The Blue Jays’ Davis Schneider wore John Vukovich’s old glove during historic debut — and had no idea

When Davis Schneider made his major league debut for the Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend, he didn’t know he was carrying a piece of Phillies history with him — while making some history of his own.

A 24-year-old utility player from Eastern High School in Voorhees, Schneider became the first MLB player ever to record nine hits and two home runs in his first three games, including a home run in his first at-bat. But while he’s been making headlines for his production at the plate, the secondhand glove Schneider has been using in the field might be even more interesting, especially to Phillies fans.

Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae shared a picture of Schneider’s Mizuno glove before the Blue Jays’ Sunday game against the Boston Red Sox. Schneider apparently found the glove in the lost-and-found at the facility where he coaches and trains in the offseason, and decided to take it after it was left there unused for more than a year.

“No one got it, and it looked cool, and it looked old, and I was like, ‘All right, I’m just going to use it for now,’” Schneider explained after the game.

Schneider has been jokingly referred to by his teammates as “Babe Schneider” after his breakout debut series. But Toronto second baseman and outfielder Whit Merrifield told Mae that the rookie’s other nickname is “Vuk,” because of the letters inscribed on his castoff glove.

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That “VUK,” written in permanent marker on the wrist strap, turned out to be a clue to the glove’s history. It used to belong to the late John Vukovich, a former player and coach for the Phillies.

Vukovich, while never a star player, was beloved by Phillies fans for his loyalty to the city and the game of baseball. On June 23, 1971, Vukovich caught the final out of Rick Wise’s no-hitter on a line drive to third by Pete Rose. He didn’t appear in any games in the 1980 World Series, but was on the active roster for the Phillies’ victory over the Kansas City Royals. He returned to the team as a coach in 1988 and remained with the Phillies for the rest of his life.

In 2007, Vukovich died from a brain tumor. The Phillies honored their longtime coach by wearing a circular black patch with “VUK” in white letters on the right sleeves of their jerseys.

But the connections don’t end there. Vukovich’s son Vince was college roommates with Blue Jays manager John Schneider (no relation to the rookie infielder). Vince Vukovich and John Schneider, a native of Princeton, played baseball together for the University of Delaware. The younger Vukovich was drafted by the Phillies in 2001 and played 274 games in the Phillies system, making it as far as high-A.

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After Vince saw Mae’s tweet, he messaged his old college teammate, saying “I’ve been looking for this. Tell Davis I want it back!”

The Phillies visit the Schneiders and the Blue Jays, who are holding on to the last American League wild-card spot, for a two-game series starting on Aug. 15.