AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: MARINERS VS BLUE JAYS

October 20, 2025

John Schneider

Rogers Centre

Toronto Blue Jays

Postgame 7 Press Conference

Blue Jays - 4, Mariners - 3

Q. What does it feel like going to the World Series for the first time in 32 years?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Pretty cool. Pretty humble to be part of it. I've said it before. Besides my wife and kids, this is what I pour my life into, so to be leading the team that's going back to the World Series for the first time in 32 years, kind of hits me a little bit. I couldn't be happier for every single guy on the team and in the clubhouse, not just the players, but the staff too.

So we're going to enjoy tonight big-time and realize how hard it is to get here, and then get back to work and get ready for the Dodgers.

Q. We've heard from you throughout the series about it's another game, do your job, all those good things. When you're a couple of outs away from elimination, and then in the blink of an eye you're leading and a couple outs away from the World Series, how hard is it to practice what you preach to just keep it steady?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Very. You know, I've said before, I try to be purposely deliberate in what I do and what I say every day. I'm sure I was not practicing what I preached by my facial expressions in that moment. But it's really, really an amazing thing to watch these guys navigate situations, whether it's Barg walking, Izzy grinding out a single, or George being able to slow that moment down, which he's done a million times in his career.

In the moment, really, you're not thinking about it. Honestly, I wasn't thinking about it. I was thinking about are they going to play the infield in, are they not, are we going on contact, are we not, who is he bringing in to face who, what are the countermoves. So you kind of get lost in the moment a little bit. But this team, man, it's a special group.

Q. Two questions. First of all, congratulations.

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Thank you.

Q. First question, when George Springer connected on that home run, what was running through your head?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: I didn't really know. Before the game, I said, there's always someone that's going to have a moment, right, in a Game 7, winner-take-all game. They had a couple from their big-name guys between Julio, Cal, and Josh. So you never really know.

So in the moment -- I've seen Georgie hit some homers, and I was just hoping that he got enough of it. When he did, you kind of look around, and you see players and coaches reacting the way they did, kind of surreal in the moment when you're witnessing the historic swing for the organization. And then you to try to get back. I remember going right to Pete and just making sure, yeah, Chris is still the guy no matter what for the 8th inning. So you kind of get back into manager mode.

Q. On that note, Gausman and Bassitt came out of the bullpen.

JOHN SCHNEIDER: It's awesome.

Q. What's it say about this team that you have two guys who are typically, historically, starters showing up like that?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: You know, just gutsy. I think that I try to learn from every experience that you've been through, and Game 7 is a whole different animal where things get a little bit quirky, you know. And I said it to you guys before the game. There comes a time where you just trust people and you just trust guys that have been there, right?

So for Kev to come out of the bullpen for the first time all year, and I intentionally walk Cal, and I thought they did a good job of working around Naylor to go to Polanco who he's handled well. It's just cool to see guys that you trust go out there and have success. Chris's curveball to Geno, man, 3-2, it's a ballsy pitch, and that's who Chris is. So to see his reaction was really fulfilling. And then Hoff punched out the side. Man, it was awesome.

Q. From this past Friday and to next Friday, obviously, you mentioned it's been an emotional roller coaster, how did you manage your emotions since Friday and how do you plan to manage your emotions until Friday?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: I think from that point, you rely on people you trust around you, right? If you're not learning, you're falling behind, and if you're not counting on people who support you, you're going to get lost. So I think leaning on Pete, DeMarlo, Donnie, Ross, even having conversations with him, and then going home and hearing my wife talk about it too and my boys. Like, hey, don't be afraid to trust your gut and don't be afraid to just be who you are because you're here for a reason. It gives you a little bit of an exhale. You know what I mean?

And then to come see these guys every day, it's hard, it's hard to manage your emotions. As far as managing them right now, I'm going to enjoy the hell out of tonight, and probably tomorrow too, to be honest with you, and then get back to being the skipper of the Blue Jays.

Q. The old saying goes it takes a village, and you look at this team, you got 15 guys in this team who were in Triple-A at some point this year whether they were supposed to be there or guys like Springer and Bieber who were hurting, working through something. What does it say about this game being as much an organizational triumph for all the things you had to go through the last six months?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: It says that we're aligned from top to bottom, really, right? Like, asking Casey Candaele to do things with guys in Triple-A that I would ask them here and him doing it, that's one thing. You can look at the guys that are celebrating in here, and they have all helped us win. And there's guys that aren't here that have helped us win. So that part is really fulfilling. There's some role players, there's some guys that got valuable experience last year in a down year that has paid off this year big-time.

You never know where the game's going to take you. You never know when you're going to acquire Shane Bieber, you never know when you're going to acquire Max Scherzer, you never know when George is going to hit 32 homers in the regular season, you never know when Vlad is going to earn a half a billion dollars.

So where we've ended up, man, is pretty cool.

Q. Lukes, for a guy who was almost out of the game, to be going to the World Series?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Thrilled for him. Thrilled for everyone, right? But, I mean, Nate's a guy who was contemplating retirement. 30-year-old dude, he's got two kids, he's rode the bus for his whole life. I mean, he's hitting second for the Toronto Blue Jays in front of Vlad and behind George. Couldn't be happier for him, couldn't be happier for Ernie Clement, couldn't be happier for Myles Straw who was in Triple-A last year, Tyler Heineman that's been on 14 teams in the last three years, and guys that were in our bullpen that weren't here last year or in Triple-A somewhere else last year.

So I think it just shows that it takes an entire team effort to get to where you want to get to.

Q. I know you haven't had a lot of time to absorb this yet, but you look at the postseason history of the Dodgers, the reputation around the game, is that something that you kind of relish having a matchup against a team of that stature?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, man, I think to get to where you want to go, you got to beat the best. Whether it's talent, payroll, whatever you want to call it, man, they're a damn good team. We saw 'em three games and that's it this year.

But they got a Hall of Famers up and down -- well, top of their lineup. You know what I mean? And they got really, really good starting pitching and really good relievers.

So I truly think that the best two teams are left standing for a variety of different reasons, and I'll never count my guys out of any series. It's going to be fun. They're going to be up for it. There's going to be some big swings and ebbs and flows in it, I'm sure, but I'm just thrilled for the guys that they get the opportunity.

Q. How does it feel to have a whole country behind you?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Special. We're the only team that gets to experience that, and we're the only team that has the following that we do and the viewership that we do. I think guys don't realize that sometimes. But from coast to coast to have this team to grasp on to is really cool. It's easy for me to say that because I've been part of it for a long time. I felt the connection when I was managing in Vancouver as a minor league affiliate as a Canadian big league team, too. So it's special for everyone that's involved with our organization.

Q. Do you expect that it might grow into a bit of a Canada versus America spirit, not just Canada versus the Dodgers?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: I don't know, maybe. We'll see. I know it will be the Blue Jays versus the Dodgers. That's kind of how we're going to look at it, knowing that we have a whole country behind us. But I'm not quite sure how that will unfold. But I know that these guys in there know that they're representing the country too.