Texas Rangers Name Skip Schumaker New Manager

Just three short years after retiring from the game, Schumaker signed on with the San Diego Padres as their first base coach in 2018. Then, before the 2020 season, he was named associate head coach and had that title for two seasons.

His next gig was a return trip to St. Louis, where it all started for him. Schumaker was the bench coach for the Cardinals in 2022.

Schumaker’s next move was to Miami, where he would take over as manager. There were few expectations for a team that had finished 69-93 under Don Mattingly. But nobody told Schumaker that the Marlins were supposed to stay down.

In 2023, in his first-ever season in the manager’s role, he led the Marlins to an 84-78 record that was good enough to get the club into the postseason. Not only that, but he picked up NL Manager of the Year honors as well.

Culture Is Important to Schumaker

Coming up through the Cardinals organization as both a player and later as bench coach, the “Cardinal Way” was something that made a big impact on Schumaker.

Learning firsthand from manager Tony La Russa, number two all-time in wins with 2,884, also influenced his baseball feel and knowledge. But it wasn’t just La Russa or the Cardinals that molded Schumaker.

It doesn’t take long to understand that Schumaker is a wonderful mixture of humility and competitiveness. He pushes himself as well as others, but isn’t afraid to keep learning and lean on those around him.

In an interview with the Diggin’ Deep show last October, Schumaker laid out his acronym for culture. CAPE.

• C is for communication.
• A is for accountability or alignment.
• P is for preparation.
• E is for execution.

Simple, short, but to the point. Schumaker has now worn just about every hat that can be worn in the big leagues, and he is poised to help take the Rangers back to the postseason.

He is not only experienced in the league, but he still has youth on his side. He will turn 46 on February 3rd. Being able to communicate and relate to his players will be a key ingredient for his success with the Rangers.

It Is All in the Name – “Skip”

So how did Jared Michael Schumaker turn into Skip Schumaker? In a piece that was written on Fox Sports in 2015 that summarized an interview on MLB Network’s Intentional Talk, Schumaker told the story.

The nickname came from his dad when the young Schumaker was playing T-ball. There were some other kids named Jared, and his dad needed a unique name to call his son. So he went with Skip.

Why? Because even though the youngster was already showing signs of being a great athlete, one thing that he couldn’t do was skip.

So what started as a fun way to identify his son ended up being the name of his future and now current career.

Words matter, and names in particular carry weight. I would never name one of my horses Outlaw, or one of my dogs Jaws.

With Schumaker, he has carried the name Skip with him from a young age, and now he is fully stepping into that name for the second time in his life.

Just like Richmond Champion, yes, “Rich” Champion became the first cowboy to win the $1 million bonus at the American Rodeo in 2014, Skip Schumaker is where he was always meant to be.

Coaching Staff Familiarity

Not only has Schumaker been able to grow his understanding of the Rangers from the front office to the players, but there are some key ties in the coaching staff that will be sure to help in the transition.

Schumaker’s bench coach when he was managing in Miami, Luis Urueta, held the same position with the Rangers this season.

On the pitching side, Mike Maddux was the pitching coach in St. Louis in 2022 when Schumaker was the bench coach. That Cardinals team went 93-69. With the pitching staff performing so well this past season, it will be crucial for the Rangers to keep that same voice leading the way.

Young gave his approval of the remainder of the staff in his press conference on Friday, but left the door open for possible tweaking as needed.

Stepping into his second stint as a manager, Schumaker is taking over a team in the Rangers that finished 81-81 but led MLB in both pitching and defense. This marks a great opportunity for the young manager to step into his own.

The front office believes so much in Schumaker that they gave him an unprecedented four-year contract. The Rangers are his team for the foreseeable future, and that future is looking a bit brighter than the lackluster finishes of the past two seasons.