Blue Jays manager John Schneider saves woman’s life, rewarded with free beer

Blue Jays manager John Schneider saved a life on Saturday and was promptly rewarded.

While eating with his wife, Schneider performed the Heimlich maneuver on a choking woman at a restaurant in Dunedin, Fla. a couple of weeks ago after realizing that no one else at the customer’s table knew what to do.

“Right place, right time,” Schneider said Sunday to reporters. “You either help or you don’t and I decided I’d go over and see if I could help.”


Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider (14) participates in spring training workouts at the Toronto Blue Jays Player Development Complex.
Schneider saved a woman’s life by performing the Heimlich maneuver.
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The 43-year-old manager revealed he hasn’t practiced the lifesaving maneuver since the sixth grade.

Schneider, however, “performed a couple [of] Heimlichs” and dislodged what the woman was choking on: a shrimp. As a reward, he received a free beer.

“I was a little bit rattled afterward, so the beer did come in handy,” Schneider said.

Schneider led the Blue Jays to a wild-card spot after being named interim manager last season. He inked a three-year extension this past off-season to stay as Toronto’s skipper.