Destiny is a funny thing. Most of us have contemplated the hypothetical scenario, “What if I am really good at something I have never tried?” For example, I have never tried pottery. What if I tried it now only to determine that I am the best potter that ever lived? Or the more likely case, I never try it, and we never know. The truth is, I believe I was destined to do what I have done in my career and in my life.
Same for the Rangers’ new manager. His given name is Jared Michael Schumaker, but his nickname is Skip. His new job is as the manager of the Texas Rangers. The universal nickname for a manager is Skip. With the name Skip, he had to be a manager, right?
He has some very big shoes to fill. He is replacing a man who will surely be in the Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible. He is the only man to ever take the Rangers all the way to the top. He has been at the helm four times when teams won the World Series. So how do you replace a legend like Bruce Bochy? It won’t be easy, but Skip Schumaker seems to have all the tools necessary to do so.
Moments after his introductory press conference, Skip sat down with my partner on the DLLS Rangers podcast, Jeff Wilson, and me as we tried to get to know the man whose job is to lead the Rangers back to the top.
We found a man who is full of personality, funny, smart, and very serious about the business of baseball. This is a man who has had the rare opportunity to work for the organization for a full year, observing, studying, and wondering what he might do differently if he were in charge. Now he is, and it is time to find out.
First, a little bit about the man. I asked him why he chose the number 55. He told a story of meeting Hall of Fame Manager Tommy Lasorda and Dodger legend Orel Hershiser at a restaurant when he was about five years old. He asked for an autograph and both signed with a note saying, “To a future Dodger.” Decades later, Skip was a Dodger, and he has worn 55 in honor of Hershiser whenever it is available.
Another story from Skip’s youth reveals a lot about his character. When Skip was a student athlete at UC Santa Barbara, he got to play in an alumni game against the best player UCSB has ever produced, Michael Young. Michael greeted him, noting that he had heard Skip had a chance to play big league baseball. Skip demurred, saying he wasn’t big enough or fast enough. Michael looked him in the eyes and said, “In this game, you can believe the people who say you can’t or you can believe the people who say you can.”
Skip never forgot that, and he believed those who said he could. He had an 11-year big league career as a player before following his destiny into coaching. After four years as an assistant coach, he got his first chance to manage with the Florida Marlins in 2023. He led the fish to the playoffs that year and won the award as National League Manager of the Year. Just over two years later, he was named as manager of the Rangers.
His philosophy is easy to remember: CAPE. Communication, Alignment, Preparation, and Execution. He says this is how you create a winning environment. It is every manager’s stated goal to create such an environment, but it is easier said than done. Skip believes in CAPE; it has worked for him before. Who knows, if he provides a cape for everyone in the clubhouse, perhaps they can fly all the way back to the top. Many of them proved in 2023 that they are destined to fly.
