- 2 hours ago
Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker joined the K&C Masterpiece before today’s matchup with the Rockies. Schumaker discussed the huge 10-0 win yesterday, Kumar Rocker’s phenomenal outing, Josh Smith’s recovery, Corey Seager’s 10-day IL timeline, the freezing weather in Colorado, and more.
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00:00And right now, brought to you by Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Trajan Wealth, it is the Texas Rangers manager, Skip
00:06Schumacher. Good morning, sir.
00:08How you doing?
00:09We're doing well. I know you like to crunch the numbers, so I have some analytical numbers that I have
00:15put together for you that I think you're going to be excited to hear. Are you ready?
00:20I'm ready. Let's go.
00:21All right. The last two Tuesdays before you were coming on the show, the team is 2-0 and have
00:28outscored their opponents 17-4.
00:30And then the last three Wednesdays when you were on our show, the team has won all three games.
00:37So I just want to say you're welcome.
00:41So I should be on the show more often is what I need to be doing.
00:44That's what I hear, too.
00:45We love you. We'll take you every day. Yeah, absolutely.
00:48I'll do whatever it takes to win a game. I'm there.
00:49Okay. All right. I like it now.
00:52That's my manager right there.
00:52Exactly. Outside of baseball, perhaps most importantly, per his wife's Instagram story, Josh Smith, back at home.
01:00How is he doing?
01:03Yeah. I mean, what a rough couple weeks it's been for this kid.
01:06You know, not only from kind of the injury that he had and then going to the wrist inflammation that
01:13he was going through,
01:14coming back from the hip glute injury during his progression.
01:19And then obviously the meningitis is just absolutely horrible for him and his young family.
01:24So he's back at home, which is great.
01:27But yeah, he was, you know, in the hospital and kind of bedridden there for about a week.
01:32And but now he's, you know, just text back and forth every day.
01:36Feels a lot better and good to be back home.
01:39I like that. Thank you very much for sharing that update.
01:41I think you kind of talked about this last night, but for the people that missed it was last night's
01:46pitching set up as simple as rocker has struggled in the first inning.
01:50Was there more to it? And how how did that go over when you just kind of explained, hey, we're
01:55going to try opener.
01:56Have you out there in the second?
01:58Yeah, you know, the coaching staff in the front office kind of huddled up together and try to figure out
02:02different ways to win every day.
02:04This is not just a rocker thing.
02:06This is just lineup pitching bullpen.
02:09And, you know, we're all kind of collaborative and aligned and how we want to get through this.
02:13And, you know, based on health and, you know, production, all of it combined.
02:18And, you know, just looking at rocker and trying to figure out how to get him better.
02:22How are we going to win games when he's on the mound?
02:24All of it is, you know, on the table when we're looking at, you know, matchups, you know, going into
02:29the next series.
02:30And the first inning on the road in general has hasn't been great.
02:34Right. So what do we do to, you know, help rocker in his process, not only to start maybe moving
02:41forward,
02:41just coming out of the bullpen, help better.
02:43We're going all through, you know, a number of different scenarios.
02:46So we decided on an opener, let rocker come in.
02:49Maybe that changes up his process.
02:51And my goodness, it'll work yesterday.
02:53So, yeah, it was really, really good to see.
02:54Yeah. Well, and considering, you know, you had to expel your bullpen a lot in the first game,
03:00him going as deep as he did was absolutely wonderful.
03:03How badly did you want him to get that last out there?
03:07I know. I know.
03:08We had a bullpen game that we didn't know we were going to have.
03:11So and in Colorado, right, like those are like the two worst case scenarios of all time.
03:17And for him to and then we're going to have an opener the following day.
03:21So there's a lot of things happening.
03:23So we needed rocker to at least go five.
03:26That was the goal.
03:27And then for him to go seven and then into the eight.
03:30And then he emptied the take.
03:32I don't know if you remember the second to last pitch of his outing.
03:36It was like 95, you know, kind of gripped it and ripped it and barely missed.
03:40I thought that was going to be the strike three, punch out the side and kind of celebrate with him.
03:44So, yeah, definitely wanted that last out.
03:46But he did more than enough to get us through that game.
03:49I was kind of curious if you can kind of open this up a little bit for us.
03:54I've watched his teammates just as they got to the mound.
03:57It looked like it was all this.
03:58You did great today for us.
04:00Can you kind of talk about what that conversation is like up there?
04:05Yeah, that's exactly what it was, what he did for his teammates.
04:08I wanted to make sure he heard that for me and his teammates also heard that together.
04:13It wasn't just an individual conversation because that was real.
04:16And sometimes when you're an everyday player, you don't realize, you know, you know, the bullpen and the usage.
04:22And, you know, we're kind of on edge a little bit as a staff on how much you use them,
04:26especially in the altitude and in Colorado and, you know, multiple innings on multiple days.
04:30And we needed our starter to go.
04:32And I don't know if position players really understand the gravity of it.
04:36I definitely didn't when I was a player.
04:38So when that stuff like that happens, I want to make sure that they hear it as well.
04:41Yeah, that was a really cool moment.
04:43I do want to know, though, what is the lowest temperature baseball should be played at?
04:47And should you ever see your breath on a baseball field?
04:51I've played in the snow before.
04:53I mean, that's when you're, like, so grateful that you have a dome at home for different weather conditions.
05:00But, yeah, I mean, opening day in St. Louis before, it was, you know, we had snow flurry.
05:04So I think there should always be at least like a, I don't know, a shed or something where guys
05:11can go underneath and sit in where there's at least heaters and stuff.
05:14In Colorado, there's just a bullpen with, like, one heater that barely works.
05:19And even in Boston, too, I mean, there's some bullpens that just don't have any places where you can go
05:24underneath and, you know, kind of close the door and be ready for you to, you know, outing whenever it
05:28is two hours later.
05:29So you're out there, you know, freezing, you know, the bullpen guys especially.
05:33I would love to hear a broadcaster have to be like, well, Tyler Alexander will be coming to the bullpen
05:40from the warming shed.
05:42So we'll, I just, I think that would be incredible.
05:46Now, I want to talk more about last night's game, but I also want to get your philosophy because it's
05:51not been a one-off.
05:53Kind of thinking back to Monday's game, how frustrating is it when it seems like it was the defense that
05:59got you beat?
06:01Yeah, it's tough because, you know, these guys care.
06:04The care factor is way up there.
06:06They work, you know, Rags is out there early with, you know, multiple guys doing individual work and teamwork on
06:13the defensive side.
06:14And so you prepare as best you can for those types of plays.
06:17And then, you know, when they're not executed during the game, it's absolutely frustrating.
06:23To say it's frustrating for me, yeah, of course.
06:25But it's way more frustrating for the player because they know that they're giving up, you know, extra outs, which
06:30create extra runs, which create extra pitches for the pitchers.
06:33So it's definitely challenging.
06:36Kudos to, you know, our players that they stand up and they hold themselves accountable.
06:42They know that, you know, they got to be better and they're going to try to do whatever they can
06:46to be better.
06:47So they don't hide from it.
06:48I absolutely respect that about them.
06:51And my guess is the next four or five months, they'll be a lot better than what, you know, the
06:55first couple of first six weeks have been.
06:57I like hearing your hope that that and your guess that that we've experienced some sterling defense the last few
07:04years from this team.
07:05And that's been, you know, one of the things you can hang your hat on.
07:07I see you out there and your crew out there doing that work.
07:11You're hitting ground balls with those guys.
07:13You're paying attention to those details.
07:14Do you think it's more of a mental thing or a physical athleticism thing?
07:19And when it comes down to, is it just more mental or physical?
07:23Well, I think it's a combination.
07:25I think you get your position, you position yourself sometimes to make really good plays and also to make errors.
07:31And some of these plays that you're, you're, they're making errors on.
07:34It's the read.
07:35So sometimes you shouldn't be charging it or you should be, you know, kind of going behind and drop stepping
07:40or whatever the case may be.
07:42So a lot of the times it's the read.
07:44So I don't, I don't think it's the athletic ability.
07:46The mental part, you could probably say a little bit just because it's the read.
07:51But it's not like the lack of work or lack of talent.
07:54It's just kind of getting the ground balls and getting in the in-between hop will always kill you.
07:58We've talked a lot with you already about the defensive ability and versatility of Ezekiel Duran.
08:04And, but not just last night, but the season as a whole, it feels like his offensive game has been
08:11a revelation for a lineup that quite frankly, at times has needed it.
08:16We have, and we, you know, we've put him at the top, we've put him at the middle, we've put
08:19him at the bottom.
08:21He's, you know, the energy he brings.
08:23I mean, you guys have seen it for years.
08:24This is my first time being with him every single day.
08:26And it is an absolute treat and joy to have him around, especially a day like today, a couple of
08:32night games and freezing weather.
08:34And then a day game, you know, right after, and he's already bouncing off the walls in there.
08:38So that's what you need, those types of players.
08:40And from an everyday player, you rarely see that type of energy every day.
08:45And it's just hard to do.
08:47And he does, he brings it.
08:48He loves playing baseball.
08:49And that's the thing that matters the most to me is like the guys that love playing the games, you
08:54know, through success and failure.
08:56And he's going to bring the same type of energy every single day.
08:59And he produces.
09:00That's also, obviously, we need that.
09:03And he's been doing that for us.
09:04How cool has it been to see the production of, not that you don't want all of your players to
09:08succeed, of course, but Justin Foscue.
09:11I know it's early for him in the season, but he got a couple of opportunities the past couple of
09:18years.
09:18Didn't really work out.
09:19I know a lot of folks had maybe kind of given up on him.
09:22How satisfying is that to see that he has been able to really contribute to this team?
09:28Yeah, he has.
09:29And, you know, he had a chance to make the team out of spring training.
09:31And then he had, you know, the hamstring injury that hurt him and missed a few weeks.
09:35So he had to go down to AAA and kind of knock the door down to get his chance up
09:40here.
09:40And because of a few injuries, he's getting his chance.
09:43And, you know, a lot of guys, it's a young man's game.
09:46You know, nowadays you're seeing 19 and 20-year-olds, you know, playing, you know, on TV, it seems like
09:52every day.
09:55However, it's okay to take a little bit longer to develop also.
09:58And some guys come up at 25 and 26 and have to take some extra time to learn how to
10:03play the game the right way at this level to produce.
10:06And he just took a little bit longer, and that's okay.
10:09And he has absolutely demolished left-handed pitching in the minor leagues.
10:12We still think he's going to do that up at the big league level.
10:15He's getting his shot against some right-handers as well.
10:18And he's playing good defense.
10:19So, yeah, I'm really happy for him.
10:21It'd be easy to, you know, kind of woe is me because he didn't send back down to AAA.
10:25But he didn't do that, and he's shown that, you know, I'm ready to be a big leaguer.
10:29Not necessarily just y'all or just the Rangers in general, but you mentioned, like, 25, 26.
10:35Do you feel like that's kind of the age where some teams are like, yeah, you're a prospect who will
10:40never live up to your potential?
10:43I don't know.
10:43Not for me because that's when I got called up.
10:46There you go.
10:47I needed those extra seasons.
10:50I needed those extra bats.
10:51I needed to learn how to hit off a left-handed pitcher.
10:54I needed to learn, you know, different positions to be successful to help a team win up here.
10:59It's different if you're not trying to win and you're in a rebuild mode or whatever in different organizations.
11:05But when you're in an organization that is trying to win and get to the playoffs year after year,
11:10the manager wants you if you're going to help him win.
11:13That's the thing about, you know, for me, and that's how Tony was down in St. Louis.
11:18So that's how I kind of work, and it just takes guys a little more time, and that's okay as
11:25long as you help us win.
11:26I was just kind of curious on Corey and him being out for this period of time.
11:31Is this going to take, like, this time to adjust his swing and make little things happen, like do a
11:37little bit of work,
11:38or is this a, hey, you need to just detox everything about your muscle memory and let everything you've worked
11:45on go
11:45and then see if it comes back fresher?
11:48What do you feel is the best approach there?
11:51Well, I think it's probably both because you can't swing for the first couple days, right,
11:56because of the lower back kind of injury.
11:59So that part is probably not a bad thing for a lot of players.
12:03And then, you know, when he comes back, my guess in the next couple days is he'll be, you know,
12:09doing what he needs to do to get back and ready to play.
12:12Like, again, Corey is one – I've said it a million times.
12:16I'm going to continue to say it.
12:17He is one of the best hitters in the big leagues.
12:19And when he gets hot, he's going to carry us for months at a time.
12:24And I'm looking forward to when he gets hottest.
12:26And, listen, when you're in a slump, it just means you're going to get really hot.
12:30That's the mindset that I believe you have to have.
12:33And I definitely know Corey is just, you know, going to have that when he gets back from the injury
12:37list.
12:37This is his fourth time on the I.L. since the beginning of last season.
12:41Do you have to use any extra caution to make sure he's ready to come back when he says he
12:47is?
12:48Yeah, you know what's crazy is we, you know, we had off days circled for him coming up.
12:53So, we had these planned off days and then this came up literally the day before the off day that
12:59we had planned for him.
13:01So, yeah, we have different ways to, you know, try to help, you know, Corey be, you know, in the
13:07lineup every day and kind of monitor it.
13:09He wants to play every day.
13:11I mean, good players, they want to play every day because, you know, they help us win games.
13:16And we are better when Corey Seager is in the lineup, obviously.
13:19So, but, yeah, I definitely have to, you know, we talk almost daily of, you know, how is he feeling
13:24and, you know, when's kind of the next off day that I want?
13:28Because the player is not going to typically come up to you and say, I need an off day.
13:32So, it's up to the manager and the coaching staff to try to circle some days to help him, you
13:37know, still feel fresh.
13:38And that's not just him.
13:39That's every guy on our team.
13:40And, Skip, I just want to make sure, you know, I know he can't swing right now.
13:44I just imagine Corey Seager is the kind of guy that rolls out of bed and his feet are already
13:48in his stance.
13:49And, like, he just does little things like that throughout the day that are always tweaking his swing.
13:54That's just, in my mind, that's just how Corey Seager's brain works.
13:58It's how most major leaguers work.
14:00I'm still doing it, right?
14:02My wife is like, you know, you're cooking a steak on the grill.
14:04And I'm in my batting stance with the freaking, you know.
14:07So, that just never leaves, unfortunately.
14:10And I was a terrible hitter.
14:12So, I mean, I think that's just what everybody does.
14:15And just, you know, it's just kind of mental reps.
14:18The baller's ball, Kevin.
14:19Does the steak ever turn out not perfectly and you act like the grill is the ump and you're like,
14:24come on.
14:25There's no way that was a strike.
14:28No, I mean, there's one thing I can do is I can cook the steak.
14:31That's not going to disrupt the steak.
14:32All right.
14:33We're going to put him to the test.
14:34Okay, I like that.
14:35I would love that.
14:35Any updates?
14:37I know he said he was feeling okay about McKenzie Gore.
14:42Too early to say if he'll be able to go on Sunday or what is the update there?
14:46Yeah, he, I haven't seen him yet today.
14:49It's, the buses are just now arriving.
14:52But yesterday was a really good day.
14:55Everything checked out.
14:56He feels good.
14:57So, you know, I'm not going to announce anything just yet.
14:59But it's trending in the right direction.
15:02All right.
15:02Well, y'all are trending in the right direction because three straight wins
15:05when you've been on with us.
15:06So, let's go ahead and make that four today.
15:09I'm totally okay with that.
15:11Let's go.
15:11I'm in.
15:12Thank you very much, good sir.
15:13Appreciate it.
15:14All right.
15:14Thanks, guys.
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