MLB WORLD SERIES: DODGERS VS BLUE JAYS

October 25, 2025

John Schneider

Rogers Centre

Toronto Blue Jays

Pregame 2 Press Conference

Q. Obviously pinch hitting's really hard, but you guys had Nathan Lukes step up last night with the walk and then Addison Barger. What do you think it is about maybe the way you guys operate or prepare that has allowed you guys to be a good pinch hitting team this year?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: I mean, thinking back to off-season, it's something we talked about we wanted to do more of. It is hard. I think that in talking to the guys, they all understand it goes back to be you understanding what a situation calls for. In those instances yesterday, Nate trying to make some contact, Addy there forcing the issue to try to give Vlad an at-bat against Banda.

But so much prep goes into it. Donnie does a great job of telling 'em before the game, like, certain spots we're looking at and what to be ready for. And we've done it all year, so they're pretty well versed in it. We joke, it's kind of like we have 'em pretty well trained. When a certain guy gets up, they all start moving.

But from there, I think then it's just the message that's delivered from either Lou, Hunter or Pop as to what to get ready for for the situation and they have made me and us look pretty smart.

Q. With Bo in the lineup today, any physical affects or wear and tear from last night that is a factor in that and how could that impact his potential usage today?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: He felt pretty good after the game. Checking in with him today, probably feels a little bit better than he expected. Again, when we put him on the roster, we did because we thought he could help us win, which he did yesterday, and keeping in mind that he hasn't played in seven weeks.

So totally different animal with the adrenaline and the pressure to get into a World Series game in a position you haven't played. So it was kind of part of the plan just kind of based on how he was feeling. But he'll be ready to go today. He was in my office as soon as he came in and just said, What are you expecting? What do you I need to be ready for and how do I prepare? So it's kind of -- it's a nice weapon to have on the bench tonight, for sure.

Q. Similarly, you mentioned not playing seven weeks. What is the process to -- it's a lot to say go zero to nine innings right away. What's the process of building up understanding that there's a very tight timeframe here?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, it's tough. I think tomorrow being off kind of plays into today's thinking a little bit. But I think at this point, again, no one's feeling a hundred percent, so if it's a game that he's starting, starting Game 3, and he plays nine innings, I think we're going to be okay with that.

Q. If you need him today, are you thinking that the lean is towards one at-bat, pinch run for him, get him out, and keep him rested for the off day tomorrow? Is that what you're thinking?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: No thinking anything, really. Just depending upon the situation. Maybe the third inning. It depends. Obviously feel comfortable with him -- what he's doing at the plate. I think that if the situation calls for something, he'll be ready to hit, stay in, if the situation calls for hit and pinch run, either one, but he'll be ready for it.

Q. You talked about how cool it was catching Cito's first pitch yesterday. You've got all these alumni coming in. Joe Carter is here today. And you have talked about seeing him hit that home run off of Mitch Williams. What's it like having Joe Carter here?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Awesome. He was in our coaches' room after the game yesterday, which was pretty cool. For one, you forget how big these guys are, like, they're physical presences. But I think it's really cool. I think that swing, obviously the most recognized swing in our franchise. So to have him be a part of it is just as cool as having Cito here yesterday and getting to share a few minutes with him and exchange some thoughts.

You know, I just told Cito how humbled I was to be out there with him. I tried to give him some space so the crowd could recognize him both going out there and coming in. But I think it's awesome that we have guys that this fan base is still really tied to.

Q. Chris Bassitt obviously came out of the bullpen yesterday. He came out of the bullpen in Game 7 of the ALCS. What's it been like having him serve as a reliever?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Really fun, actually. You never really know with starters going into the bullpen. I've said it to you guys that have been here all year. Chris does weird really well and probably the one starter that can just go be a reliever on a given day.

But I think he's kind of turned into someone that -- not that I didn't trust him, but he's turned himself into someone that you can just throw in wherever, and I think that it allows you to bring Seranthony in earlier, kind of at that part of the lineup, knowing that you trust Chris to do it the next time. It's so cool to hear him talk over the course of the year. We left him off the DS roster, and he kept himself ready.

So he just wants to win. Asking him after the game and today, How are you feeling? And he was like, Great, you know. Great. I said, All right. Chris, I get it. But he's just all about winning right now. He's been awesome.

Q. My second question is: Since Ross became the GM several years ago, he's always put an emphasis on getting people of high character, good values -- not just players and coaches, but all personnel. What's that been like for the team's culture, and particularly this season where there's such an emphasis on cohesion? I mean, Louis was just in here and he called it the Glue Jays. How much has that policy fed into that atmosphere?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Quite a bit. I think that when you're trying to establish a winning environment and a winning organization that can do it repeatedly, that people come into play, you know, people that are going to push things forward and not be satisfied. Even this year, when we acquired Gimi and signed Tony and signed Max, you know, we were talking about what that would do for people around them too and where the people that we had already were in their career and in their lives. So that, and then you go to the deadline.

It was cool to have those conversations with Ross, understanding what we were doing, like, at the time, and not trying to disrupt that. You want to try to add people that are going to help. So Seranthony, who is about as selfless as there is, Louis, Ty France, you know, they're good pieces for what we already have too. I think we're -- we made it a point to be really aware of it this year and, again, it's been a couple kind of years in the making to get to this point.

Q. I have to ask you this. Two questions. I was scrolling this morning and I saw this story. My mind was blown. Trey Yesavage only makes $57,000 a year, living out of a van or something, going hotel to hotel.

JOHN SCHNEIDER: I think he makes more than that.

Q. So this is my question: Is that true? Because what do we have to do to get him a raise?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: I think we gave him, like, 8 million out of the draft, didn't we?

Q. The story was everywhere.

JOHN SCHNEIDER: He's making more money than me -- he's got more money than me. That might be prorated Major League minimum for the time he's been here. But I think it's more than 57K.

Q. My second question is: Your two kids, what do you say to them is going on? Do they know what the World Series is? What do they think is happening?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: They get it. It's funny, my two boys and my wife, throughout the course of the regular season, they never said the words "World Series," they said "WS," because they didn't want to jinx anything.

But they get it. They understand that they're missing a month of school for something pretty special. And I think that what I'm trying to tell them is that this isn't the norm. This is something that Mom and Dad have to appreciate because we put a lot of sacrifice into this.

But to have pictures with the American League Championship trophy and to have World Series T-shirts and hats is something that they're never going to forget.

Q. Did you just say in your office before coming in here that you're starting Scherzer Game 3?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah.

Q. Can you explain your reasoning for that?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, Max Game 3 and Shane Game 4. I think just looking at not having too much of a layoff with Max from his last outing but still giving him some rest. Him pitching in that environment that's going to be a lot of hoopla, Game 3, much like yesterday -- or any game this series. He's pitched in that stadium. It keeps him available for Game 7. And looking at Shane, I think, wanted to give him an extra day. What he has done coming off Tommy John 18 months later, I think, is probably best-case scenario in terms of what he's been doing and how he's recovering. So you feel good about veteran guys in a hostile environment and just kind of wanted to match the rest up accordingly too.

Q. When you were talking about Joe and, really, Cito, you talked about people that this fan base and this country are still really tied to. I don't know if you're going to like this question because I'm going to think -- what does future John want to be thinking of the legacy being laid right now? Do you think about what kind of manager you'll be thought of in 20 years time?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: No. I'm thinking about Yamamoto and the Dodgers, you know. No. If anything, I think about it for the players. I think about it for Vlad, Kirky, hopefully some more guys that are going to be here for a long time. No, this game doesn't wait or care for anyone. I think those guys have left their mark for a reason. If I'm lucky enough to, great. But I haven't gotten that far ahead.

Q. Very quickly, I just wanted to ask: Is there anything that you get in these press conferences or any questions that you wish you got asked by us?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Wow, that's a good question. Wow. No. That's my immediate response. You know, I wish people asked about my team. I think you guys do. You guys have kind of -- for those that haven't seen our team play, the joy that it brings me and the staff to be around these guys every day, I wish that could be a story every single day. I could talk for hours. But this is part of it, right? I'm obligated to come talk to you guys.

I would love to sit up here and talk about Myles Straw or Ernie Clement, Tyler Heineman, Mason Fluharty. You know, that is the best part of my day, is coming here with these guys.

Q. I'm not going to ask you about your team. Another Joe Carter question. You mentioned this week that you had the Donnie baseball poster on your wall. If you think back to a young Johnny Schneider, what were your impressions of Joe Carter as a baseball player back then?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Just a dude, high tops, the Nike high tops that everyone wanted to wear, power hitting outfielder that was a presence in the middle of the order. I remember watching the home run and him jumping around and fireworks going off. You appreciate the history of the game, I think. And like, there was a reason I sent Donnie out to do the lineup cards yesterday. Like, I know Doc went out there. But to me, man, this game is about people that have been here before you. Hopefully, I'm lucky enough to stay in it for a long time, but I wanted Donnie to go out there in his first World Series and be at the plate meeting.

So having guys like Cito and Joe around, I think just adds to, you know, the stage of the World Series, but it adds to the history of the game. I think you have to really appreciate what people have done before you.

Q. You mentioned your wife and kids say WS, not World Series --

JOHN SCHNEIDER: They say World Series now.

Q. Are they naturally superstitious or have they picked that up from you?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: My kids have picked it up from us. My wife is too. She was a college softball player. So I think by default Gunner and Grayson have become pretty superstitious at a young age.

Q. Given what happened in Seattle, did you tell Max that he's starting on Monday or did he tell you?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: (Laughing.) Great question. I told him. He was asking what we were doing after Game 7, and I was likes, Max, I'm enjoying a beer, man. He's so regimented and wants to know what he's doing, and the fact -- he's been through this too. I'm listening to his feedback as we go because in Max's -- when you guys get a chance to talk to him, he'll probably say the same thing. He's stepped on land mines, he's dodged land mines in a World Series, in a seven-game series. Here's my thought. Here's my feedback. What are you thinking? Okay. When do I throw my side?

But, yeah, we told Max that he had Game 3.

Q. And just on Joe Carter, the thing, when he was here before that home run and after, was that he was automatic for a hundred RBIs every year, whether he hit .230 or .270, no matter what. Did you, A, know that about him? And two, what does that mean when you think about something like that?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, I think certain guys -- I think of, like, Edwin like that here. There's certain guys that they can drive in runs. I know it's kind of a forgotten stat in today's game, RBIs, runs scored. There's certain guys in situations where you just pencil them in. He's going to drive in a hundred, he's going to score a hundred, whatever. He's going to hit X amount of home runs.

I think certain guys in those moments are just built a little bit differently. They kind of know what it takes to get the job done. So I know the home run gets a lot of attention for Joe, but just the consistency of his career is remarkable.