Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider has more important things to worry about Friday than trick-or-treating with the opportunity to close out the World Series.
“I think Halloween’s a made-up holiday,” he told reporters ahead of Game 6 of the Fall Classic against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
So what was Schneider doing last year for Halloween when his team wasn’t in the World Series?
“Sitting in my neighbor’s driveway, drinking a beer, giving out candy,” he said. “This is way, way better.”
It’s safe to say every MLB manager would think leading his team in the World Series is better than handing out candy, and the Blue Jays have a chance to make Friday’s holiday a special one for their fans for far more reasons than the costumes some of them will be wearing.
Toronto responded to its 18-inning marathon loss in Game 3 by winning the next two contests on the road to take a 3-2 lead in the series. It now has two opportunities at home to win the World Series for the first time since 1993.
Doing so Friday will be much easier said than done, as the Dodgers are turning to starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto with their season on the line.
Yamamoto is coming off two consecutive complete-game victories in which he allowed a single run in each, including when he faced the Blue Jays in Game 2.
If the American League representative can figure him out this time around and win the Fall Classic on Oct. 31, perhaps the city of Toronto can change the date from what Schneider sees as a made-up holiday to an annual celebration of the champion Blue Jays.
