ST. LOUIS (KMOX) -- Before he officially announced the Cardinals coaching staff for 2022, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak agreed to discuss a widely known addition a day early.
"The secret is out," Mozeliak said on KMOX's Sports on a Sunday Morning.
Skip Schumaker, a world champion in 2011, is coming back to the Cardinals to serve as bench coach after six season in the Padres organization, the last two as associate manager.
"Thrilled about that," Mozeliak said.
The Cardinals also added former Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Reds coach Turner Ward as assistant hitting coach, while retaining the services of Mike Maddux (pitching coach), Bryan Eversgerd (bullpen coach), Jeff Albert (hitting coach), Stubby Clapp (first base coach), Pop Warner (third base coach) and Willie McGee (assistant coach).
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It's a dugout meant to complement new manager Oli Marmol, who served as Mike Shildt's bench coach prior to his own promotion.
Schumaker is the featured piece to the puzzle, having served in a similar role in San Diego.
"When you look at trying to place somebody with OIi, having someone that has some bench experience -- but also a lot of major league experience, not only as a player, but on the coaching side -- I just think it will be a great resource for Oli moving forward," Mozeliak said on KMOX.
Even while Schumaker spent time on the West Coast, it always felt like he was part of the Cardinals family. He's close with former teammates Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina, certainly bringing some familiarity to the clubhouse and front office.
"When we were looking to identify a bench coach, he was one of the first people that came to mind," Mozeliak said, while taking a step further:
"Candidly, even when we had the managerial opening, it was something that I was thinking about."
Now, the man who served in numerous versatile roles in the lineup will be a key leader on the field staff.
"Overall, I think it's someone that's going to pair very well with Oli," Mozeliak said. "Just excited to have him come back."
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