A dry spell
Slow start doesn’t rattle Schoop
There’s no denying it — this is not the start Jonathan Schoop envisioned for himself when he joined the Milwaukee Brewers via trade last week.
The second baseman has started every game since he was acquired for Jonathan Villar and a pair of minor-leaguers last Tuesday, five in all, but has next to nothing to show for his efforts to date.
While he did collect a single in the 11th inning of the Brewers’ 5-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Sunday at Miller Park, Schoop finds himself hitting just .095 (2 for 21) with no extra-base hits and 10 strikeouts.
Schoop’s performance has done nothing to quiet those fans who were questioning why the team acquired him in the first place. But it’s nothing that’s even come close to rattling the 26-yearold so far.
“You’ve got to remind yourself that you’re good,” he said. “That’s why they got you over here – because you’re good. You don’t have to impress nobody. You know what you can do; it’s just a matter of focusing and going out there and helping the team.
“I know I can do it and I’m going to keep working hard and go out there and do what I love to do, and that’s play baseball.”
It’s been a whirlwind first week for Schoop.
The Brewers traded for him last Tuesday, while he was in New York with the Baltimore Orioles. Early Wednesday morning he hopped a cross-country flight to Los Angeles, where he found himself in the starting lineup against the Dodgers and good friend and exBaltimore teammate Manny Machado.
Schoop went 0 for 5 in his Milwaukee debut and 0 for 3 the next night. He went 0 for 4 in his home debut Friday before finally singling in the first inning Saturday, not long after manager Craig Counsell guaranteed he’d collect his first hit.
On Sunday he opened by grounding into a 6-4-3 double play, flew out to left and then struck out twice before capping his day by singling to right in the 11th. Schoop also committed an error at second base, his second since joining the team.
Schoop was signed as an international free agent by the Orioles in 2008 and he’d spent his entire career with Baltimore and in the American League prior to the trade, so some struggles in the early going could almost have been expected.
But on a team with playoff aspirations and plenty of talent throughout the infield, the expectations are big and the microscope more intense.
“I think the first couple of games I tried to do too much,” he said, “It’s the first time I’m facing guys, you know what I mean? I’ve got to get looks at them. But this is not the time to get frustrated. You have to go out there and perform and help the team.
“I’m just going out there and trying to compete and help the team and I hope I can get it going soon.”
Never one to panic when presented a small sample size, Counsell is confident that Schoop will produce as expected over the long run.
“He hasn’t gotten the big results yet,” Counsell said. “He’s going to swing the bat and we’re going to get good action sometimes. He hasn’t gotten the home run or the extra-base hits yet that he’s going to get.
“He’ll be a big contributor.” Schoop joined the Brewers in the midst of a personal hot streak that saw him earn player of the week honors in the American League for July 23-29 after homering in five consecutive games.
He overcame a horrible start to the season — Schoop was hitting just .197 at the open of July before riding a nearly monthlong hot streak to up his season totals to .244 with 17 home runs and 44 runs batted in.
Schoop also has quite the track record to fall back on. He earned his first all-star nod last season when he hit .293 with 32 homers and 105 RBI, and he’s a career .259 hitter with 106 homers to his credit since breaking into the major leagues in 2013.
Those are the numbers that pop to mind for Schoop during times like these.
“I’ve been the best player in the league and I’ve been the worst player in the league,” he said. “This isn’t the first time I’ve gone 0 for 15, and it won’t be the last time, either. You know what I mean? I’ve just got to get my work in and enjoy myself.
“I’ve got a good group of guys around me and this team is all about winning. Go out and compete and play the game and do whatever you can do. If you’re 0 for 4 with four strikeouts you can make an impact on defense or with something else.
“When the game starts, it’s time to focus on winning.”