Martin Schneider

From BR Bullpen

MartinSchneider.JPG

Martin Schneider

  • Bats Right, Throws Right
  • Height 6' 2", Weight 180 lb.

Biographical Information[edit]

Martin Schneider has represented the Czech Republic on the international stage for about a decade; he has been one of the most prominent two-way players in Czech national team history. He has led the Czech Extraliga in homers, hits, runs twice, RBI, steals twice and ERA.

Schneider played for Skokani Olomouc in the 2005 Extraliga season; the teenager hit .239/.333/.310 and had a 5-6, 5.04 record. He was among the leaders in complete games (3, 3rd), innings (96.3, 3rd), strikeouts (58, 8th) and wins (tied for 7th). In '06, he was 4-5 with two saves and a 3.17 ERA and hit .312/.409/.459; defensively, he struggled with a .870 fielding percentage and 22 errors. He was among the leaders in total bases (50, tied for 7th), slugging (8th), walks (tied for 7th, 17th), complete games (3, tied for 1st) and strikeouts (71, 4th).

In 2007, Martin moved to Extraliga dynasty Draci Brno. He hit .338/.435/.407 and was 6-1 with a 1.83 ERA; he was among the leaders in average (tied for 9th), ERA (9th) and wins (6th). He debuted for the Czech national team in a start against Italy in the 2007 European Championship; he gave up 7 hits and 4 runs in two innings, including a Jack Santora homer, before being replaced by Radek Procházka.

Schneider hit .321/.408/.404 in 2008 and was 7-1 with a save and a 1.13 ERA, allowing only 49 hits and 15 walks in 72 innings. He was second to Procházka in ERA, was third in opponent average (.188, .006 behind Procházka), tied for fourth in steals (15 in 15 tries) and tied for fourth in doubles (9).

In the 2008 World University Championship, Martin batted .235/.278/.353 with 3 steals in 3 tries and was 0-1 with a 2.31 ERA. He had the second-best ERA on the Czech team. He tied for fifth in the event in steals, two behind leader Keijiro Matsumoto. During the 2008 European Championship Qualifiers, Schneider was 4 for 7 with two doubles, a triple, 3 runs, 4 RBI and a steal for the Czech team and tossed four shutout innings, fanning six to help the country win a spot in the 2010 European Championship.

In the 2009 European Cup in Regensburg, Martin hit .167/.231/.250 with two steals in two tries and went 1-0 with a 2.61 ERA, beating Olimpija Karlovac. During the 2009 European Cup, Schneider lost to T&A San Marino, giving up four runs in four innings. He hit .437/.476/.744 with 12 runs in 15 games in limited action in the regular season that year, fielding .947 and going 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA. In the postseason, he was 2 for 12 with a double and two walks while posting a 2-0, 1.86 record. Draci Brno won another title. He was 3rd in the postseason with 20 whiffs and tied for second in wins, one behind Petr Minařík. In the 2009 Baseball World Cup, he was 2 for 8 with a homer (off Tim Cox), scoring two of the team's five runs. He was 0-1 with a 12.60 ERA, losing to Mexico.

Schneider put on a superb two-way campaign in 2010. He hit .443/.547/.759, had a 0.57 ERA and fielded .966. He led the Extraliga in ERA (1.17 ahead of #2 Ryan Murphy) and also total bases (60, 3 more than Wayne Ough), homers (4, tied with Martin Střítecký, Murphy and Jakub Černík) and RBI (35, 6 more than Tomáš Sýkora). He was second in slugging (.029 behind Murphy), 3rd in OBP (behind Murphy and Michal Ondráček), 3rd in average (behind Jan Drábek and Jakub Hajtmar), 3rd in steals (20 in 23 tries, behind Hajtmar and Petr Síla), tied for 5th in wins (with Daniel Mráz and Vojtěch Jelínek) and tied for 9th in hits. He tied Trevor Caughey for 3rd in the postseason with 19 total bases, tied David Winkler for second in RBI (8, 4 behind Tomáš Biskorovajny and was 5th in slugging (.655). His one decision came in the finale, when he beat Technika Brno to give Draci Brno the title. His 0.57 regular-season ERA was 8th-best in Extraliga history for the period 1995-2010 (ERA was not tracked prior to 1995 apparently).

He also had a busy time in international events that year. In the 2010 European Cup, he hit .333/.350/.556 with 5 runs and 7 RBI in four games (tying for 3rd in RBI) including a homer off the Rouen Huskies' Anthony Piquet. He had a 10.50 ERA but won his lone game, in relief against the Konica Minolta Pioniers (he had 3 runs and 3 RBI that contest to help his cause). In the 2010 Intercontinental Cup, he was 2 for 5 with a double and was 0-1 with 3 runs in 4 innings, losing to the South Korean national team. He hit .250/.350/.417 in the 2010 European Championship and had a 2.16 ERA, winning his lone decision, over Ukraine.

In 2011, he did not field or pitch as well as in 2010 but was red-hot on offense again: .434/.548/.721, 28 BB, 54 R, 30 RBI, 31 SB (3 CS) in 35 G. He tied Alex Derhak and Tomáš Janíček for the league lead in hits (53), was second in average (.018 behind Martin Červenka), tied Jakub Malik for 3rd in homers (7), tied Malik for 3rd in total bases (88), was second in OBP (.007 behind Červenka), tied Michal Kočí for second in walks, ranked 7th in RBI, led in steals (9 ahead of Janíček) and led in runs (13 more than Derhak). He fielded only .894 and pitched just four innings (0 R). He broke Hajtmar's year-old steal record by one. In the postseason, he hit only .208/.296/.292 and did not score in any of the seven games after averaging 1.54 runs per game in the regular season. He had a 1.23 ERA and no decisions, fielding .973 and tying Matthew Lawman for the most assists (22). Draci Brno fell in the postseason, ending a run of 16 straight titles for the team. He was only 3 for 20 with a double, walk, two runs and a RBI in the 2011 European Cup, fielding .947 and tossing two shutout innings. He came up huge in a win over Dutch powerhouse DOOR Neptunus, with a 10th-inning hit off former minor leaguer Arshwin Asjes to score Derhak with the winner. He got the win and game-winning RBI that day as he had pitched the final two frames.

Schneider hit .420/.522/.688 in 2012, fielded .927, stole 22 bases in 24 tries, scored 39 runs in 35 games and was 4-1 with two saves and a 4.41 ERA in 2012. He was 4th in the Extraliga in average (between Aussies Tom Brice and Lawman; Malik was the only other Czech player in the top 5 as another Australian, Ough, finished 1st), tied Milan Vystrčil for 8th in hits (47), was 8th in total bases (77), tied Mráz for 4th in walks (25), tied Brice for 4th in OBP, was 7th in slugging (between Ough and Malik), tied Mráz and Martin Drong for the most steals and was 5th in runs (between Ough and Brice). In the postseason, he batted .344/.417/.563 and led with 10 runs while finishing second with four steals. He was 2-1 with a 9.00 ERA, but tied for second in wins, one behind Minařík. He fielded .936 and led the postseason with 31 assists. He moved into 5th on the career steal leader list at 103 (steals being tracked starting in 1995), between Martin Veselý and Ivo Kučera. He was 2 for 11 with two walks, a run and a RBI in the 2012 European Cup and pitched very well in a win over the Hoboken Pioneers (7 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 0 R, 7 K). He batted .182/.243/.182 and fielded .897 in the 2012 European Championship. He allowed one unearned run in 1 2/3 IP, losing in extra innings in relief against Spain when he plunked Kelvin Feliz with the bases loaded to force in the losing run in the 10th. He was 0 for 6 with a walk, steal and a run in the 2013 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers.

Martin hit .392/.497/.642 in the 2013 regular season with 50 runs in 36 games and 19 steals in 20 tries. He was 5-0 with a 0.53 ERA on the mound and fielded .929. He was 6th in average, tied for 4th in home runs (6), 8th in total bases (77), 3rd in OBP (.030 behind co-leaders Veselý and Petr Baroch), tied Matěj Hejma for 4th in slugging, tied Derhak for 5th in walks (24), led in runs (11 ahead of #2 Hajtmar), was 3rd in steals (behind Mráz and Drong), tied Bradley Merritt and Marek Minařík for 8th in wins and led in ERA (.55 ahead of Zach Samuels). In the postseason, he was 2 for 8 with 3 walks and a homer, fielded only .818 and was 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA as Draci Brno repeated as champs. He moved into fourth all-time in steals, passing Veselý. In the 2013 European Cup, he was 3 for 12 with 3 walks, 3 runs, two RBI and 3 steals in 4 tries, fielded .952 and was 0-1 despite a 0.59 ERA. He tied Leonardo Zileri for 3rd in steals, was 3rd with 13 strikeouts (2 behind Owen Ozanich and David Bergman) and was 6th in ERA. In his first outing, he went 6 1/3 shutout innings against the Rouen Huskies but was matched zero-for-zero by Ozanich before Karl Malecek relieved. He got the call against Corendon Kinheim with a spot in the final four at stake. He lost a 1-0 duel to Bergman.

In 2014, he hit .310/.376/.421 with 31 runs in 29 games, fielded .929 and was 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA. He tied Matěj Hušek for 6th in ERA but otherwise did not finish among the qualifiers. In the postseason, he batted .250/.357/.417 and fielded .870 but was 2-0 with a save and a 2.33 ERA on the hill. In the title clincher, he got the save. He tied for second in the postseason in wins (one behind Marek Červenka), had the lone save and his 18 whiffs were second to Marek Červenka. He was named playoff MVP. In the 2014 European Cup, he hit .214/.476/.429 with 6 walks in 5 games, fielding .875. He led in walks, one ahead of Zileri and Riccardo Babini and was 6th in OBP (between Dwayne Kemp and Shaldimar Daantji). He pitched 1 1/3 shutout innings in a win over the Regensburg Legionäre. He did well in a part-time role in the 2014 European Championship, going 5 for 11 with a double, 3 runs and a RBI, fielding .933, while splitting SS with Petr Zýma; he was 4 for 4 against Greece. He excelled in his lone start, throwing a two-hit, no-walk, 13-whiff gem in eight innings to beat Russia and former minor leaguer Andrey Lobanov; Jan Tomek closed it out with three more Ks in the 9th.

Schneider had another big season in 2015 - .429/.473/.704, 31 RBI in 23 G. He fielded .918 and was 2-0 with two saves and a 1.96 ERA. He was second in average (.006 behind Mitch Nilsson), 6th in slugging (between Corey Lyon and Daniel Vavruša), 8th in OBP (between Nilsson and Jiří Marek), 9th in RBI (between Derhak and Aleš Navrátil). No longer a speedster, he was only 4-for-7 in steals, but he moved into a tie for third all-time with Tomáš Ovesný at 133. In the postseason, he tied Přemek Chroust for the most total bases (25), tied Nilsson for the most homers (4) and was 4th in slugging (.781) and RBI (9 in 9 games) but Draci Brno fell short this time. He fielded .909 and was 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA. In the 2015 European Cup, he was excellent on the mound and the plate but fielded only .859. He hit .278/.364/.556 with 6 RBI in 6 games. On the mound, he went the distance with 4 hits and 8 whiffs, allowing only two runs (one earned) against Italian powerhouse ASD Rimini in an upset win. He led the event in ERA (.20 over Leonel Cespedes), tied Pierrick Lemestre for 6th in batters whiffed was 7th in slugging (between Adam Hajtmar and Daantji), tied for 6th in RBI.

Schneider was 0 for 3 in the 2017 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers in March 2016. He pitched twice, tying Alex Sogard for the Czech staff lead, allowing 4 runs (2 earned), four hits and one walk in three innings. He took the loss against Nicaragua in extra innings in the semifinals. When the Euro League Baseball began play that year, he got both the first RBI (driving in Adam Hajtmar) and the first save (saving Jason Jarvis's victory).

Sources[edit]

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