Milwaukee Brewers: Why Is New 2B Jonathan Schoop Struggling?
Johnathan Schoop is not in a tragic slump. He is not struggling. It is just a slow start. The Milwaukee Brewers fans ran out of patience with the 2018 trade deadline acquisition too quickly.
The young second baseman from Curacao has not been in a Milwaukee Brewers uniform for two weeks yet, and fans are already upset.
Brewers Manager Craig Counsell hopes everyone would just “relax.”
Brewers fans usually provide a soft landing spot for trade and free agent acquisitions. Milwaukee does not have a reputation for having quick-tempered fans like Philadelphia and most other big markets.
Mike “Moose” Moustakas has not exactly hit the cover off of the ball since being picked up just before the 2018 trade deadline. Perhaps, the video of Moose buying a sharpie at a store to autograph a boy’s hat and shirt endeared him to fans more quickly.
Milwaukee Brewers fans’ short leash with Jonathan Schoop is not a racial thing. The issue is not fun to talk about, but the current social/political climate and the location demands it.
However, Milwaukee Brewers fans fell in love with some recent minority players such as Bill Hall, Carlos Gomez, and Nyjer “T-Plush” Morgan, not to mention Prince Fielder.
Jonathan Schoop journey to the Milwaukee Brewers
Maybe Schoop’s sudden appearance has something to do with Brewers fans’ quick negative reaction to his mini-slump. Would it help if more fans in Milwaukee knew Schoop’s backstory?
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He is a smart guy. He speaks four languages. That being said, Schoop is not exactly the basic blue-chip college kid that got drafted and developed by a team.
He started playing baseball at the age of four and worked his way to the big leagues from the small island of Curacao.
“I used to come to this field at 10:00 a.m. and leave at 10:00 p.m.” Schoop recalls of his youth.
Curacao remains important to Schoop. He won the 2004 Little League World Series with his teammates for his homeland. He also represented them in the World Baseball Classic in 2013 and 2017. Every year, Schoop returns home to work with kids.
What influence do Milwaukee Brewers fans have?
Brewers fans probably do not have the most influence on Schoop’s early struggles with the team at the plate (3-26, 12K, 0 HR) and in the field (4 errors). Most of that is in Schoop’s head. And the sample size is very small. Schoop will get it going eventually.
Brewers fans do, however, have an influence on the future. Milwaukee is a small market that is known as a haven for some players from small towns or athletes with relatively sensitive egos.
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Brewers General Manager David Stearns will have an easier time recruiting free agents to Milwaukee if the city remains known for being loyal to players. If Brewers fans start giving players short leashes like they have done early on with Schoop, it could have a small, albeit, partial influence on the organization’s desirability as a landing spot.