Skip Schumaker

You know, it's a tricky spot because you respect the staff so much.

And the last thing that I wanted to be was this helicopter coach where I was just dropping hot takes.

And then why don't you just do this and then leave and go see my family for a week?

And I don't feel like that was the play at all.

But you are in constant communication with certain players that you had before.

Obviously, Jake was one of those, you know, just, you know,

My wife was friends with, is friends with his wife.

And so just trying to, you know, keep him motivated.

And if there was something that was going on, you're just trying to encourage the whole time.

But, you know, the last thing I was going to do is try to tell him, hey, why don't you try to do this while, you know, there's a really good coaching staff that's grinding with him throughout the year.

But I am looking forward to, you know, being with him for 162 this year.

Yeah, you know, it's funny.

I've said this before, and my wife's going to be sick of hearing this, but I'm not very good at sitting home.

So I have problems.

Like, I need something to do every single day.

And she told me right when I retired, like, I'm not your hobby, and so, like, figure it out.

And that's the truth.

And as much as we love each other, like, she knows, like, hey, when's your next road trip?

So I never knew, like when you're playing, you don't set, at least I didn't set out like, oh, my next step is gonna be managing one day.

Like I was just in the moment trying to survive as a player in the major league level, doing everything I could to help a team win as a player.