Skip Schumaker had a 11-year career in Major League Baseball as an outfielder and second baseman that spanned from 2004-2014. While he was never a big star, Schumaker established himself as a versatile role player and valuable utility man thanks to his ability to play multiple positions and hit from both sides of the plate. His journeyman career saw him play for five different teams in both the National and American Leagues.
Due to his longevity in the big leagues but lack of superstar status, Schumaker’s baseball cards don’t fetch huge prices on the collector’s market. Cards from his rookie season and time with successful St. Louis Cardinals teams in the late 2000s do carry value for fans and collectors interested in his career. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the key Skip Schumaker baseball cards that trace his MLB tenure.
2005 Topps Rookie Cup #RC84 – Schumaker’s rookie card came in 2005 Topps and bears the #RC84 designation. As his true first card issued after debuting in the majors in 2004, these remain some of the more desirable Schumaker cards for collectors. They carry value due to their rookie status though in lower print runs than stars of that era. Mint condition 2005 Topps RC84 cards in PSA 10 or BGS 9.5 Gem Mint grades have recently sold in the $30-50 range.
2006 Upper Deck #338 – This common issue captures Schumaker in his second MLB season split between the Cardinals and Cubs. Due to larger print runs of the 2006 Upper Deck set, well-centered examples in top grades don’t demand huge premiums over raw card prices in the $3-5 range. Still, it’s an important early card in the player’s collection.
2008 Topps #262 – Schumaker enjoyed increased playing time in 2007-2008 with the Cardinals, including being a member of their 2006 World Series team. His 2008 Topps card shows him in the St. Louis uniform. Middle of the road condition copies sell in the $5-10 range today. An investment grade PSA 10 could fetch $20-30 among dedicated collectors.
2009 Upper Deck #333 – Another action shot card, this time from 2009 Upper Deck. By this point Schumaker was fully entrenched as a valuable utilityman off the Cardinals bench. Common raw cards sell for around $2-5.
2011 Topps Heritage #312 – Jumping ahead a few years, this Heritage reprint design captures Schumaker in a 2010 Cardinals uniform. It was issued in 2011 Topps Heritage, one of the brand’s most popular vintage-styled releases. Middle of the road condition copies can be acquired for $3-5.
2012 Topps #219 – Schumaker’s final season-long stint with St. Louis resulted in this standard 2012 Topps issue. Known for its polyester coating and crisp color renditions, well-centered examples trade hands for $1-3 depending on condition.
2014 Topps Update #US221 – Schumaker split his final MLB season between the Phillies and Reds, with this card reflecting his time in Cincinnati. Update and high number cards can often be acquired quite reasonably for a dollar or less. It provides a nice closing chapter to his playing career collection.
While Schumaker never achieved superstar stats, collectors of 2000s Cardinals squads or just fans of versatility will want to accumulate the key year and uniform issues in their player collections. Condition and scarce investment grade copies carry the most value, but even well-loved lower grade copies can be found quite reasonably to complete his career retrospective in a personal set.
