MLB WORLD SERIES: DODGERS VS BLUE JAYS

October 27, 2025

John Schneider

Dodger Stadium

Toronto Blue Jays

Pregame 3 Press Conference

Q. I don't want you to sound like a broken record for the ability of this team to have bounced back. Just wondering if there is any player in the room or is it just a collective effort that the guys are able to turn the page? Is there someone that's mostly responsible for that or is it just a bunch of guys who know what to do?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: A little bit of both. I think when you talk about kind of standards that you set, it starts with the leaders. George has done a good job, Max has done a good job, Vlad's done a good job kind of talking through their experiences of being in this situation, whether you're down two, up three games, and kind of how to navigate it, and everyone kind of just follows suit, I think.

But there's also something to be said about, I think, just the character of the guys. Each and every one of 'em. So it's cool to watch. They kind of just move on to the next thing. I've said before, it's almost unbelievable, but I'm at the point where it's definitely believable because they just continue to do it.

Q. Speaking of the bounce-back thing, you guys have worn out tons of elite starting pitchers all season long. Every once in awhile they're going to do what they do, like Yamamoto did the other day. How do you do your best to make sure that it doesn't happen twice?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Every pitcher is different, every game is different. You never really know if someone's going to have a performance like that or if someone's going to have a performance that's the exact opposite, from either side. I think you make adjustments from the game and you try to prepare accordingly on what you think is going to be the play tonight from Glasnow, and you keep adjusting as the game goes on.

But every pitcher is different. Every pitcher offers a different challenge and a different way to attack 'em. So, again, this game is totally different than Game 2. We're not worried about Yamamoto. I don't think he's pitching today. I hope he's not. But it's totally different every single day.

Q. I asked Ernie about the booing of George Springer and whether it's a galvanizing thing for the team. He said he gets up and boos too and then George shuts everybody up. But as much as you've heard George get booed in all your stops, especially out West, one would think it's going to be a lot harder -- a lot worse tonight than it's ever been, given the history. Are you prepared for that, is he, and do you think it's something that can galvanize a team?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: I know he's prepared for it. He's been dealing with that for a long time. It kind of is what it is. I think me, the manager in me, I probably get more mad than he does because you always have this like protective mode of your players.

But I don't think it can galvanize a team, I don't think that it will directly affect what anyone is doing, and I don't think it's going to affect anything George is doing. George is arguably one of the best World Series performers in the history of the game. So I think that fans, they show their opinion or emotion, that's fine. George has an unbelievable ability to keep himself focused and present on what he's doing.

Q. Let's talk about the word "World" in World Series. Like, you look at both sides, there's representation from all around the world, and how cool is that that it really is the World Series?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: We've thought about that. That's pretty cool. I think you have the last two teams standing that are made up of such a unique group of people, both sides -- not just players, you look at staffs and support staffs and kind of where all these people are from, and then baseball can just unite you. It's really cool.

I think that it's very fitting that these two teams in particular are playing in the World Series. This is the collection of the best players in the world right now. Hopefully we're the last one standing, right? But I mean, it's pretty cool, it's pretty cool to see this collection of players.

Q. Bo Bichette's back in the lineup today. Very impressive playing second base. Good glove, good arm, looked good at the plate. Is running and speed kind of the only concern left, maybe?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, I think that's kind of -- it's that and it's, like, game volume. It's like he missed seven weeks, so I think just playing will help him kind of get his feet underneath him a little bit and gain a little bit more confidence as he goes with everything the game is going to ask him to do.

So I think as this series goes, you'll probably see him feel a little bit more comfortable when it does come to running and just kind of the overall stamina of the game.

Q. You got a kick out of talking to Max in Game 4 in Seattle. I assume you haven't talked to him today, and will you have security when you talk to him today, later on?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: You know what's funny is probably still he's still approachable. I think there's a certain cutoff point. But I talk to him every day. I've said this to you guys, like, since spring training, like, I kind of always keep a few minutes aside in my day because Max is probably coming into my office about something. But even on days he pitches, he's communicating with me how he feels, what he's trying to do, certain spots of their lineup.

And then when the game starts, you can still talk to him in between innings, but I hope I don't have to make a mound visit today. But again, if I do, I do. But I think that over the course of this year and this postseason, you're always learning how guys are going to respond. So I don't think I'll need security if I do have to go out there.

Q. Max looked a lot better against the Mariners than he did throughout much of September. Why do you think that was, and how much of a factor was that in deciding to start him today instead of Game 4?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, I think he's in a better spot physically than he was probably the last month of the regular season and able to finish some pitches a little bit more. Physically not arm or thumb. I think just kind of overall. He's had a stiff neck and things like that. So I think having some time to get that in the right spot has helped him.

Deciding on him, I think where are you physically, where are you in terms of rest, and who do you want in the situation where there's going to be hoopla, bells and whistles, ceremonies, all that kind of stuff, and who has pitched in this stadium before. So it made a lot of sense that he was the guy.

Q. During this month-long run, any unexpected celebs reach out to you with words?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Celebs? Not that I can think of. It's more so -- I'm trying to think. Celebrities? No. I mean, I'm not that popular. I'm not that cool. It's more so people that I've grown up with or people that I stay in touch with that want to just offer their support. But I don't know, I'll share my number with someone cool. If it's Brad Paisley, like, you can shoot me a text, you know. That would be cool.

Q. Anyone who you lost contact with for a number of years reach out from your life?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: No, not really. No, it's been kind of the people that I try to surround myself with, whether it's, I haven't talked to you in a couple years and I grew up with you, you're still part of my life. But no one's kind of come out of the woodwork trying to say, Hey, can I get tickets or Hey, whatever. It's been pretty normal.

Q. Can you talk about what Ernie Clement has meant to your team all season long and also specifically what he's meant in the postseason?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, Ernie kind of personifies us. I think understands what he's good at, competes every single day, and just loves the game. He just loves playing. He loves competing. I have joked, he loves competing when he golfs, he loves competing when he's playing ping-pong. It's just kind of who he is.

What he's done this postseason has been pretty fun to watch because he's obviously been given nothing over the course of his career, and he's turned himself into a really good Major League player, and rightfully so, with some of the accolades that he's received. So it's fun to watch guys kind of slow things down. And I think you guys all saw kind of how emotional he was after Game 7, but to kind of just take that out and play his game is just really cool to watch.

Q. In addition to you guys' bat-to-ball skills, there's been a lot of talk about bat speed. How much do you think that's a contributing factor?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: I do. I think the whole industry kind of started looking at that last year with more public knowledge of it, public information of it. I think when guys were throwing as hard as they are, you got to combat it somehow, whether it's with bat speed or mechanics.

So Pop and Lou and Hunter have talked about it quite a bit. We track it a lot, every day, and show guys kind of the day after where their bat speed was that day compared to where it has been, whether it's an improvement or a decline. So I think being aware of it is really important too.

But with the stuff this league is featuring, you got to be able to put some bat speed out there too.

Q. How are some of the ways that you guys try to increase bat speed?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: There's certain drills, there's certain pieces of equipment that you can use. It goes back to the off-season. Guys start trying to improve that in the off-season. It's hard to do during the year because you're playing every day. But it's not a set thing like, Hey, take 10 swings with this bat. You know, it kind of varies guy to guy.

But I think the fact that -- anything that can you measure and track, I think, is important, so then you can give feedback to the guys kind of in real time. So it's a variety of things that they do.

Q. Dodger stadium, obviously one of the most storied places in sports. Can you talk about the experience of leading a team to play here and what you're hearing from the guys about this opportunity?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, I mean, we would be thrilled to be anywhere. I think when you're talking about the World Series, biggest stage this game has to offer, it's pretty cool that the visiting park we get to come to is this. Everything is big here, you feel like. Speakers are loud, field is big, it's kind of set off by itself. It's kind of what you want to do. This is the environment you want to be in if you're trying to achieve ultimate goal.

So I think the guys are approaching it like -- they're trying to approach it like another game. I think it was nice that we played here this summer, albeit for three games, so you're a little bit familiar with how the field plays, what the backdrop is like, things like that. But I think it's great that you get to come to a venue like this against a franchise like this.

Q. Can I ask you to go back to your childhood. What was your at least imaginary relationship with Don Mattingly as a kid?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: (Laughing.) Oh, man. I've said this before. Like, 8-year-old me is, like, doing cartwheels right now. I don't know, man, Donnie was my favorite player growing up, growing up in New Jersey and being a Yankee fan, which I can say now, right? But never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would be cruising into my first World Series along with Donnie and his first World Series in any capacity.

So our relationship over the past three years has grown so much. He's meant a lot to me. So I think, again, if you were to tell me -- I said this when I hired him. If you were going to tell me that I'm going to be the manager of the big league team that I've only known, and I'm going to go ahead and hire Donnie as my first hire, you're kind of like, what are you doing? What's this little fat kid from New Jersey doing?

So it's cool. I'm thrilled that he can be here in his first World Series with me and this team, but I didn't expect it to be like that. When you go to games watching number 23 hit .300 every year, you didn't think that you would be in this spot with him.

Q. Tell me what he does to help the players. Is there one example you can tell me during the season where you saw something he did that really helped one of your players?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: It's funny, he can do a lot because he's done a lot. It could be looking at someone's swing and offering a piece of advice. It could be a game situation that he's already been through. I remember he's talked to me about when he was managing here he still has nightmares. I think he said he gave Corey Seager the 3-0 green light on a pitch he's swung out of the zone. He's done a lot. So we've shared those stories. But what he's done this year in terms of helping prepare the guys has been elite, in terms of how we deploy our roster and to keep guys ready for any situation that I may ask them to go into. So his way of communicating it I think is different than others because of his experience.

Q. You guys played really well without Bo, and a lot of players played really well in enhanced roles in that time. Now that he's back on a night like tonight, he's batting clean up, you can slide a guy like Alejandro down to six, do you feel like you're kind of enjoying the best of both worlds at this point?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, I mean, Bo's been a big part of our team for the last five, six years. And he was a huge part of it this year in terms of offensive production and posting and playing every day. So it is nice.

When you're just playing, not that you forget about guys that are hurt, but you're kind of just doing what you're doing with who you have. So I think to have him back, for one, I'm thrilled for him to have this opportunity to compete in the World Series. This is exactly what he lives for. And for us as a team, yeah, it's great. You always want to have kind of the best version of how you're built when you're playing in the most important time.