He’s a fan favourite, with a moustache as iconic as facial hair can get.
It was less than a year ago that Davis Schneider became the first MLB player to record nine hits, including two home runs, in his first three games.
The Toronto Blue Jays star quickly earned his spot in baseball history, as well as the hearts of many Jays fans.
But recently, there appears to be a certain demographic that has been rallying behind the star.
“I think moms are the number one demographic that are really kind of running with the whole moustache thing,” Schneider told Global News.
“I’m here for it,” he said.
The second baseman and outfielder’s record-breaking performance has undoubtedly propelled him to the top in many fans’ eyes.
But something about his iconic look, he says, has caused a buzz among female fans, who have been showing up to games donning moustaches of their own.
“I don’t know, I think I just look like a guy from the ’80s,” said Schneider.
One long-time Jays fan can certainly see the resemblance.
“I started watching baseball in the late ’80s,” said Eva Mazhari.”He’s kind of a throwback looking guy, so I think a lot of people like that retro kind of look.”
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The ’80s is a personal time for Mazhari.
Her love for the Jays began to blossom when her parents started taking her to games as a child.
She recalls walking down Front Street, the sun reflecting off the CN Tower, on her way to the Rogers Centre.
Now, the Jays — and Schneider’s look — have become a special reminder of that sentimental time.
“Unfortunately, I lost my mom a number of years ago. So those memories are very near and dear,” she said.
Mazhari was especially touched by Schneider’s story.
After losing his brother in 2020, the star pushed on to later play with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, and the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.
Then he got the idea to grow a moustache from Top Gun’s Miles Teller.
“I wasn’t hitting well at the time. I had a beard. So I said ‘Might as well get a moustache and see where it takes me’,” said Schneider.
Then his batting muscle kicked in, and suddenly, he was called up to the big leagues.
“As of now, it has probably been my best attribute. I think its the reason why I’m hitting and playing well. Wearing a moustache out there — I think it has built a confidence in me.”
Back at Mazhari’s house, the mother ruffles through a collection of signed baseballs, including one for her seven-year-old son, signed by Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The Toronto woman has kept her family tradition alive with her little Kamran – travelling all over to go to as many Jays games as they can, including every Mother’s Day game.
“Now that I don’t have a mom to visit necessarily, it’s something (my son) and I can do together. You know where we’re gonna be May 12th,” she said.
Schneider never once dreamed his career, and his ‘stache, could ever cement him in the hearts of many Canadians.
Having “the whole country” behind the Jays, he says, is still surreal every single day.
Whether they’re donning a moustache or coming out to every game, fans like Mazhari, says Schneider, are what fuels the Jays to push on during their quest for the World Series.
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