Cards agree to two-year deal with Skip Schumaker

ST. LOUIS, Mo., December 12, 2011 - The St. Louis Cardinals announced tonight that they have agreed to terms with infielder/outfielder Skip Schumaker on a two-year contract for 2012 and 2013.

Schumaker, 31, has been a member of the Cardinals organization since 2001 when he was drafted out of the University of California-Santa Barbara.   He owns a career batting mark of .290 with 22 home runs and 183 RBI in 703 games, batting over .300 for three-straight seasons from 2007-2009.

Schumaker hit .283 this past season in 117 games, including a .299 mark after the All-Star break that featured a team-best .350 average during the month of July.  He appeared in 11 games during the postseason, batting .381 (8-for-21) with the game-winning RBI in the team's 1-0 win over Philadelphia in the decisive Game 5 of the Division Series

The left-handed-hitting Schumaker came up through the organization as an outfielder, but made the conversion to everyday second baseman in 2009, helping the Cardinals to the N.L. Central title that year.   He made 89 starts at second base this season and five starts in the outfield.

The Cardinals also announced this evening that they did not tender a 2012 contract offer to infielder Ryan Theriot.  Theriot thus becomes a free agent.