The Cardinals have decided to give outfielder Skip Schumaker a full-bore crack at winning the job at second base, where he is spending all his defensive time in Florida.
Schumaker, working daily with coaches Jose Oquendo and Joe Pettini, is gradually becoming more comfortable with his new spot, although he knows he is not yet playing instinctively. "I'm still thinking," Schumaker said. "There's just a lot more going on in the infield than the outfield. In the outfield, you just worry about who the cutoff man is, pretty much. Here, you're looking at all the signs (manager) Tony (La Russa) gives and Jose and Joe give.
"So I've got a lot going on, and I know that coming in. I knew it was going to take a lot of work, but I'm ready for it."
Schumaker made his first two starts without incident in the field and also had three hits in those games. Meanwhile, infielder Brendan Ryan, considered a candidate for the at least semi-regular duty at the position, continued to suffer from tendinitis in his right wrist and wasn't able to swing the bat.
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