SURPRISE, Ariz. — Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker was once a utility player (and, in his words, a “train wreck” at second base) before St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa moved him to the infield full time on a team with championship expectations.
“We weren’t trying to not get to the playoffs or win a World Series with Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright on the mound,” Schumaker said Friday morning. “Like, they expected plays to be made, and Tony gave me the shot. ‘Here you go, it’s yours, what are you going to do with it?’”
Schumaker, who broke into the big league as a utility outfielder, turned the chance at an everyday role into 382 games started at second base in a four-year span for the Cardinals that included a championship.
That’s one way to say that Schumaker understands super utility man-turned-second-base-candidate Josh Smith’s current circumstances. Smith has spent the past two seasons as the club’s go-to fill-in man but is now the lead candidate to replace Gold Glove-winner Marcus Semien at second base despite relative inexperience at the position.
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Oh, and for one-to-one translation’s sake, swap out Carpenter and Wainwright for Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom.
“It’s kind of Smitty’s opportunity right now,” Schumaker said. “Go get it, take it, don’t look back.”
Smith has started his first five Cactus League games at second base and played error-free in limited defensive opportunities. He’s played only eight career big league games at second base — half of which came last season — but has started at each infield and outfield position as the club’s super utility man.
“The work has been good,” Schumaker said. “I can live with whatever mistakes are possibly going to happen — and they will — because of how hard he’s working.”
Schumaker acknowledged that infielder Ezequiel Duran is still in contention for the job. Smith, given his experience and track record of offensive success, should be considered the favorite. His ability to produce at the plate beyond just the first half of a season may ultimately determine whether he can be the club’s everyday second baseman for a full campaign.
“I’m looking for him just to take hold of it and force me to play him every single day,” Schumaker said. “Where I have to be like, ‘Gosh, man, how do I not put this guy in the lineup?’”
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