As John Schneider settled into his office before the season opener, he had some mail to catch up on, including a letter that seemed to arrive shortly after the Toronto Blue Jays’ season came to an end.
Inside was a handwritten note featuring the Golden State Warriors logo. Schneider quickly recognized it was from head coach Steve Kerr.
“I was like, ‘holy s-,’” Schneider told Mitch Bannon of The Athletic.
The letter, dated Nov. 2, 2025 – just one day after Toronto’s Game 7 defeat in the World Series – surprised Schneider.
“I don’t know you,” Kerr wrote, “but I felt compelled to reach out after watching your incredible leadership on display during the World Series.”
Kerr mentioned the sting of losing and related it to his own experience in the 2016 NBA Finals when his Warriors fell in Game 7 against Le Bron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“The pain was real,” Kerr wrote. “But what always survives through the tough losses is the character and connection of the group. The loss won’t define you, but the way you and your guys carried themselves afterwards will.”
This message struck a chord with Schneider, reaffirming what he and the Blue Jays have focused on throughout their off-season.
“It was the message we’ve been preaching all off-season and in spring,” Schneider said to Bannon. “The run was great, and the heartbreak was real, but it’s not going to define who we are. What we’re going to be defined by is how we persevere through it.”
Kerr shared his admiration for Schneider during an interview with Bannon on Sunday.
“To go from not knowing someone at all to just watching seven games of really wonderful leadership. That really made a mark on me,” Kerr said.
Kerr recalled receiving a similar letter from then-New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton after winning an NBA title in 2015. Since then, he estimates he’s written about seven or eight such notes to other coaches.
“I like the idea of coaches supporting coaches,” Kerr noted. “It’s a great profession, but it’s also a hard one.”
Schneider took over as manager in July 2022 after replacing Charlie Montoyo and relied heavily on leadership resources early on.
He confessed that he studied various coaches across different sports, including Kerr.
“To have him watch me, and how I handled pressure along with decisions and media interactions; having him give me that stamp of approval was pretty cool,” Schneider said.
The 45-year-old finished second in American League Manager of the Year voting last season and recently signed an extension through 2028. He has managed 561 major league games with a.522 winning percentage alongside 22 playoff games.
The Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro plans to help connect Schneider with Kerr so he can thank him personally for this thoughtful letter.
The letter provided both reflection and perspective as Toronto moves forward.
After their loss in 2016, Kerr’s Warriors went on to win back-to-back NBA championships. Schneider hopes his team can take a similar route.
“If he can see the good in what we did,” Schneider stated, “it kind of gives you a little bit of reassurance that you’re preaching the right things.”
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