Toronto Blue Jays: New manager’s “energy” could be the spark
By Kevin Henry
It may have been just one win on Wednesday night, but there was something different about the Toronto Blue Jays.
Will interim manager John Schneider provide the spark that is needed to boost the Toronto Blue Jays?
Wednesday’s game was the first with interim manager John Schneider at the helm for the Toronto Blue Jays after Charlie Montoyo was relieved of his duties earlier in the day. However, surrounding Toronto’s 8-2 win over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, words like “passion” and “energy” were being used about a man now leading a team that has not only battled injuries this season, but also severely underperformed.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan tweeted just after the news of Montoyo’s firing had been made official, “Bad losses and questions in the clubhouse about leadership were a devastating combination.” The clubhouse is perhaps where the insertion of Schneider into the leader’s role could make the biggest impact. The new manager can do little to heal players more quickly or even prevent most injuries from happening on the diamond. He can, however, guide the team through the turbulent waters that the 2022 has season has become.
Granted, Toronto starts a four-game series with Kansas City on Thursday holding a 47-42 record and a Wild Card spot in what has become a very competitive American League, so Rogers Centre wasn’t burning down completely. There was, however, enough smoke that Blue Jays management knew something had to be done to make sure that smoke didn’t turn into a fire that would burn Toronto’s chances at a deep postseason run … or a postseason run at all.
After the win on Wednesday, in this article, Blue Jays players Ross Stripling and George Springer talked about the “energy” that Schneider brought during the game. It’s an energy that has been missing during a 10-game stretch earlier this month where the team went 1-9.
Those same Phillies that were defeated in Toronto on Wednesday can provide an example of what could be for the Blue Jays. Philadelphia has played 10 games over .500 since Joe Girardi was fired as the team’s manager on June 3.
dark. Next. The managers who have been fired during the 2022 season
Could Wednesday be the first step toward something like that kind of run in Toronto? With four games left before the All-Star break against a depleted Royals team, this could be the perfect time for that new-found energy to translate into some much-needed momentum for the Blue Jays.