The Rally Squirrel darts between Skip Schumaker’s legs during the 2011 NLDS at Busch Stadium. UPI/Bill Greenblatt
The Los Anegles Times first reported that Skip Schumaker was being traded by the Cardinals to the Dodgers. What the Cardinals get in return is not known yet. Skip will be 33 by Spring Training and he hit .276 with a .339 on-base percentage in 107 games in 2012 and is a .288 career hitter. Dylan Hernandez, the L.A. Times reporter noted that former Cardinals hitting coach Mark McGwire pushed the team to acquired Schumaker.
Skip is from Torrance, which is an L.A. suburb and he played college ball at Cal-Santa Barbara, so it will be a homecoming for the So. Cal kid.
I remember hearing a Schumaker story just before the 2009 season when he made the move from outfield to infield.
After the 2008 season, Tony La Russa had a hot shot centerfielder in Colby Rasmus he needed to make room for on the big league roster and the team called Schumaker and told him that if he wanted a spot on the roster, he’d have to become a second baseman. That night, Schumaker called his dad and they went out to a field, in the rain and his dad started hitting him ground balls. That first year at second Schumaker made just nine errors.