Skip Schumaker

Infobox MLB player
name=Skip Schumaker


width=200
position=Outfield
team=St. Louis Cardinals
number=55
bats=Left
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1980|2|3
debutdate=June 8
debutyear=2005
debutteam=St. Louis Cardinals
statyear=August 22, 2008
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.304
stat2label=Hits
stat2value=210
stat3label=Doubles
stat3value=33
stat4label=Home runs
stat4value=11
stat5label=Runs batted in
stat5value=64
stat6label=Slugging percentage
stat6value=.417
teams=
*St. Louis Cardinals (by|2005-present)

Jared Michael "Skip" Schumaker (born February 3, 1980 in Torrance, California) is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Biography

Schumaker graduated from Aliso Niguel High School [ [http://stlcardinals.scout.com/a.z?s=321&p=8&c=1&nid=3488989 Schumaker player profile page at stlcardinals.scout.com] ] before a short, two-year career at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In by|2001, his only year with regular playing time, Schumaker had 100 total hits for a batting average of an even .400, while achieving 41 RBI. During this year, he was selected in the 5th round of the amateur draft by the Cardinals, and elected not to return to college for a final year.

Schumaker spent the remainder of 2001 with the short-season New Jersey Cardinals, and in by|2002 he had 158 hits for the Potomac Cannons. His minor-league career advanced from Single-A in by|2003, when he was promoted to the Tennessee Smokies, where he spent two full seasons. A .316 batting average in by|2004 was enough to give him a shot with the Cardinals during spring training in by|2005.

After spending the first two months of the season in Memphis, Schumaker made his major-league debut on June 8 against the Boston Red Sox at Busch Stadium. Schumaker entered the game as a pinch-hitter for the pitcher, Chris Carpenter, and was struck out by David Wells. Schumaker remained with the club until June 14, failing to pick up a hit in five at bats.

Schumaker was given a second spell in St. Louis on injury cover on August 10, and picked up his first major-league hit two days later in a pinch-hit appearance against the Chicago Cubs. He returned to Memphis following the August 14 game, with one hit in his eight games as a major-league hitter. On September 8, 2005, Schumaker went over into the stands and made a great catch. [http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/multimedia/tp_archive.jsp?c_id=stl&ym=200509] Schumaker hit his first Major League home run on April 5, by|2006, in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Schumaker had his most successful season in by|2007, batting .333 in 177 at bats. His 2007 success and a strong spring training won him the starting left field position and the leadoff spot on Opening Day, by|2008.

Schumaker has proven to be a very capable lead-off hitter and a very strong defensive outfielder with an above-average arm. Skip has been a great addition to the top of the Cardinal lineup in 2008. Historically, he had six hits in seven at bats against the New York Mets on July 26th, the first Cardinal to do so since Terry Moore against the Boston Braves on September 5, 1935. Combined, Schumaker and his teammate, Albert Pujols, were the first pair of Cardinals to hit five or more hits each since Charley Gelbert and Taylor Douthit against the Chicago Cubs on May 16, 1930. [ [http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20080726&content_id=3200965&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=stl] Game recap for July 26th, 2008]

References

External links

* [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7567 ESPN.com Player Card] - "Career statistics and analysis"
* [http://www.minorleaguesplits.com/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?pl=435401 Minor League Splits and Situational Stats]
* [http://stlcardinals.scout.com/a.z?s=321&p=8&c=1&nid=3488989 Schumaker player profile page at stlcardinals.scout.com]