Skip Schumaker has been in Padres camp this spring. And he’s been getting good reviews with respect to how he’s fit in and how he’s commanded the respect of Padres players and coaches. Ultimately, though, playing is what matters and Schumaker has apparently decided that playing is not something he wants to do anymore: the Padres just announced he has retired.
Schumaker had an 11-year big league career between the Cardinals, Dodgers and Reds, splitting time between the outfield and second base. He played 1,149 games and put up a line of .278/.337/.364 with 28 homers and 284 RBI. He played in the playoffs in four different seasons -- three with St. Louis, one with the Dodgers -- and got a World Series ring in 2011 (He may have gotten one in 2006 too, but he wasn’t a major part of that club). His postseason highlight was probably going 6-for-10 with two doubles and three driven in in the 2011 NLDS against the Phillies.
Maybe that good fitting in and leadership stuff from this spring showed Schumaker that he would make a good coach or front office assistant. If that’s where his baseball journey goes next, this spring may very well have been more productive for him than he figured it would be.
Good luck, Skip.
