Mike Shildt, who led Memphis to a 73-71 record during a successful 2015 season, will return to the Bluff City for his second year as the Redbirds Manager in 2016.
Shildt will be joined on the Memphis bench by returning Pitching Coach and former Redbird Bryan Eversgerd and Hitting Coach Mark Budaska.
New to the Memphis coaching staff is Robby Hisert, who will serve as Coach for the upcoming 2016 season.
The 47-year-old Shildt, who enters his 13th season overall in the Cardinals organization and eighth as a minor league skipper, has compiled an overall 406-355 career record (.534 winning percentage) over his previous seven managerial seasons with three league championships in three postseason appearances.
His 2015 Redbirds club contended to repeat as PCL American Southern Division Champions for the majority of the season before finishing with a 73-71 record, the eighth-best mark in the 16-team Pacific Coast League and 10th winning record in club history.
Prior to joining the Redbirds, Shildt managed three seasons at Double-A Springfield from 2012-14, finishing with an overall 209-207 record. In his first year at the helm in Springfield in 2012, Shildt guided the Cardinals to their first Texas League Championship before being recognized as Baseball America’s Team of the Year.
Eversgerd, 46, enters his fourth season as Redbirds Pitching Coach and his 14th season in the Cardinals organization. The former Redbirds reliever pitched three seasons in Memphis from 1998-2000 and ranks third in franchise history with 156 relief appearances. The left-hander recorded two playoff victories for the 2000 PCL champion Redbirds, which included the winning decision during Albert Pujols’ championship-clinching walk-off home run in extra innings of Game 4. He made his Major League debut for St. Louis in 1994, and also pitched in the Majors for Montreal and Texas over his 12-year playing career.
Budaska, 63, returns to Memphis for his ninth year as Hitting Coach. During his tenure in Memphis, Budaska has tutored Cardinals batters Matt Carpenter, Kolten Wong, Randal Grichuk, Matt Adams, Stephen Piscotty, and Tommy Pham before moving on to St. Louis. Last season, he guided the Redbirds to a .261 team average.
Hisert previously served as First Base Coach for the independent Bridgeport Bluefish and as Hitting Coach for Southern Vermont College.
AutoZone Park was selected to host the nationally-televised 2016 Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game on Tuesday, September 20 7:00pm CT, pitting the Pacific Coast League Champions against the winner of the International League’s Governors’ Cup in a one-game, winner-take-all championship.
The Redbirds open the season on Thursday, April 7 at AutoZone Park against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Triple-A Brewers). Season tickets, mini-packs, and group outings are currently on sale.
Contact the Redbirds front office at (901) 721-6000 or visit www.memphisredbirds.com to order or for further details.
MIKE SHILDT’S MANAGERIAL RECORD
