Schumaker Q&A: Why the Marlins have what it takes

In a recent sit-down with MLB.com at Citi Field, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker answered a wide range of topics, from the culture in the clubhouse to the possibility of seeing his team play in the postseason.

(This interview was conducted before the Marlins-Mets series finale was suspended due to rain on Thursday night.)

MLB.com: Why do you have the team to play in the postseason?

Skip Schumaker: It starts with pitching. Our pitching has been really good even though we’ve had some injuries, and you are only as good as your bullpen. Our bullpen has been excellent all year. We’ve had different guys in the closer’s role. … Our bullpen, for me, has been one of the main reasons why we are here. We have some lefties and righties out there that can match up really well against any lineup.

The game tells you how to win that day. We have the ability to outslug [opposing teams], and we have the ability to play small ball. I love where our team is at. I love how our team has grown this year. That’s what I’m most excited about. Where we started in Spring Training, I felt like we won a game [actually seven]. I know Spring Training stats don’t matter, but you try to build a culture of winning, and we didn’t win many games. So to see where we are at now, it just shows you the kind of growth in our clubhouse.

MLB.com: It’s funny you say that because for the last two months, baseball experts have talked about how you changed the culture. What changed?

Schumaker: Well, it’s not me. Our staff changed it and the guys we acquired. It’s not, like, one guy that did it and helped change a season around. I played for [former Marlins manager] Don Mattingly [with the Dodgers]. He was awesome. I loved him as a manager, but I do know that the staff that is here have some non-negotiables and know what winning looks like. I said that over and over again. Guys are willing to have those tough conversations and then acquire the right players to build that winning sustainable culture.

[General manager] Kim [Ng] acquired Luis Arraez, who has been the catalyst of our offense. We’ve had a healthy Jorge Soler the whole year, and that definitely changes what the lineup looks like. He has become a leader in his own right. The acquisitions that Kim made have been good. A.J. Puk and Josh Bell have been good. I think it has been a combination of things. It’s definitely not me. It’s definitely a group effort.

MLB.com: You just mentioned it, but nobody is talking about the great job Ng has done.

Schumaker: If you think about the offseason, she hired a whole new staff. We had to hire a hitting coach, bench coach, a manager, third-base coach, first-base coach -- the whole thing. It was a transition. I was very lucky she bet on me and bet on the group around me that I helped recommend. I needed to trust the guys around me to help build this thing. The players she acquired are high-character guys. You can’t just acquire talent. Acquiring talent is one thing, but acquiring high-character, hard-working players is another thing. It’s hard to find. She did that.

It was hard to trade Pablo López, I’m assuming. I didn’t know Pablo, but I heard some amazing things about him. But what our team needed was Luis Arraez. I think it was probably a win on both sides, but it started with Arraez.

MLB.com: What has impressed you the most about Arraez? It’s more than just his offense. Everybody talked about how bad his defense was before going to the Marlins. But I think it has improved.

Schumaker: You’re right. The defense has improved. He played a good portion of games at first base last year. So when we acquired him, we had to move him to second. I remember somebody told Luis, the reason you played first is because you were not doing well at second base. I think he has always set out to prove people wrong his whole career, and I think he proved a lot of people wrong this year. He is a good second baseman. … He turns an excellent double play. He works at it. I think the one tool you get better at -- more than any other tool -- is defense. It takes work, and he works. I think that’s the reason why he is such a good second baseman. Now he has solidified himself as an All-Star second baseman.

MLB.com: What has been the most pleasant surprise since you have been the team’s manager?

Schumacker: I don’t want to say it’s a surprise you are playing meaningful games in late September. That’s kind of a tougher question because I don’t know if I’m surprised by anything. It’s meaningful to have a winning season, which we have. But that wasn’t the goal. … The goal was to get into the playoffs and win a World Series. That’s all. I grew up in St. Louis. If you weren’t the last one on the field, it was a disappointing season. That’s ingrained in my head. For me, getting into the playoffs and seeing what happens is a successful season. Hopefully, we are the last one standing.

MLB.com: This is your first year as a big league manager. What’s the biggest thing you didn’t know when you took the job?

Schumaker: How hard it is to send guys [to the Minor Leagues], DFA guys, release guys. I hate that. It’s part of the job, but guys have families to feed, bills to pay. I’ve been part of those conversations [as a player]. It’s hard. I knew I had to be the guy to deliver that information. That's been the most difficult part because I care about these guys. You are around them so much during Spring Training and during the season. They work so hard. It’s not usually a lack of trying or effort. That’s probably the toughest part, because it’s their career and you care so much about them. Having those conversations is tough.

MLB.com: What was the hardest cut you had to make?

Schumaker: They are all hard. I can’t give you one guy that was harder. We’ve sent guys up and down so much this year. [Infielder/outfielder] Garrett Hampson -- he didn’t deserve it a couple of times. It’s part of the business. He had options. To his credit, you didn’t hear any pushback. He knew it was part of the business and what we needed at that time for our team to win.

MLB.com: You have played for a handful of managers. Who was your biggest influence and what did you take from him?

Schumaker: It’s Tony La Russa. I knew in Double-A what to expect in the Major Leagues. What I mean by that is, we’re preparing to help Tony win a World Series. I knew that in Double-A. There was this alignment that they had. "This is the Cardinal way. This is how you do it. This is the way it goes." When I made it to the big leagues, I knew exactly what Tony expected from me. If I didn’t, I was sent down.

There was pressure in Double-A to get a guy over, get a guy in, get the bunt down. My Double-A manager was Mark DeJohn. He was Tony’s bench coach for several years. He knew exactly what Tony needed to help win the World Series. That was ingrained in you as you were going up the system. … What I learned from it was Tony was the leader and he had some non-negotiables and he created this winning, sustainable culture up and down the system. Was he prepared? Absolutely. Did he put the guys in the right situations to help them succeed the most? Absolutely. Did he try to find a competitive edge every single game against the other manager or team? I probably take that the most from him from the dugout. But big picture-wise, he created this culture. … You know when you get to the big leagues, nothing surprises you.

MLB.com: Do you keep in touch with La Russa?

Schumaker: I keep in touch with Tony quite often -- either text message or phone calls. He is texting me all the time about wins or dumb moves I’ve made. Yeah, he is a very special person in my life, and I wouldn't be here without him.

MLB.com: How far can the Marlins go?

Schumaker: The year, 2011, [the Cardinals] made it to the postseason on the last game of the year. We had to beat Houston, and we had to wait to see if the Phillies were going to beat Atlanta to get in. We won, and we were all in the clubhouse the last four innings [of the Phillies-Braves game], and then we saw a double-play ball and then we celebrated. Philly beat Atlanta to face us [in the National League Division Series], and then we beat Philly. Then we went on to win the World Series. My point is, get in the postseason. Anything can happen. Why not us?