Blue Jays manager Schneider excited to represent Canada in World Series matchup with Dodgers

VIDEO SHOWS: SOUNDBITES FROM BLUE JAYS MANAGER JOHN SCHNEIDER, BLUE JAYS PLAYER AND ALCS MVP VLADIMIR GUERRERO, JR, AND MARINERS MANAGER DAN WILSON AFTER ALCS GAME SEVEN SHOWS: TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA (OCTOBER 20, 2025) (MLB – Editorial Use Only. No monetisation.) 1. BLUE JAYS MANAGER JOHN SCHNEIDER SPEAKING AT POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES GAME SEVEN AT ROGERS CENTRE 2. (SOUNDBITE)(English) BLUE JAYS MANAGER JOHN SCHNEIDER AFTER BEING ASKED HOW IT FEELS TO BE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES, SAYING: "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." 3. WHITE FLASH 4. (SOUNDBITE)(English) BLUE JAYS MANAGER JOHN SCHNEIDER AFTER BEING ASKED HOW IT FEELS TO HAVE THE WHOLE COUNTRY OF CANADA ROOTING FOR THEM, SAYING: "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." 5. WHITE FLASH 6. (SOUNDBITE)(English) BLUE JAYS MANAGER JOHN SCHNEIDER AFTER BEING ASKED IF HE THINKS THE WORLD SERIES WILL TURN INTO CANADA V USA, SAYING: "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." 7. VLADIMIR GUERRERO, JR, BLUE JAYS FIRST BASEMAN AND ALCS MVP, WITH TRANSLATOR SPEAKING AT POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE 8. (SOUNDBITE)(Spanish followed by English translation) BLUE JAYS VLADIMIR GUERRERO, JR AFTER BEING ASKED HOW HE FELT WHEN GEORGE SPRINGER HIT THE 3-RUN HOME RUN, SAYING: "I mean, it was very emotional when I saw George hit the homer, but the greater thing that I did is right before that inning, went down to the tunnel, get down on my knees, and I asked God for the win, to bless us, and he did, and then George hit the homer. So it was great. 9. WHITE FLASH 10. (SOUNDBITE)(Spanish followed by English translation) BLUE JAYS VLADIMIR GUERRERO, JR AFTER BEING ASKED WHAT IT MEANS TO HIM TO REPRESENT CANADA IN THE WORLD SERIES, SAYING: "I was born here. I grew up in the Dominican (Republic), and then from the moment that I signed here, that I knew I was going to be here my entire career, I knew I had to make — somehow to make all the fans, the entire country, proud of me, of my team. And like I always say, my challenge is to bring the World Series here back to Canada." 11. MARINERS MANAGER DAN WILSON SPEAKING AT POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER LOSS TO BLUE JAYS 12. (SOUNDBITE)(English) MARINERS MANAGER DAN WILSON AFTER BEING ASKED WHAT HIS MESSAGE WAS TO THE TEAM AFTER THE LOSS, SAYING: "Just to hold up their heads and to understand what kind of a season they had. I mean, I know this stings and there's no question that it's going to sting, but the kind of season they had, doing things that no team in this organization has ever done, and knocking on the door of a World Series, all that, you know, it's due to how hard they've worked, how hard they've played all season long, all the times they have come back, all the times they have bounced back. It's a special team in there. It's a shame that we had to come out on the wrong side of this one." STORY: Blue Jays' designated hitter George Springer belted a go-ahead three-run home run in the seventh inning as Toronto defeated the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Monday (October 20) night to advance to its first World Series since 1993. Thanks to Springer's 23rd career postseason homer, Toronto will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, hosting Game 1 on Friday. ALCS MVP Vladimir Guerrero, Jr batted .385 (10-for-26) with three doubles, three home runs, three RBIs and four walks in the ALCS. Toronto won the title in each of its previous two World Series appearances, in 1992 and 1993. The Blue Jays and the Marlins are the only franchises to make the Fall Classic more than once and never lose. Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh hit solo home runs for the Mariners, who fell one game shy of reaching their first World Series in franchise history. The Blue Jays deployed six pitchers in all. After reliever Seranthony Dominguez tossed a perfect sixth for Toronto, Kevin Gausman (2-1) took over in the seventh. Following a walk and a double play, Gausman, usually a starter, intentionally walked Raleigh. Josh Naylor followed with a walk before Jorge Polanco grounded out. Bryan Woo walked Addison Barger to open the home seventh, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa grounded a single to center. Andres Gimenez sacrificed the runners to second and third. Eduard Bazardo (1-1) replaced Woo and faced Springer, who hit his fourth home run of the postseason to left-center on a 1-0 sinker. Springer tied Kyle Schwarber for third place in career playoff homers, trailing only Manny Ramirez (29) and Jose Altuve (27). Another regular Toronto starter, Chris Bassitt, pitched a perfect eighth. Jeff Hoffman struck out the side in the ninth to earn the save, fanning Rodriguez to end the game and spark the Blue Jays' celebrations. Rodriguez led off the first against Shane Bieber by grounding a double into the left field corner. With one out, Naylor grounded an RBI single to right. Naylor was later called out for runner's interference when he jumped and his batting helmet made contact with a throw from second, completing a double play. Toronto answered with a run in the bottom of the inning against George Kirby. Springer walked, Guerrero grounded a single to left and Daulton Varsho (2-for-4) scooped an RBI ground single to center on a low slider. Rodriguez hit his fourth homer of the postseason on a 2-2 slider to lead off the third. Louis Varland replaced Bieber with two outs in the fourth after a double and a walk, and he ended the inning by retiring Rodriguez on a groundout. Bieber allowed two runs, seven hits and one walk with five strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. Raleigh led off the fifth with his fifth homer of the postseason, a blast to right on Varland's 0-1 changeup to put Seattle up 3-1. Kirby pitched four innings, permitting one run, four hits and one walk with three strikeouts before Woo took over for 2 1/3 frames. (Production: David Grip)

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