Indianapolis Indians baseball and the name of Schumacher are forever linked.
After 60 seasons with the club, Max Schumacher transitioned to chairman emeritus in November 2016. He relinquished his responsibilities as chairman of the board to his son, Bruce, and his title of president to Randy Lewandowski, Indians general manager.
In his altered role, Schumacher will maintain his position on the finance committee, host his suite on game days, and provide mentorship for Indians leadership.
Under Schumacher's more than half century of leadership, the Indians have enjoyed recognition for their ongoing commitment to excellence. The team has been recognized with awards such as the Triple-A Bob Freitas Award in 1996 and 2014, Baseball America's Triple-A Team of the Decade for the 1990s, and, in 2005, At The Yard Magazine's Minor League Team of the Year. The Indians led all of Minor League Baseball in attendance during the 2016 season (636,888), one of many records set in the 20-year-old Victory Field.
Following his service in the United States Army, Schumacher began his Indians career as Ticket Manager in 1957, before also assuming the duties of publicity director in 1959. Schumacher then took over as general manager just two years later in 1961, serving under then-president Owen J. Bush, who would continue in that capacity for eight more years. Following Bush's retirement in 1969, Schumacher was named President.
During his tenure as the Indians' general manager, Schumacher was named the American Association's Executive of the Year for 1996, and just one year later was voted Minor League Baseball's "King of Baseball" for his long-term dedication and service to the game.
Schumacher played four years of varsity baseball while also serving as editor of The Collegian publication at Butler from 1950-54. Schumacher has been honored by his alma mater with the Robert Todd Duncan Alumni Achievement award in 2003 and induction into Butler's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.
Along with his professional success, Schumacher has also been recognized for his impact in the Indianapolis area after formerly serving as President of the Indianapolis Downtown Kiwanis Club, the American Business Club and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis. Schumacher was honored for his numerous contributions with the Thomas W. Moses Good Scout Award in April of 2006 for his dedication to community service, social responsibility and having a true "scout spirit."