I must state this up front: I’ve been covering Cardinals baseball as a St. Louis columnist and sports talker since 1989, and Skip Schumaker was one of my favorite Cardinals. I’ve never put together a formal list but I’m pretty sure Skip would rate among my Top 10.
So yes, you can probably guess what I’m about to write: on a personal level, I’m happy he’s returning to the Cardinals as Oli Marmol’s bench coach. On a professional note, I really believe Skip is a great fit for the job. He brings the baseball knowledge, the communication skills, the work ethic, loves teaching baseball, is excellent at working with young players, and has the respect and trust of veteran players — because they know all about him. Even the guys who showed up in St. Louis after Schumaker was long gone from the clubhouse.
They know that Schumaker was immersed — and well versed — in the so-called Cardinal Way. He’s one of the dudes who helped shape a collective culture that was a big part of the Cardinals’ extensive success.
Let me pause here. The phrase “Cardinal Way” has been twisted and defaced and bastardized and flipped into a snark-heavy source of ridicule among nimrods who hate the Cardinals. Once again: The Cardinal Way is a baseball way. It is literally an instructional textbook, handed down and updated through the decades.
It is not some snobby statement of virtue, it has nothing to do with morality, and it sure as hell isn’t a holier-than-thou exercise in vanity.
The Cardinal Way is — and always will be — personified by the late and legendary instructor George Kissell, a man free of pretentious characteristics. It’s just about baseball. Teaching the game, making sure that it is taught the same way at every minor-league level. Consistency is the key. And the emphasis on teaching, respecting the franchise tradition, and working for a common goal can enhance camaraderie and develop the desired team culture.
This is pretty basic stuff — but important. Setting and resetting and strengthening the foundation has worked very well for the Cardinals over time.
Schumaker reps what the Cardinal-Kissell Way is all about. He was drafted by the Cards in 2001. Worked his way through the farm system and was minor-league teammates with Dan Haren, Rick Ankiel, Brad Thompson, Chris Duncan, Anthony Reyes, Josh Kinney, Tyler Johnson, Randy Flores, Ryan Ludwick Adam Wainwright.
Waino loves Schumaker. Yadier Molina loves Schumaker. Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan love Schumaker. Mike Matheny loves Schumaker. Chris Carpenter, Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen love him, too. He earned that respect by being a great teammate and a do-everything source of energy who never wobbled under pressure. A total pro. A class act. Confident and humble at the same time. Always willing to try and outwork anyone. Those qualities fit wonderfully in any clubhouse, including the one Schumaker will walk into for the 2022 season.
Schumaker graduated to the big club in St. Louis for 27 games in 2005, and got another 28 games in 2006. He split 2007 between Triple A Memphis and St. Louis. He never had it made. He had to work and scrap and adapt and be resourceful. He moved around the field, playing all three outfield positions and then moved to second base, when the Cardinals had no real candidates to play the position. He put his head down and learned how to handle second, and did a helluva job there from 2010 through 2012. (While also getting time in the outfield, whenever the Cardinals had to move the pieces around.)
Schumaker squeezed the most from his talent, playing in 810 regular-season games and 22 postseason games. He owns two World Series rings . days in St. Louis. He was part of three playoff-bound teams, had a huge hit — the only RBI — in the Cards’ 1-0 win at Philadelphia in NLDS Game 5 in 2011. He was at bat in the postseason when the Rally Squirrel showed up. He was there to help Daniel Descalso and others who would take his spot — and he never was bitter about that. Schumaker always played it forward.
Schumaker would step to the front during tough times, and face the hard questions so a teammate didn’t have to. He was always congenial, but straightforward, and as a sports writer I could always count on him for a thoughtful and honest answer during good times and bad. I’ll never forget those 2011 and 2012 postseason games and the insight I received from Skip. He always had a way to put everything into perspective — perfectly.
Schumaker displayed grace during the 2012 postseason, when his playing time was reduced to nine plate appearances. Descalso had taken over at second base, and was delivering for the Cardinals. Media would gather in front of Schumaker to ask him to discuss Descalso’s success, or Pete Kozma’s success, or to explain why other teammates could thrive in certain situations. He would be asked about the failures, too. Schumaker as team spokesman, and no one could do it better.
During that 2012 postseason, after a game in San Francisco, I asked Skip how he did this so well — come out and talk to us, with kindness and good cheer, even though he was aching to play and assigned (mostly) to the bench. And why he could be so generous with praise for players — Descalso and Kozma — who had displaced him.
“I’m just trying to help,” he said with a smile. “I’m disappointed by not playing, but this is about the team. Those guys are doing a good job. I’m genuinely happy for them. And the team is doing great. So why mope around?”
Kidding, I asked Skip something smart-alecky like “OK, now tell me how you really feel?” He laughed and said something about winning the World Series, and how that was all he cared about. I also know how much Descalso and Kozma cherished his leadership and unselfishness.
When I say “favorite Cardinal,” it has nothing to do with “best Cardinal.” Some of the players I admire most filled major roles without being a star. Schumaker is the ideal example of what I’m talking about. He was an effective leader back then, and he will work beautifully with Oli Marmol, and he combines the old-school values with advanced-metrics fluency. He will go to players to listen, teach, inspire, and counsel. He will be a trusted aide de camp for Marmol, counted on to be open and honest and capable of straight talk when the situation calls for it. He’s just what Marmol needs.
Skip is back home where he belongs, stretching and extending the bond, the history, that started with men like Kissell. He’s connecting this team to the championship teams of 2006 and 2011. Welcome home, Skip. Your timing couldn’t be better.
Thanks for reading …
–Bernie
Bernie invites you to listen to his opinionated sports-talk show on 590-AM The Fan, KFNS. It airs Monday through Thursday from 3-6 p.m. and Friday from 4-6 p.m. You can listen by streaming online or by downloading the “Bernie Show” podcast at 590thefan.com — the 590 app works great and is available in your preferred app store.
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* All stats used here are sourced from FanGraphs, Baseball Reference, Stathead, Bill James Online, Fielding Bible, Baseball Savant and Brooks Baseball Net unless otherwise noted.
For the last 36 years Bernie Miklasz has entertained, enlightened, and connected with generations of St. Louis sports fans.
While best known for his voice as the lead sports columnist at the Post-Dispatch for 26 years, Bernie has also written for The Athletic, Dallas Morning News and Baltimore News American. A 2023 inductee into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, Bernie has hosted radio shows in St. Louis, Dallas, Baltimore and Washington D.C.
Bernie, his wife Kirsten and their cats reside in the Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood of St. Louis.
