Top Blue Jays Player #35: John
Mayberry
Position: First
baseman
Seasons With the
Jays: 5 (1978-82)
Stats: Games Played 549 Batting Average .256
Base Hits 461 Runs
Scored 215
Home Runs 92 RBIs 272
Doubles
62 Triples 6
Stolen Bases 3 Walks 257
Acquired by the Blue Jays from
the Kansas City Royals prior to the 1978 season, John Mayberry was the first
slugger in the Toronto franchise’s history. He was originally drafted by the
Houston Astros but only played a handful of games before coming an everyday
player with the Royals. Mayberry hit 146 home runs over his six years with the
Royals and was an All-Star in 1973 and 1974 and was runner-up to Fred Lynn of
the Boston Red Sox in American League MVP voting in 1975.
A feud with Royals’ manager,
Whitey Herzog, caused the skipper to blame Mayberry for the team’s loss to the
New York Yankees in the 1977 ALCS. As ridiculous as that accusation was, the
Royals sold him to the Blue Jays after Spring Training in 1978.
His first season with Toronto,
he batted .250 with 22 home runs and 60 RBIs and followed that up with a .274
average, 21 home runs and 74 RBIs. Then in 1979, Mayberry became the first
player in Blue Jays’ history to reach the 30 home run mark when he smacked
number 30 on the second to last day of the season at Fenway Park against the
Red Sox. He added 82 RBIs and batted .248.
In the strike-shortened 1981
season, he managed to hit 17 homers and 44 RBIs but it was clear that the
slugger’s best playing days were behind him. After 17 games into the 1982
season, Toronto traded Mayberry to the Yankees. After the 1982 season, he was
released by the Yankees and subsequently retired.
In 2014, Mayberry’s son, John
Jr., played 15 games for the Blue Jays making them the first father/son duo to
play for the team.
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