Parents of Davis Schneider reflect on his historic moments with Toronto Blue Jays
Posted April 14, 2024 2:50 pm.
They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and it seems that is the case for Toronto Blue Jays player Davis Schneider.
His parents, Elena and Steve Schneider, were in Toronto to witness their son take part in his first MLB home opener as a player.
“I think it was very surreal but also we just sit and wallow in his happiness, so for us it was also a wonderful, happy experience,” Elena told CityNews.
More than 40,000 fans at Rogers Centre erupted in cheers when Schneiders’s name was introduced at the team’s home opener.
‘That was pretty amazing,” Steve said.
“All the fans have been great to us, coming to us after the games and the best part is hearing how nice he is to the fans and he signs autographs and does everything his mom taught him.”
The couple drove almost nine hours from their home in Berlin, N.J., to witness another career moment for their son on the field.
Walking around the ballpark you would think the couple were celebrities with fans asking to take photos with them or to talk with them about Davis. Seeing them interact with the fans, it’s easy to understand why Davis has the reputation of being ‘Mr. Nice guy’ at the ballpark. Whether it be at spring training or before or after a game, he always stops to talk to fans and sign autographs
“That’s the most important thing for us,” Elena said, holding back tears while talking about Davis’s reputation.
“He is the baby in our family and he has learned so much from his siblings. Those are the most important things for us … how the fans treat him and he how treats them. To see just how much love Canada has shown him, it’s just been more than we could have hoped or prayed for.”
“He has a whole country routing for him. It really is amazing,” Steve added.
It’s been a long journey for the youngest of four siblings to the Big Leagues who was drafted in 2017 in the 28th round by the Blue Jays and spent years in the minor league programs. But it was during a late evening on Aug. 4, 2023, that his dream became a reality and brought joy to his family.
With his first at-bat in the pros in front of the Green Monster in Fenway Park, he crushed a home run.
“It was more of an out-of-body experience and was a little more difficult for us to just absorb the whole magnitude of the weekend,” Elena expressed.
“I think it was when the season was over it hit us. I still watched some of the watch party videos and YouTube videos of his home run. I just like to relive that because it was such a special time with friends and family and so many people who came up to watch his debut. It was more than we could’ve ever asked for.
‘Just everything he does, he always exceeds expectations.”
They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…
I had the joy of speaking to @BlueJays player Davis Schneider’s parents about seeing him in his first MLB Home Opener this week and his reputation as ‘Mr. Nice Guy’ with fans and all the staff at the ballpark.
Just good people… pic.twitter.com/x4x6W0Ddk7— Lindsay Dunn (@LindsayDunnTV) April 12, 2024
It’s not every day that parents get to watch their children achieve their dreams.
“It still doesn’t seem real,” Steve said.
“We knew he was going to do great things since he was in diapers,” Elena added.
“He would pick up a bat or a ball or a pen or a screwdriver and a crumpled up piece of paper, a ping-pong ball, a superball, and a mini bat, anything to just throw it up and hit it, no matter what it was, he would do it. He always had such excellent hand-eye coordination.
“He was always just playing baseball, sleeping with his glove, sleeping with a bat, he would do that.”
By the time the series was over in Boston in 2023, Davis made history and became the first player in MLB history to collect nine hits and two homers in his first three games.
A great visit with Davis Schneider’s parents Elena and Steve (@bballdad44745) today. They came to see their son’s 2023 uniform that he donated after his record breaking debut. #TOTHECORE pic.twitter.com/BLRTIEpwMl
— Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
