Rick Schu's journey through Major League Baseball began when he was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1980 MLB Draft. A third baseman by trade, Schu made his major league debut with the Phillies on September 1, 1984. During his time with the Phillies, Schu was often seen as a potential successor to the legendary Mike Schmidt, one of the greatest third basemen in baseball history. This was no small task, and Schu's early career was marked by the challenge of stepping into Schmidt's shadow.
In the 1985 season, Schu saw more playing time, appearing in 88 games and hitting .252 with 7 home runs and 24 RBIs. His performance was solid, but he struggled to maintain a consistent presence in the Phillies' lineup. The following year, Schu played in 72 games, batting .246 with 8 home runs and 21 RBIs. Despite showing flashes of potential, he found it difficult to secure a permanent starting role.
Schu's tenure with the Phillies came to an end in 1987 when he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles. His time in Baltimore was brief, as he played only 17 games for the Orioles before being traded again, this time to the Detroit Tigers. With the Tigers, Schu played in 35 games, hitting .213 with 2 home runs and 10 RBIs. His stint in Detroit was short-lived, and he was released by the team in 1988.
After leaving the Tigers, Schu signed with the California Angels, where he played in 1988 and 1989. During his time with the Angels, Schu appeared in 66 games, batting .259 with 4 home runs and 19 RBIs. Although he showed some improvement, he was unable to secure a long-term position with the team.
In 1990, Schu found a new opportunity with the Milwaukee Brewers. However, his time with the Brewers was limited to just 6 games, and he was released later that year. Undeterred, Schu continued to pursue his baseball career and signed with the Montreal Expos in 1991. With the Expos, he played in 43 games, hitting .203 with 2 home runs and 10 RBIs.
Schu's major league career came to a close after his time with the Expos, but he continued to play professionally in Japan. He joined the Nippon Professional Baseball league, playing for the Nippon-Ham Fighters in 1993 and 1994. In Japan, Schu found a degree of success, hitting .268 with 19 home runs and 65 RBIs over two seasons.
After his stint in Japan, Schu returned to the United States and played in the minor leagues before retiring from professional baseball. Throughout his career, Schu played in a total of 580 major league games, finishing with a batting average of .246, 41 home runs, and 134 RBIs.
Rick Schu's baseball career was marked by perseverance and adaptability.
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