Former Cardinals coach Skip Schumaker demonstrated his reverence for the game

Okay, I'm gonna be real. I just wanted to spend an article talking about Shohei Ohtani's incredible accomplishments in an article. Sadly, I write for a Cardinals site (hey Dodgers Way, I'm looking for work), so I needed to find a Cardinals connection. Somehow, after quite a bit of mental gymnastics, here it is. We wouldn't be here without former Cardinals infielder and former bench coach Skip Schumaker.

As the St. Louis Cardinals are mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, manager Oliver Marmol's days with the team are likely numbered. One likely candidate to replace him could be former bench coach and current Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker. Schumaker won Manager of the Year after improbably leading Miami to its first full-season playoff berth since 2003, and he's a figure beloved both around Major League Baseball and within the Cardinals organization. Last night, on the wrong side of history, he once again showed his class and sportsmanship with regards to Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.

With Ohtani just one homer away from founding the 50-50 club, Schumaker had the opportunity to intentionally walk Ohtani with first base open. However, down 12-3 in the 7th inning, the game was already out of reach for Miami. The Marlins were already eliminated from postseason contention, so a win wouldn't even save their hopes of playing meaningful baseball this year. So, when asked if he'd intentionally walk Ohtani, the Marlins skipper responded bluntly.

[Expletive] that. I've got too much respect for this guy for that [expletive] to happen.

Understanding the moment is a trait many leaders within the Cardinals organization have, and Skip Schumaker is clearly no exception. By allowing Mike Baumann to challenge Ohtani, Schumaker allowed for a moment etched forever in baseball history. Shohei's two-run blast put the exclamation on possibly the greatest single-game performance of all time.

Ohtani would go on to commit an act of two-way player on two-way player violence by clobbering a 2-0 pitch from position player Vidal Brujan into the right field seats in the 9th inning. Sure, it was a bit of a cheap shot, but he finished the game with a whopping 17 total bases, 3 homers, 5 extra-base hits, 10 runs batted in, and 2 stolen bases. He became the first Major League player to accomplish all five of those feats in one career, and he did it all in an afternoon while becoming the first 50-50 player the game has ever seen.

Let's also not forget that Shohei Ohtani plans to pitch next season. It's lost on us fans that this 50-50 season is coming from a starting pitcher rehabbing from major elbow surgery. Just simply by not pitching at an elite level, this miraculous season could be the least impressive since Ohtani's meteoric rise in 2021. How crazy is that? Every night, he seemingly delivers a new accomplishment never before seen in baseball history.

Cardinals fans, you may not be fond of the Dodgers, but as baseball fans we can all appreciate history being made. As the Cardinals' season winds down, keep your eye on LA and on Shohei Ohtani. He's doing something astonishing every single night, and you won't want to miss it. Even in a disappointing season for our hometown team, we should appreciate greatness while it's here. Shohei Ohtani's prime won't last forever. Once it's gone we may never see anything like it again.