AL WILD CARD SERIES: BLUE JAYS VS TWINS

October 4, 2023

John Schneider

Target Field

Toronto Blue Jays

Postgame Press Conference

Twins - 2, Blue Jays - 0

Q. Did you get an explanation in the first on Polanco, the non-called third strike?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yes, it was a foul ball, it hit the dirt.

Q. Just looking broadly at these past two days, what would you point at for what went wrong or an area where you needed something to really happen here for you?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Needed Chappy to have better direction on a couple of balls off his bat. Needed to not get picked off second. Needed to get big hits when we needed to.

One run in two games, one extra base hit isn't going to cut it. They didn't do much today. Only hit one ball in the air. Some ground balls found some holes.

This time of the year, it's timely hitting. They got it yesterday with Royce and they got it today with Polanco and Carlos.

Q. Just beginning with the pitching strategy today, moving from Jose to Yusei, was that the spot you targeted going in or what went into the plan and decision to go there?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: We had a few different plans in place. Hosey was aware of it. He had electric stuff. Tough to take him out. But I think with the way they're constructed, you want to utilize your whole roster. It didn't work out.

You can look at it broadly say it didn't work out because they scored two runs when we did make a change. You can also look at the fact it didn't work out and we didn't take advantage of at-bats we had with runners in scoring position.

So you can sit here and second-guess me, second-guess the organization, second-guess anybody. I get that. I get that. And it's tough. And it didn't work out for us today or yesterday.

But that's baseball sometimes. There's 29 teams that are going to say the same thing when the season's over. But yes, tough way to end the year.

Q. Just about the pick-off at second base, from day one of Spring Training you guys emphasized the little things and the controllables. How disappointing is it to have what was one of your only real chances to score get snuffed out like that?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: It's tough. You've got arguably probably the best hitter at the plate. Sonny's at the end of his pitch count, probably his last hitter. Yeah, it's tough.

As much as we talk about it, we've talked about it since February 14th. I think that we can all look at each other in the face and say collectively we fell short of executing what we wanted to do. It's not for a lack of information or prep. In that moment, that can't happen.

Q. Obviously a tough loss for the group entirely. This comes with transition for this team with some guys going potentially into free agency and from there. What conversations, if any, will you have with the group or have you had with the group at this point?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, I was in there for a while with them. It's hard. You never know when you're going to be together. And I think what people who don't play don't understand is what you go through every single day, good, bad or indifferent. And you get a unique opportunity every year to play with a group of guys.

I think the way that they stuck together through a lot of ups and downs this season speaks volumes to the people that are in that clubhouse, not just the players. It was nice to hear a few of them say the same thing, as well as myself and the staff.

It's hard. And it's hard for every team but one every single year. It was a great group. It will always be a great group. I say that every single year. But pretty special between veteran guys and guys that have been here for a while. And for me and for the staff and the organization as a whole, you're disappointed that that group can't go any farther.

Q. I know it's unfair just a few minutes after to ask you to summarize the season, but where does this land for you right now just as far as the season ending so abruptly?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Whenever you're not holding a World Series trophy it's like ripping off a Band-Aid and your season's over and it's brutal.

I do think with the guys that are here and that will continue to be here, the more often they can be in these situations, it's going to be great for them going forward. So in talking to them how they can slow situations down a bit more and more each game in each year they're in the playoffs, that's a good thing.

But I do think that when the season ends so abruptly, when you're so invested and you care about the people that are in the room and the people that you work with, it sucks, and it takes a while when you head home for everything to kind of wear off.

Q. Carlos Correa had big plays in each of these games. How impressive is he when he's out there playing short?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: He's good when he's in the field.

Q. Just a little illumination, what are some of the things that you liked or what led you to prefer Yusei in that spot to Jose?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: You look kind of overall body of work. You look at unique their lineup is, left- and right-handed. And you look at what we have in the bullpen, right-handed especially versus their right-handed hitters.

In a short three-game series you're trying to utilize everyone the best you can, and today it didn't work out for us.

Q. In terms you mentioned it was tough to take Jose out. Is the way he was pitching, could that have prompted you to deviate from that thought process?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yes, I know that the way the game is played today there are a lot of numbers involved and there are a lot of opinions involved. And I think that not only us as an organization or me as a manager or us as a staff, we've shown throughout the course of the year that you trust people.

It's not cut and dry every single day. And whether that means a guy goes a complete game or he goes six or seven innings as opposed to four or five -- I think it gets torn apart a little bit in a game when your season ends.

But, yeah, I think you have to try to take your best chance every single time. Every decision I make or we make as a staff, as an organization is trying to win.

When you don't win, I understand the reactions and the opinions that are out there, but you have to look at everyone and what they've done all year and you're trying to put them in good spots.

Q. That said, as Jose was going the way he was going, does it get more and more difficult for you to say, yeah, this is what we knew what we wanted to do, but is this still the right thing to do?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, it's tough. It's tough. Hosey was probably arguably the best stuff he's had all year. And coming into his former team and a place that he's familiar with, it was tough to watch it unfold a little bit.

But at the same time I think that when you're so diligent with your work and you trust the people that you're working with and the people that you're kind of going to battle with, both on the field and off, you just try to make the best decision that you can for the guys that are on the field to win.

And Jose understands that. He is about as good of a competitor as you can get. You look at our entire starting staff. You can say the same about all of them. Wanted nothing more than for Chris Bassitt to be on the mound tomorrow.

But as it unfolds, it's a fine balance of being consistent and convicted with what you think is right and what's going on in real time.

Q. Guys on this team, Bo, Vlad, Cavan, some of those guys, they're looking for their first playoff win. Is there anything they can take from this experience and continue learning from it? Is there anything connecting some of those losses that you see?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, I think what they can learn from it is how attentive you have to be. How every decision, at-bat, play, is going to get kind of scrutinized, good, bad or indifferent. And every year, when teams are moving on, it's players sometimes that you do expect and you count on and players that you don't expect are making big plays.

So I think going forward, you know, we have all the confidence in the world in the young group that has come up with us to be in those spots to make those big plays. And I think what they can take from it is just the fact that you have to be on a very high sense of urgency with everything that you're doing.