Remembering Jon Schemmel

May 1, 2008   ·   Patrick Hickey, Jr.   ·   Jump to comments

The 2006 Clones weren’t a team known for their offensive prowess, so a guy like Jon Schemmel, who hit consistently over .270 for most of his lone season in Brooklyn isn’t someone that would necessarily stand out as a solid ball player. Nonetheless, Schemmel was a fun guy to watch and formed a very solid double play combination with Luis Rivera.

Over the course of that season, Schemmel proved that he should be in High-A or Double-A with the consistency and maturity he showed at the plate and with the glove. Not possessing blazing speed, Schemmel had a strong arm and hustled his way to balls that most people would never think he’d get to. On a team as mediocre offensively as the ‘Clones were in ’06, defense played a vital role in their overall success. Without a doubt, Schemmel was one of the best defensive players on the team and played a crucial role in their turnaround after a miserable start.

Hitting .257 with 18 RBI for the Mets Single-A affiliate in 2006, Schemmel was ironically one of the team’s best hitters. He moved runners over a bunch and had 56 hits in 57 games. Again, not mind-shattering numbers by any means, but he was one of the only players on that team that was on the basepaths on a consistent basis.

Despite his consistency at both the plate and on defense, Schemmel just played smart baseball. He did so many little things on the field, like looking runners back and hitting opposite field that go totally unnoticed by the casual baseball fan. Especially in the minor leagues, things like that are impossible to teach. A player can have all the talent in the world, but playing a smart game is a horse of another color.

While the Mets too didn’t appreciate his exploits, as they allowed him to sign with the San Diego Padres after the season was over, it seems that they do. In one season in the organization, Schemmel made his way to Triple-A, where he hit .256 with two homers and eight RBI in 13 games. Fr the season, he hit a combined .271 with two homers, 29 RBI and a rock solid .391 on-base percentage. He also had 71 hits and drew 39 walks, all in 78 games mind you.

Back in Single-A this season for some reason, Schemmel was another talented player on a resilient and entertaining 2006 Clones team that may find himself on a big league roster one day.

Photos by Conroy Walker