Ex-Cardinals Fan Favorite Reportedly 'Strong Candidate' To Be Next White Sox Manager

The former St. Louis slugger's leadership is highly coveted

Jun. 13, 2010; Phoenix, AZ, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman (5) Albert Pujols is congratulated by teammate Skip Schumaker after scoring against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals haven't exactly had the season they'd envisioned before it all started but at least they're not the Chicago White Sox.

White Sox manager Pedro Grifol was fired Thursday afternoon after leading his team to a humiliating 28-89 record and recently tying the American League record for most consecutive losses by a team at 21 straight games lost.

Although the White Sox have appointed 10-year veteran Grady Sizemore to be interim manager, there's uncertainty about what 2025 will hold for the club. Recent speculations indicate that a former St. Louis slugger could be the next skipper for the struggling organization.

"The White Sox’s next managerial hire will definitely be outside the organization and (Miami) Marlins manager Skip Schumaker certainly is a strong candidate, if not the leading candidate," USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported on Thursday.

Schumaker batted .288 with 157 extra-base hits including 23 home runs, 211 RBIs and a .722 OPS throughout eight seasons with the Cardinals, helping the franchise win its eleventh World Series title in 2011 over the Texas Rangers.

The 44-year-old might have been on the verge of replacing Cardinals manager Oli Marmol earlier this season when St. Louis was at one of its lowest points and looked like they were going to repeat last year's tumultuous 71-91 record season.

Now that the Cardinals are in a better spot and are potential contenders it's almost certain that Marmol will return as the Cardinals manager next season, so fans will have to put hopes of reuniting with Schumaker on hold, at least for now.

The former St. Louis homegrown talent already has a National League Manager of the Year award under his belt from his first season as Marlins manager in 2023. Perhaps what's next for Schumaker is winning that same award but in the AL with the worst team in baseball, the White Sox.

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