When Addison Barger collapsed onto the pull-out couch in his teammate’s hotel room during the 2025 MLB postseason, he wasn’t thinking about baseball history. He was thinking about sleep — or the lack of it. The couch, owned by fellow Davis Schneider, groaned like an old floorboard under every shift of weight. "It was squeaking all night," Schneider told the Toronto Star. Barger, exhausted but determined, got up the next morning and delivered one of the most improbable clutch hits in recent memory: a pinch-hit grand slam in the World Series. And now, thanks to a clever billboard in downtown Toronto, the whole country knows why.
The Couch That Changed Everything
It wasn’t planned. Road trips in baseball are grueling — long bus rides, strange hotels, inconsistent mattresses. Players often bunk together to save space or just for the camaraderie. Barger, a 25-year-old power hitter with a quiet demeanor, had been crashing on Schneider’s couch for at least two games, according to Sportsnet. The phrase "again" in their headline wasn’t casual — it was confirmation this was becoming a ritual. Schneider, a utility infielder known for his humor and locker-room presence, didn’t mind. He joked about it in interviews. But the noise? That was another story."I thought I was going to lose my mind," Schneider told Sportsnet. "I’d wake up every hour thinking it was the alarm. Then I’d realize — it was just the couch. And Barger. Still moving. Still alive. Still breathing. Still squeaking."
The Grand Slam That Silence Couldn’t Silence
The next night, in Game 4 of the World Series at Rogers Centre, the Blue Jays were trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth. Two runners on. Two outs. The crowd was on its feet. Manager John Schneider — no relation — called on Barger to pinch-hit. He’d slept maybe four hours. His eyes were red. His neck was stiff. But when the pitch came — a 96 mph fastball inside — he didn’t swing for the fences. He just got the barrel on it.The ball cleared the left-field wall. The stadium erupted. The Blue Jays led 7-4. The momentum shifted. And according to Sports Illustrated, the moment was instantly immortalized: "Addison Barger hit his pinch-hit grand slam after sleeping on Davis Schneider's couch." The tweet, with a photo of Barger rounding third, went viral in under ten minutes. Fans started calling him "The Squeaky Slammer."
From Sleepless Night to Marketing Gold
By the next morning, Sleep Country Canada Inc. had seen the tweet. The Richmond, B.C.-based mattress retailer — which operates over 200 stores across Canada and trades on the TSX as ZZZ — didn’t hesitate. Within 24 hours, they commissioned a billboard on the 401 highway just outside Toronto. It showed a photo of Barger mid-swing, with the tagline: "Sleep Deprived Hero. Thanks for the Wake-Up Call.""We’re in the business of sleep," said a spokesperson in LBB Online. "But sometimes, greatness comes from the moments when you can’t sleep. We just wanted to celebrate that." The billboard was met with a mix of laughter and applause. Some called it genius. Others called it opportunistic. Either way, it worked. Sleep Country’s website traffic spiked 300% that day. Sales of their "Elite Recovery" mattress line — marketed as "designed for athletes who need to recover fast" — jumped 45%.
Why This Matters Beyond the Diamond
This isn’t just a funny story. It’s a reminder that in modern sports, the line between human vulnerability and commercial opportunity is paper-thin. Barger didn’t ask for the couch. He didn’t ask for the noise. He didn’t ask for the billboard. But he showed up — tired, sore, and ready — when it counted. That’s the stuff legends are made of.And in a league where analytics dominate, where every swing is measured and every pitch is tracked, sometimes the most powerful stat is the one you can’t quantify: grit. The kind that comes from a squeaky couch, a lack of REM cycles, and the stubborn refusal to let anything — not even a bad night’s sleep — keep you from your job.
What Happens Next?
The Blue Jays are still in the playoffs. Barger’s bat is hot. Schneider’s couch? Still squeaking. And Sleep Country Canada? They’ve already started a #SqueakyCouchChallenge on social media, inviting fans to share their worst hotel sleep stories. The winner gets a year’s supply of pillows — and a private tour of Sleep Country’s R&D lab.As for Barger? He’s not commenting much. But sources say he’s now sleeping on the floor.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Sleep Country Canada Inc. respond to Addison Barger’s World Series moment?
Sleep Country Canada Inc. quickly launched a cheeky outdoor billboard campaign calling Barger a "sleep-deprived hero," referencing his infamous couch-sleeping ordeal before hitting a pinch-hit grand slam in the World Series. The campaign, documented by LBB Online, drove a 300% spike in website traffic and a 45% surge in sales of their athlete-targeted mattresses, turning a viral moment into a successful marketing win.
Is Davis Schneider’s couch still squeaking?
Yes. According to teammates, the couch — a standard hotel-issue pull-out model — still makes noise when used. Schneider has joked about buying a new one, but the team has unofficially declared it a "lucky charm." Barger reportedly sleeps on the floor now, but the couch remains in the room, untouched since the World Series.
Has Addison Barger ever spoken publicly about the couch incident?
Barger has largely stayed quiet, but in a brief postgame interview after the grand slam, he smiled and said, "I didn’t sleep much, but I slept well enough." He declined to elaborate further, though teammates confirm he’s since started carrying a travel pillow and an eye mask — and refuses to share his room with anyone else.
Why is this story significant beyond baseball?
It highlights how modern sports culture blends human imperfection with commercial storytelling. A minor, relatable inconvenience — a noisy hotel couch — became the backdrop for a historic athletic moment, then a viral marketing campaign. It’s a rare case where authenticity, humor, and performance intersected perfectly, proving that sometimes the most memorable sports stories aren’t about stats — they’re about sleepless nights and stubborn will.
Could this happen again with another player?
Absolutely. With over 200 MLB road games per season and countless hotel stays, these kinds of moments are inevitable. Teams are now more aware of sleep quality, but bunking arrangements still happen. If another player pulls off a clutch hit after a terrible night’s rest — and the media catches wind — you can bet another brand will be ready with a billboard.
What’s the connection between Sleep Country Canada Inc. and the Toronto Blue Jays?
There’s no official sponsorship deal between Sleep Country Canada Inc. and the Blue Jays. The billboard was an independent, opportunistic marketing move — not an endorsement. But the timing, tone, and local relevance made it feel like one. The company, headquartered in Richmond, B.C., has no formal ties to Toronto, yet the campaign resonated because it tapped into a shared Canadian experience: the struggle to sleep in a cheap hotel bed.