The main message Schumaker has received from Marlins players. And an extra challenge ahead
One of Skip Schumaker’s goals after being hired as the Miami Marlins’ manager in late October was to meet with his new players, explain his goals and get their perspective on where the team stands.
About six weeks into his tenure and six weeks into his meetings, a common theme began to surface — one he hopes will help fuel Miami’s turnaround from its 69-93 finish last season.
“A lot of the players are disappointed in their year, some embarrassed by their season, and are looking to rebound,” Schumaker said Monday. “Motivation is a scary drug, and I think having guys that are upset about their previous year helps a coach because we see some things that can help them and they’re willing to listen. Not being about the year before, there’s not a bad thing about that.”
When asked to pinpoint a player he sees as a candidate for a turnaround season, he didn’t hesitate to say outfielder Avisail Garcia.
Garcia hit just .224 with a .266 OBP and .317 slugging mark in 97 games in 2022, his first year with the Marlins after signing a four-year, $53 million contract.
“Avi is one of those guys that’s not happy about how his season went,” Schumaker said, “and he felt like he wasn’t in shape enough to play a full season and came in not ready like he should have been.”
Garcia last month made it clear that he didn’t play to expectation last season. When speaking at Miami’s annual Thanksgiving food distribution, the outfielder said multiple times that he knows he has to improve.
“It’s not the way you fail. It’s the way you get up,” Garcia said. “I’ve just got to keep working. Keep trying to do your best every single day and learn from failure. We’re humans. It’s going to happen, not only in baseball but in life. The only thing you can control is to prepare yourself and be ready.”
He’s done his part so far this offseason. He’s maintained his end-of-season weight of around 235 pounds and has already begun working with first base/outfield coach Jon Jay.
“The guy is extremely motivated and not real happy about how his season went about,” Schumaker said. “I’m looking forward to see what he looks like in spring.”
Garcia’s first impression of Schumaker?
“He’s a positive guy,” Garcia said. “He played the game for a long time. He knows the game really well. That’s important for me and for the young guys. We have a guy who knows the league and knows how to make you better.”
World Baseball Classic’s impact
As if being a first-time manager wasn’t tough enough, Schumaker will have another obstacle to deal with during his first spring training: The World Baseball Classic.
While the event is a boon for Miami — loanDepot park is hosting in some capacity for every round of the tournament — it could ultimately serve as a disadvantage for the Marlins’ new manager. The event runs concurrently with spring training, so there will be several times during camp when Schumaker won’t be working with his full roster.
“It’s going to be a challenge for a rookie manager because I don’t know the guys yet,” Schumaker said. “You can do a bunch of calls and you can go meet with lunches and dinners and watch videos. But actually getting your eyes on them in a bullpen or a real-game setting, it’s definitely a challenge with the WBC. You’ve got to lean on a lot of the guys that are here and the front office and their takes and watch the WBC. I’m excited that they get to join it, but as a rookie manager, selfishly, why this year? But we have a lot of guys playing in it. Excited for them. Excited for them to come back healthy, that’s number one.”
.JPG)