Steve Kerr's Handwritten Note to Blue Jays Manager After World Series Loss to Dodgers Revealed

After a heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series in the fall, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider received a letter from someone who knows what it means to both win and lose at the highest level.

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, a four-time champion as a coach and five-time champion as a player, wrote to Schneider, encouraging him to use the World Series loss as fuel.

"The pain was real," Kerr wrote, per The Athletic's Mitch Bannon. "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."

Schneider said the message was exactly what he needed to hear.

"It was the message we've been preaching all offseason 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."

Kerr explained the gesture to Bannon.

"I like the idea of coaches supporting coaches," Kerr said, via Bannon. "It's a great profession, but it's also a hard one."

Kerr told Bannon that he once got a letter from NFL coach Sean Payton after leading the Warriors to the 2015 NBA title. Per Bannon, Kerr revealed that he's sent a seven or eight notes to other coaches.

"I don't do it all the time, but if I'm moved by someone or a team or whatever, then I'll write a note and send it off," Kerr said, per Bannon.

The Blue Jays' World Series run in 2025 marked their first since 1993, but now the goal is sustaining that success. Schneider will lean on Kerr's encouragement as he navigates the long season ahead.