TORONTO — Three months into the job as interim manager of the Toronto Blue Jays and John Schneider appears to have settled into the job quite nicely.
Winning games out of the gate helped with the transition. Earning a playoff berth didn't hurt either. It has all been part of Schneider's long journey with the organization that drafted him in 2002. "I try to take a step back every now and then and realize how fortunate I am and (that) basically I couldn't ask for a better group to work with," Schneider said. "There's a lot of stuff going on.
A lot of challenges and a lot of ups and downs. But I love meeting them head on." The 42-year-old native of Princeton, N.J., was promoted from bench coach when Charlie Montoyo was fired in July.
The Blue Jays won 13 of 16 games after the change. A mid-month slump led to a middling record in August but an 18-10 September surge essentially sealed a post-season spot.