in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on June 19. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres certainly gave Mike Shildt time to think about his future after their final National League Wild Card Series game against the Chicago Cubs, and before the manager revealed his surprising decision to retire.

"It is with a heavy but full heart that I am announcing my retirement from managing the San Diego Padres," Shildt wrote in a letter first published in the San Diego Union-Tribune. "It is a decision that I thought about during the season and became at peace with over the last 10 days."

More news: Padres Expect to Re-Sign A.J. Preller to Contract Extension: Reports

That peace did not come without regret — one, to be specific.

Speaking to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, Shildt said "my only regret is that I wasn’t able to help fulfill the vision of Mr. (Peter) Seidler and A.J. and this organization’s passionate fan base to win a World Series.

“That’s my only regret.”

It's not a surprising comment, but it's one made more interesting by reporting in the wake of Shildt's resignation. If he felt responsible for any of the reported friction between himself and colleagues, he did not count it among his regrets during his two years as the Padres' manager.

More news: Padres to Interview Former Dodgers, Cardinals All-Star for Manager's Job: Report

Kevin Acee of the Union-Tribune told The Sports Open Line podcast last week that., "Mike does not believe Mike did anything wrong. I thought it was crucial to the story that Mike didn't refute the substance of what was being said. Mike refuted that there was anything more than him caring too much, and having a high standard, and in some cases a higher standard than others were able to live up to."

"I'm not a psychologist, but there's just a lot there," Acee continued. "Mike's a perfectionist. Mike's a very good manager."

Speaking to Lin, Shildt also repeated the substance of reports that he and Padres general manager A.J. Preller left their relationship on good terms.

“The thing that I appreciated about A.J. is you can have a very honest, healthy, transparent conversation with A.J.,” Shildt said. “It’s all for the greater good of us winning baseball games. So, I value that with him, and I’m always going to be grateful for him giving me this opportunity."

The Padres are in the process of interviewing possible replacements for Shildt this week. Wednesday was Albert Pujols' turn. Monday was Brian Esposito's.

Now, as the Padres look ahead to the future with a new manager, Shildt can look forward to retirement with a mostly clear conscience.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.