From one team leader to another, Steve Kerr provided some timely words of encouragement to John Schneider after the Blue Jays manager suffered World Series heartbreak of the highest order.
But while the letter from the Golden State Warriors coach was penned and arrived at Rogers Centre just days after the Jays devastating Game 7 defeat, Schneider didn’t actually open it until last week.
The letter dated Nov. 2, 2025 – the day after the Jays’ Game 7 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers – sat on Schneider’s desk in Toronto, untouched for months.
With little reason to come into his office during the off-season, and then reporting to Dunedin, Fla., for spring training, the manager finally read the letter last week when the team returned to the downtown dome.
“As I read it,” Schneider told The Athletic, “I was like ‘holy s***.’”
Schneider told the outlet that Kerr, who experienced similar championship heartbreak with the Warriors, offered up praise and words of encouragement in the hand-written note.
What did the letter say?
“Dear John, I don’t know you, but I felt compelled to reach out after watching your incredible leadership on display during the World Series,” the letter from Kerr began.
“Your poise, your strength, your empathy and your confidence all shined through in all the toughest moments. I can see why your players love playing for you. I was just so impressed every time you were interviewed.
“Congrats on an incredible season and I’m so sorry for the heartache. We lost Game 7 of the ‘16 Finals to Cleveland in similar fashion and the pain was real.
“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.
“Much respect, Steve Kerr”
Kerr’s Warriors lost Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but then bounced back to win the next two NBA titles.
Schneider said that it meant a lot to hear from Kerr, one of the coaches from whom he garnered inspiration when he took over the managing job with the Jays in 2022.
“To have him watch me and how I handled the pressure and decisions and media. To have him kind of give me the stamp of approval was pretty cool,” Schneider told the Athletic.
‘The heartbreak was real’
He also added Kerr’s message – even though it went unread for so long – reaffirmed the lessons he had been preaching to his team during the off-season and in spring training.
“It was the message we’ve been preaching all off-season and in spring,’’ Schneider said. “The run was great and the heartbreak was real, but it’s not going to define who we are. We all went through it together. What we’re going to be defined by is how we persevere through it.”
Schneider’s Blue Jays began the 2026 season by completing a three-game sweep of the Athletics over the weekend and host the Colorado Rockies for three games starting Monday.