How the Miami Marlins landed on Skip Schumaker as their manager and what comes next
The Miami Marlins’ announcement Tuesday of Skip Schumaker as their next manager put an end to a nearly month-long process that was perhaps the most extensive Marlins managerial search in club history.
Overall, it included at least 10 in-person interviews and countless background on many more candidates who all had interest in the job.
General manager Kim Ng and select members of the Marlins’ front office conducted the first round of interviews. Marlins chairman and principal owner Bruce Sherman joined Ng for the interviews of the finalists, a group that included Schumaker, Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro, Astros bench coach Joe Espada and Yankees third base coach (and former Mets manager) Luis Rojas.
Sources confirmed to the Miami Herald that the Marlins also interviewed Tigers bench coach George Lombard, Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol, former big-leaguer Raul Ibanez, Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough, Phillies third base coach Dusty Wathan and former Blue Jays manager John Gibbons.
Schumaker, 42, appeared to be a finalist from the start. His interview “wowed” the Marlins front office, and Miami identified him early as a possible successor to Don Mattingly.
He has been a fast riser in the coaching ranks.
Shortly after retiring from an 11-year playing career as a second baseman and outfielder that included playing on two World Series teams with the St. Louis Cardinals, Schumaker transitioned into a role as an assistant to baseball operations and player development for the San Diego Padres. He held that role from 2016 to 2017 before joining the Padres’ coaching staff, first as their first base coach from 2018-2019 and then as an associate manager from 2020-2021.
Schumaker then rejoined the Cardinals last season as bench coach for first-year manager Oliver Marmol.
“Skip has a long list of distinguished accomplishments as both a player and a coach that showcase the remarkable individual he is as well as the high level of credibility and leadership he will bring to the dugout and the Marlins organization,” Sherman said in a release announcing Schumaker’s hire. “He has an incredible passion and winning spirit that will set the course for the Marlins franchise.”
Seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday, a former teammate of Schumaker, told the Miami Herald that Schumaker “has an incredible way of interacting with players. He has the ability to have fun but also has a serious competitive side to him. He demands excellence and has a presence about him.”
Holliday, who played with Schumaker on the Cardinals’ 2011 World Series-winning team, also added Schumaker will embrace the Marlins’ use of analytics and can balance that along with his experiences in the game.
Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright, who was teammates with Schumaker from 2005 to 2012 and watched him up close as St. Louis’ bench coach last season, simply called Schumaker a “baseball guy” who “understands the old school ways but embraces new school information in his game planning.”
He “gets along with players great,” Wainwright added, “and isn’t scared to speak up when he needs to.”
And then there’s this from Mark McGwire, the 12-time All-Star who has a close relationship with Schumaker and was the Cardinals’ hitting coach from 2010-2012: “He knows what it takes to be successful. He was a player that was so well respected and even more as coach. He has a high baseball IQ. He will bring a fantastic culture to Miami and no question he will have a huge impact right away.”
Sources told the Miami Herald that Schumaker is likely to select his coaching staff quickly and has some candidates in mind to round out the staff. The Marlins continue to have interest in retaining pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. and discussions with him will assuredly now be toward the top of their agenda now that a manager is in place.
“We’ve been very focused on the managerial search,” Ng said earlier this month. “Mel’s situation will get resolved at some point here.”
▪ As MLB Network’s Jon Morosi first reported, and the Herald has confirmed, the Marlins interviewed Astros executive Oz Ocampo for an assistant general manager position.
A source told the Miami Herald that Ng is “hopeful and confident” Ocampo will join the Marlins organization in the coming days.
This story was originally published October 26, 2022 at 9:17 AM.
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