Introduction to Skip Schumaker, the New Texas Rangers Manager
New Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker joined The Dallas Morning News’ SportsDay Rangers podcast with longtime beat reporter Evan Grant and Rangers senior advisor and team historian John Blake.
They discussed how he’s attacking his new job with the Rangers, what makes him tick and his side of the 2011 World Series as a member of the Cardinals.
Here are some highlights of the conversation, edited lightly for clarity.
You can listen to the full conversation here.
Rangers
Getting to Know Skip Schumaker
What has it been like since you were actually named Rangers manager?
Skip Schumaker: It’s been great. A lot of interviews, not only in-house interviews, but external coaching candidate interviews, a lot of conversations with our players. I haven’t finished that yet, still ongoing. There’s a lot of players on that 40-man roster. So trying to make sure that I, not only either give them a call or meet with them at their house or a coffee, whatever it is, trying to be intentional about that, but just really trying to get the coaching staff dialed in and really take our time with that. But everything else has been good but it’s been a lot of a lot of conversations and Zoom calls.
Comparing Experiences: Marlins vs. Rangers
How different has this experience been than the first time you got hired as manager with the Marlins?
Schumaker: I think the first time around is a little different because, Miami, we didn’t win a ton of games before I got there, right? I mean, there’s a lot of things that we needed to do to make sure we cleaned some stuff up. I only kept a couple guys. And there was a lot of new hires. There was a lot of new position titles that we could create to make sure we got some guys here, where in Texas, there’s been a very, very healthy foundation set already, a lot of good coaches, lot of good people around here, a lot of really good coaches down in the minor leagues that we got to make sure that we have conversations with to make sure we’re getting this thing right. Where in Miami, there was so much turnover that it was a much different scenario.
A Unique Experience: Spending a Year as a Special Advisor
Spending the last year as a special advisor with the Rangers before taking over as manager is a very unique experience for a new manager stepping in.
Schumaker: It is, and very lucky to have it. Honestly, I got to meet a lot of people. There’s managers right now that just got the job, that are meeting a lot of these guys for the first time. I got to do it for seven, eight months, which I’m very, very grateful for, during a season when you can really see the personalities of coaches, players, R&D, front office. That’s when it really comes out. When there’s some good moments in the season, there’s some bad moments in the season, and you can really start seeing real personalities, not just the interview personalities, where you’re getting the best version of everybody. So I think, very fortunate to see what the leadership looks like here, and what the minor league system looks like here. I got to spend a lot of time with [Rangers farm director Josh] Bonifay and just certain things that I would not be able to do in a one-week interview process with other organizations. So it was very unique, but very grateful for it. So you can kind of hit the ground running.
The Pitching Staff: Looking Forward
With Mike Maddux on the way out, how do you feel about the way the pitching staff will go forward based off what it accomplished in 2025?
Schumaker: Yeah, a lot of really good pitchers, obviously, in that rotation when healthy, one of the most dominant pitching staffs in the league. There were some guys that were injured last year, unfortunately, at the very beginning that ended up coming back healthy, like Tyler Mahle for instance. And then you had some really incredible seasons, like Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom’s comeback year, Jack Leiter really showed what he’s capable of doing. I think he’s just scratching the surface. So there’s a lot of credit due to the pitching department, honestly, of having these guys mature underneath their leadership. And so I’m really excited where it’s at. The bullpen, obviously, there’s a lot of turnover last year, and there might be some this year. I mean, it’s just reality, a lot of free agents. Our front office did an amazing job of piecing it together and getting some guys that really fit, and they were very creative in putting that together and anticipating probably doing a similar type of offseason of creating a really good bullpen with different arm angles and matchups that are really beneficial to our staff. But as far as the pitching department, yeah, Mike was really good. Obviously, I had him. I was with him in St Louis. He had a really good, successful run here as well. And part of this game is it’s tough to keep everybody and hold on to everybody, coaching- or player-wise, it’s just the reality of the business. But we feel really good where we’re at right now in the pitching department, not a ton is going to change. We’re just going to add to what is already a really good situation.
Reflections on the 2011 World Series
As a member of the 2011 Cardinals, what about Game 6 do you remember most?
Schumaker: It was such an evenly matched World Series. I mean, it was like, the bench guys were really good, the bullpen guys were really good, the starting pitching was good, you had superstars on each side. I mean, it was so much fun to be part of, but a lot of us thought it was over, quite honestly. You had the best closer in the game against us with, towards the top of the order coming up, but it was something that, we were so unsure of that Tony La Russa said, “Hey, make sure that you stick around and thank the fans. Don’t just go inside the clubhouse, and that’s it. This was an incredible run. Just make sure you’re out here and thank the fans.” I mean, that’s where we where we were at the beginning of the inning. We never heard Tony say that before. I promise you, he’s going to tell you that didn’t happen, but it did. Then all of a sudden it was, you guys know the story, and yeah, pretty incredible.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, Skip Schumaker is excited to take on his new role as the manager of the Texas Rangers. With his experience as a special advisor and his time with the Marlins, he is confident in his ability to lead the team to success. The pitching staff is looking strong, and Schumaker is eager to build on the foundation that has been established. As a member of the 2011 Cardinals, he has a unique perspective on the game and is grateful for the opportunity to share his insights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Skip Schumaker’s experience as a manager?
A: Skip Schumaker has previously managed the Miami Marlins and has also served as a special advisor for the Texas Rangers.
Q: How does Schumaker feel about the pitching staff?
A: Schumaker is excited about the pitching staff, citing the talented rotation and the creative approach to building a strong bullpen.
Q: What is Schumaker’s most memorable moment from the 2011 World Series?
A: Schumaker
