Young Schuerholz Shows Potential

Jonathan Schuerholz hears the whispers, and picks up on the disapproving looks from those who consider him the classic example of nepotism.

He’s with the Atlanta Braves, they must be saying, only because his father is the general manager.

Well, there’s no getting around that -- John Schuerholz is the GM of the Braves. But father and son say their relationship at the ballpark is all business.

“He might be in a deal someday,” the proud but pragmatic dad said. “I love my son, but if there’s a way to make the Braves better, I’ve got to make the Braves better.”

The junior Schuerholz is an up-and-coming infielder in the Braves’ farm system. This spring, he was invited to the big league camp for the first time as a non-roster player, hitting a couple of home runs before he was returned to the minor league camp to get more seasoning.

The 25-year-old Schuerholz isn’t one of the team’s top prospects, hitting .175 during a call-up to Triple-A last season, but he hardly looks out of place among the potential Braves of the future.

“Anybody who knows me knows I’m not looking for an easy way to the big leagues,” he said. “I want to do it on my own merit. I’ve earned everything I’ve gotten so far.”

Schuerholz grew up around the Braves’ clubhouse, getting a chance to hang out with guys such as John Smoltz and Chipper Jones while his own career was taking shape at the Little League and high school levels. Eventually, he headed off to Auburn on a baseball scholarship, starting three seasons at shortstop for the Tigers.

In 2002, Schuerholz came full circle when the Braves drafted him in the eighth round. His father insists he had nothing to do with the decision, leaving the draft to be handled by the team’s player development department. Still, using such a high pick on an infielder who hit only two homers in college raised some eyebrows.

“People want to hold me to a different standard because of my dad,” Schuerholz said. “I’m here for a reason -- I can play baseball. There’s no other reason behind it.”

He still gets plenty of questions about his name.

“People come up to me and ask if I’m going to be the next GM,” Schuerholz said. “I’m not his prodigy. I’m not his understudy. I’m a baseball player. We’ve always done a great job of being father and son.”

His rise through the minors has been steady if unspectacular. He batted .237 in the rookie leagues at Danville, improved to .251 the following year at Class A Rome, struggled through a .207 season at Class A Myrtle Beach, then raised his average to .278 at Double-A Mississippi last year.

Schuerholz was promoted to Triple-A Richmond for the final 44 games, where he looked overmatched. But he rebounded during a stint in the Arizona fall league, earning a spot in the Braves’ spring camp as a non-roster player.

Schuerholz was among the first group of players sent back to the minor league camp. He knew it was coming, though he greatly amused those sitting around him by shedding a few mock tears while cleaning out his locker.

“He was one of the first cuts,” John Schuerholz said, firing back at any claims of nepotism. “That should tell you something.”

First baseman James Jurries, who played at Richmond last season, said Schuerholz’s name has never been an issue to his teammates in the minors.

“He’s just one of the guys,” Jurries said. “He shows up and plays hard every day. That’s all you can ask. He’s one of those team-first guys. He handles everything else so well. It’s not even a factor for us.”

Baseball always has been at the center of life in the Schuerholz family. Jonathan’s grandfather was a minor league infielder for the Philadelphia Athletics. John Schuerholz played baseball at Towson University in Maryland before moving into the front office. And, now, the third generation will try to be the first to make it to the majors as a player.

Schuerholz’s first big league camp went fairly well. He showed uncharacteristic power but struggled defensively, with four errors in 10 games.

His father, speaking strictly as a GM, feels Schuerholz is right on track to eventually make it to the majors. He can play both second base and shortstop, increasing his value, and he’s stolen as many as 25 bases in the minors.

Now that he’s part of the organization, the younger Schuerholz prefers to stay in the dark on any personnel decisions.

“I don’t ask, and he doesn’t tell me anything,” the son said. “I find out the moves he makes along with everyone else. He does a great job of treating me like my last name is Smith or Johnson.”

More than anyone, the younger Schuerholz is aware of how baseball works. Very few minor leaguers ever become regulars in the big leagues. Many players are forced to move on to other organizations to get their chance.

That’s all he wants -- whether it’s with the Braves or someone else.

“I grew up in this organization, so to speak. I’ve always wanted to be here,” he said. “But, if something happens where I don’t fit into the Braves’ plans, hopefully I would fit somewhere else. I want to be in the big leagues, first and foremost.”