Skip Schumaker named new Marlins manager, initiating changes to Cardinals coaching staff

After a year in the job that has become a springboard from the Cardinals’ bench to promotion, Skip Schumaker was named the Miami Marlins’ new manager on Tuesday, and his departure offers a glimpse of what several changes could be. on Oliver Marmol’s staff in St. Louis

Schumaker is the fourth consecutive Cardinals bench coach to move from that role to being a rookie manager for a major league club. The former Cardinals leadoff hitter and 2011 World Series champion with the club that drafted him, Schumaker is leaving after a year on Marmol’s coaching staff to become the 16th manager in Marlins history.

He will still report to spring training in Jupiter, Florida.

It will be on the other side of the Roger Dean Stadium complex.

“Delivering a sustainable, winning culture with the expectation of reaching the postseason is the next step for this organization and South Florida,” Schumaker said in a statement provided by the team. “And I can’t wait to get started.”

From the day he was hired to return to St. Louis, the Cardinals were prepared for the possibility of Schumaker’s quick exit to manager another team.

“We are happy and proud that Skip has this opportunity,” said John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations. “Miami is getting a qualified manager who will bring his own personality to this job. He is organized, thoughtful, progressive and ready for this job.”

The Cardinals have been in the process of finalizing their leadership and coaching staff for next season. Earlier this month, the Cardinals gave multi-year extensions to general manager Michael Girsch and assistant general manager Randy Flores. The Cardinals now have an opening for bench coach as Marmol begins his second year as manager.

And other notable changes to the Marble staff are possible.

Pitching coach Mike Maddux’s contract is about to expire, prompting the question of whether he’ll return after serving in that role for five seasons and three different managers. There is a possibility that the Cardinals will explore other candidates for pitching coach. The team must also address hitting coach Jeff Albert’s current contract and the makeup of the hitting coaching staff.

The Cardinals have several internal candidates to replace Schumaker as bench coach, including first base coach and infield guru Stubby Clapp. Third base coach Ron “Pop” Warner took over the bench coaching duties during Schumaker’s absence late in the season, but Warner has also expressed a fondness for him being a third base coach. Memphis’ AAA-class manager Ben Johnson is highly respected within the organization for what he has done with the Redbirds and for preparing the parade of rookies the Cardinals have relied on for several seasons. He could be a candidate for open coaching jobs for any other deck.

Matt Holliday, recently inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame, is close to Marmol and has had previous talks about a role in the organization.

The Cardinals plan to further detail their early offseason plans and discuss any coaching decisions with the media on Wednesday.

The last four Cardinals bench coaches have become major league managers after taking over: David Bell (Cincinnati), Mike Shildt (Cardinals), Marmol (Cardinals) and now Schumaker (Marlins), who turns 43. years in February.

When the Cardinals lured Schumaker back to St. Louis to be Marble’s bench coach, they did so knowing he was seen as a rising talent on his way to becoming a manager. They structured his contract as a series of options so that Schumaker could return to Southern California if time away from his family was prohibitive or if there was an opportunity to pursue a role closer to home. Or, of course, he was offered a manager position. Schumaker planned to return to the Cardinals for 2023 until he was approached about starting in Miami.

The Marlins conducted a wide-ranging search for Don Mattingly’s replacement after seven years managing the former MVP. Schumaker’s candidacy quickly built momentum after an initial interview.

“As we continue to grow as an organization, we felt it was important to find someone who has been part of a winning culture,” Marlins general manager Kim Ng said in a club statement. “Having been a member of two championship teams, coupled with his reputation for toughness and pulling every ounce of skill out of him, Skip will set a tremendous example for our players. His leadership style, his teaching abilities and his attention to detail make him the clear choice as the new manager of the club”.

A fifth-round pick by the Cardinals in 2001, center fielder Schumaker was part of the minor league generation that included Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright, all three of whom made it to the majors during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Schumaker appeared in 28 games. in 2006 with the Cardinals, who won the World Series that season. By 2008, Schumaker was a regular with a .302 batting average and a .359 on-base percentage. In 2009, he was a second baseman. To keep his bat in the lineup and clear the way for another outfielder, Schumaker learned the new position on the fly at the highest level, often with coach Jose Oquendo using a pitching machine to ground him at 100 mph.

He spent parts of four seasons at second base for the Cardinals, starting at both second and center for the Cardinals during their 2011 title run. Schumaker had the only RBI of the game in the Cardinals’ 1-1 win -0 to clinch the NL Division Series in Philadelphia the night Chris Carpenter pitched a shutout.

Traded to the Dodgers after the 2012 season, Schumaker also spent two seasons with Cincinnati before retiring during spring training with San Diego in 2016. The Padres offered him a job in the organization, and that turned into a coaching job. . He spent time as a first base coach and associate manager while joining the ranks of potential future managers in the industry.

Upon his return to St. Louis, Schumaker struck up a quick relationship with Mármol: as a sounding board during games, as a logistics expert for workouts and meetings, and as a confidant for strategy discussions, lineup decisions, potential roster moves. and game reviews.

He takes over a team that has a bona fide ace in former Cardinals prospect Sandy Alcantara and an uphill climb in the NL East against the high-spending New York Mets, and the two past National League pennant winners, Atlanta and Philadelphia. Not to mention the struggles the Marlins have energizing the fan base and drawing crowds.

The Marlins have been to the postseason once since winning the World Series in 2003, and haven’t had a winning record in a full season since 2009. They have won a championship twice in club history, but have never finished first in a season. division.

“Skip has a long list of distinguished achievements as a player and coach that showcase the remarkable individual that he is, as well as the high level of credibility and leadership that he will bring to the Marlins’ bench and organization,” Chairman and Principal Owner. Bruce Sherman said in a statement. “He has incredible passion and a winning spirit that will set the course for the Marlins franchise.”