SAN DIEGO — Skip Schumaker, sitting behind the microphone during his first Winter Meetings appearance as the manager of the Miami Marlins, stopped and considered how his Cardinals reunion helped secure this opportunity.
“I learned a lot,” Schumaker said about his one-and-done season as Cardinals manager Oli Marmol’s bench coach. “I learned a lot about not micromanaging. Oli was not a micromanager. He let the coaches that he hired coach. I didn't know Oli on a personal level until he hired me. I knew right away that if you're going to spend the most time with somebody, you've got to really like them and be on the same page. And Oli and I were on the same page. My weaknesses were his strengths, and vice versa. I think that's why it worked so well. But the (not) micromanaging was probably the number one thing that I took away. It was like, we hired you to coach. Coach. Do it well, and we'll see what happens. And that's what Oli did. That's what I took away from most of it.”
Two seasons ago, Schumaker was calling this city home as first base coach of the Padres. Last season he rejoined the Cardinals as first-year manager Marmol’s right-hand man. And now he was back here in San Diego, putting his stamp on the Marlins as they aim to become more competitive in the loaded National League East.
