Top 40 All-Time Blue Jays: Honourable Mentions #2

Honourable Mentions Part 2

                This is an unplanned entry into the Top 40 Blue Jays’ All-Time Players List but as I’ve been going through my research thus far into the season, some other players’ names have come across my path and I thought it would be fun to kick off the second half of the Top 40 list by having another honourable mentions list. These players were never considered for the list but made contributions to the franchise over the years.

Bob Bailor—Bailor had the honour of being the first player that the Blue Jays selected in the 1977 Expansion Draft. He played for Toronto for four seasons, appearing in 523 games. His best season was the first when he had a .310 batting average. More than a decade after leaving the Blue Jays as a player, he returned as a coach from 1992 to 1995, serving as first base coach when the Jays won back-to-back World Series in 1992 and 1993.

Rick Bosetti—Bosetti played parts of four seasons with the Jays, but he is best remembered for stating that his goal in the Big Leagues was to urinate on the field in all of MLB’s stadiums (classy!). In 1979, he played in all 162 games and led all American League outfielders in putouts, assists and errors.

Rico Carty—The first in a long line of Blue Jays’ players from the Dominican Republic, Carty played 104 games for Toronto in 1978 before being traded to the Oakland A’s in August. He then re-signed with the Jays in 1979, played 132 games and retired at the conclusion of the season. He hit 32 home runs for the Jays over those two season.

John Cerutti—While Jimmy Key was the best left-handed starter the Jays ever had, John Cerutti was a solid compliment to Key. His pitching motion and pick-off move were similar to—but not the same as—Key’s. Cerutti pitched for Toronto from 1985 until the end of 1990, winning a total of 43 games. After he retired, he was the main analysts on Jays’ TV broadcasts until his untimely death at the age of 44 in October of 2004.

Dave Collins—Blessed with speed and base-running savvy, Collins was part of a lethal base-stealing duo (with Damaso Garcia) at the top of Toronto’s lineup for the 1983 and 1984 seasons. Collins stole 31 bases in 1983 and another 60 in 1984 (still the club single season record). However, with George Bell, Lloyd Moseby and Jesse Barfield in the outfield, Collins was let go after the 1984 season.

Rob Ducey—The token Canadian on the club from 1987 until 1992, Ducey (born in Toronto) was never much more than a pinch-runner and a late-inning defensive replacement. Over his seven years with the Jays, he only played in 188 games. After shuffling between the Angels, Rangers, Mariners and Phillies for several years, Ducey returned to Toronto in 2000 for five games.

Nelson Liriano—Most of his time with the Blue Jays was spent platooning at second base with Manny Lee. He played in 318 games from 1987 to 1989 and helped the Jays to the AL East title in 1989. He hit 11 home runs in his three seasons, while stealing 44 bases and playing a reliable second base.

Todd Stottlemyre—Pitching for the Jays from 1988 until 1994, Stottlemyre was never more than an average number four or five pitcher. He won 69 games over his seven years while losing 70 and his ERA was 4.39. His most memorable moment for the Jays was during the 1993 World Series victory celebrations when he told the mayor of Philadelphia (who had mocked his pitching ability during the Series) to kiss his rear-end.

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Brock Dykxhoorn: End of May Update

                The month of May got off to a bit of a rough start for Delhi, Ontario’s Brock Dykxhoorn of the Lancaster JetHawks in the California League (Advance Class ‘A’) but he has rebounded quite well with three wins in his last three appearances. The JetHawks have had a bit of an average year, having won 21 and lost 24 at this point of the season, and they sit in third place in the South Division of the League, seven and a half games behind the first place High Desert Mavericks.

                Let’s have a look at Dykxhoorn’s last three pitching performances before we look at his overall season to this point. First, we’ll look at his rough outing at the beginning of the month. It was a home game against the Visalia Rawhide (who are currently in first place in the North Division) on May 6^th and Dykxhoorn started on the mound for Lancaster. Visalia scored three runs in the first, three more in the second and another two in the fourth, eventually winning the game by a score of 14-7. In his four innings of work, Dykxhoorn surrendered eight runs, all earned, yielded eight hits and struck out two while walking three.

                His next start was a week later, on May 13^th, when Lancaster hosted the Lake Elsinore Storm. He pitched six innings picking up the win as the Hawks won the game 2-1. He only gave up two hits in his six innings, while striking out three batters.

                A relief appearance followed on May 18^th as Lancaster defeated the Inland Empire 66ers by a score of 11-4. Dykxhoorn was credited with the victory, throwing four innings of shutout ball, giving up only two hits while striking out five 66er batters.

                On May 24^th, Dykxhoorn was back in a starting role and his teammates scored six in the first inning, eventually winning 11-9. For his part, Dykxhoorn pitched five innings, allowing four runs—only one of which was earned—while striking out six batters. He picked up another victory.

                For the season—his second full season in professional baseball—Dykxhoorn has pitched in eight games, six starts, totalling 38 2/3 innings pitched. He has a 4-1 record, a 3.03 ERA while striking out 30 batters. His four wins make him the team leader in that category. He is scheduled to make the start for the JetHawks this afternoon as they play host to High Desert.

                With three weeks remaining in the first half of the season, the JetHawks will make a final push for a playoff spot. If they fall short, they will get another opportunity as the second half will begin on June 23^rd. The play off format is as follows: the first place team in the division for both the first and second halves will make the postseason, as well as a wild card spot to be awarded to the team with the best overall record that didn’t finish in first place in either half.

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This Day In Baseball History: May 29, 1962

This Day In Baseball History: May 29, 1962

                It was on this date in 1962 that Negro League legend Buck O’Neil became the first African-American coach in the history of Major League Baseball when he was hired by the Chicago Cubs. O’Neil’s previous job had been a scout with the Cubs, which he had held since his resignation as a manger in 1955.

                O’Neil was born in 1911 and passed away in 2006, a month shy of his 95^th birthday. He played a total of 16 seasons with the Kansas City Monarchs and is one of many players that segregated Major League Baseball missed out on due to old prejudices. But O’Neil never complained about his never getting a shot in the Big Leagues. If anything, he was proud of how his baseball talent got him away from the tortuous, mentors celery fields in his hometown of Carrabelle, Florida.

                If you’ve never heard Buck O’Neil talk baseball, and hear all the wonderful stories he had to tell, you need to do yourself a favour and watch Ken Burns’ “Baseball” Documentary. O’Neil is one of the interviewees and—without a doubt—the most interesting one to listen to.

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This Day In Blue Jays' History: May 28, 1989

                It was on this day in 1989 that the Toronto Blue Jays played their final game at Exhibition Stadium before moving to SkyDome. The old renovated football stadium was the home of the Jays since 1977 and while it was one of the worst stadiums in the history of Major League Baseball, those of us who were privileged to attend a game there will have some of the best memories of the early years of the club.

                There was the snow covered field that greeted the players for the first game in team history in 1977. There were the horrible teams of the first three years that lost over 100 game each season. Fans will always remember the pieces of a competitive team being put together as we were witnesses to the first years of Dave Stieb, Jimmy Key, Lloyd Moseby, George Bell, Tony Fernandez and Tom Henke.

                There was 1983 when the Jays challenged for the division title for the first time, before slumping in September and finishing fourth. The clinching of the division over the New York Yankees on a chilly October Saturday afternoon in 1985, followed a week and a half later by the collapse against the Kansas City Royals in the ALCS that was the first of several disappointments.

                And then there was the four-game series against the Tigers in September of 1987 when the Jays took the first three games of the series and were three outs away from the sweep when the Tigers came back to win the fourth game, kicking off a seven-game Toronto losing streak that lost the division.

                And then there was the stadium itself. The North Grandstand, the cheap seats ($2 general admission price in 1977 that only got as high as $4 by 1989) were the only seats that provided protection from the elements with its roof. The rest of the seats were exposed to the cold winds sweeping in from Lake Ontario. The seats were arranged for football viewing which means if you sat on any seats past the bases, you sat with your head turned either right or left, depending on which baseline you sat.

                Back to the North Grandstand, the thing that remains the most vivid in my mind was how the seats kept going straight while the outfield fence bended around centre and right fields, leaving a big patch of exposed astro turf past the fence. It was always fun to see a home run fly over the right field fence and then keep bouncing towards the endzone section of the football field.

                And yes, people actually sat in those seats that were as much as 700 feet away from home plate. I remember my dad taking me to a game on the Victoria Day holiday on a Monday afternoon and we had tickets in the grandstand. As I mentioned earlier, the grandstand was general admission which means first come, first served. We ended up being about three or four sections away from the end of the grandstand and I will always remember a home run that Jays’ first baseman Fred McGriff hit in the bottom of the ninth inning. I saw him swing his bat and hit the ball, and then I heard the crack of the impact about a second and a half later. That’s how far away we were.

                As for the final game on May 28^th, 1989, the Jays played the Chicago White Sox, the team they played in the first game back in 1977. The Jays won the game 7-5 on a George Bell walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the tenth inning. Reliever Tom Henke was the winning pitcher.

                The first chapter of the Blue Jays’ history was over. The memories of Exhibition Stadium (both good and bad) will be remembered forever.

“Top Of The Third” requests you email any memories of Exhibition Stadium that you would like to share. Please send to topofthethird@gmail.com.

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Your Memories of Exhibition Stadium

                Here it is: your memories of Exhibition Stadium, the first home of the Toronto Blue Jays. I want to thank everyone who took the time to send in their memories. Let’s get started:

Jeff (Scarborough, Ontario)         July 27, 1979      Blue Jays vs Detroit Tigers

Going to the ball park with your sons is a very rewarding and satisfying day out. To attend a major league baseball game to watch the Toronto Blue Jays, our home town heroes, last place or close to it notwithstanding, is even better.

Picture sitting in the bleachers at Exhibition Stadium, first home field for the Jays, beyond the left field fence in our $2 bleacher seats, with a son on each side. Top of the 5th, one out, one runner on base, Altar Greene, Tigers 3rd baseman Tom Brookens at bat. Phil Huffman of the Jays on the mound.

Brookens delivered his first ever home run away from Tiger Stadium, over the left field fence in your general direction. As the ball gets closer and you realize that it will be in your vicinity, you prepare to make an attempt to catch it.

The ball came directly to my seat and without standing or shifting I was able to catch it, on the fly, at knee level. After traveling about 350feet it was much softer on the hands than I would have imagined. I was very pleased as were my boys. Detroit went on to defeat the Jays by a score of 4-3 in eleven innings but our day was a winner.

I have given the baseball to my eldest son for safekeeping.

Paul (Hamilton, Ontario)              1985       Blue Jays vs New Yankees

                I was 14 when the Jays were chasing their first play off spot in 1985. I had been to see a few games earlier in the year with my dad, but this would be different. It was the final weekend of the year and they Jays only needed to win one game to capture the division. In the end, they only won one game and as much as I would like to say that was the game my dad took me to, it wasn’t.

                No, we went on the Friday night, but the atmosphere was unlike anything I had ever experienced, and the only thing that topped it was the World Series game I went to at SkyDome in 1992 (they lost that game, too). The Jays had lost three straight to the Tigers and we were hopeful of the slump ending and the Jays clinching.

                For a brief moment, it appeared that’s exactly what would happen. The score was 2-2 when the Jays pushed across the potential division-clinching run in the bottom of the eighth. A Cliff Johnson single had scored Lloyd Moseby.

                Tom Henke had come into the game in the top of the eighth and now looked to shut down the Yankees in the ninth. The first two batters came up, then sat down. Two outs. One to go. This was going to be the night. But Yankee catcher Butch Wynegar drove Henke’s pitch over the right field wall for a home run to tie the game.

                No problem. We were confident the Jays would push across the winning run in the bottom half of the ninth. But a single and a walk put two runners on. Don Mattingly was the batter and he hit a high fly ball into centrefield. The inning was over—except Moseby dropped the ball. The Yankees scored on the error and the Jays failed to tie it in the ninth.

                It was very disappointing and as much as I pleaded with my dad for us to come back the next day, we didn’t. However, watching them clinch on TV the following afternoon took away the sting of the night before. But as the years have gone by, I sometimes find myself wishing they had clinched it when I was there.

Phil (London, Ontario)                   1980s

                My first game at Exhibition Stadium was in the early 1980s. I think it was around 1982 or 1983, I’m really not sure as I was only five or six years old. I don’t even remember who they played but I do remember going with my parents and it was an afternoon game. I was just starting to get into baseball and I couldn’t wait to go. The drive from London seemed to take forever.

                When we finally got there, we walked across the parking lot and saw all the other people headed to the same place we were and I got really excited. I was finally there. We entered the old Ex and once I came through the tunnel and into the stands, I was blown away. The massive amount of grass (I didn’t know it was fake at the time) must have taken forever to cut.

                The players were warming up, the sun was beating down on us and as a little kid, it was the greatest feeling in the world. I don’t remember any plays, or what I had to eat or even if I left the stadium with any souvenirs. But I will always remember the drive in the car, the walk to the stadium and seeing the field for the first time.

**Thank you for your submissions. I greatly appreciate it.**

                                                                --L.W. (Top Of The Third)

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Top 40 All-time Blue Jays: #21: Kelly Gruber

Top Blue Jays Player #21: Kelly Gruber

Position: Third base

Seasons With the Jays: 9 (1984-1992)

MLB Awards: Silver Slugger (1990)

                     Gold Glove (1990)

All-Star Game Selection: 1989, 1990

Stats: Games Played 921               Batting Average .259

                                              Base Hits 800                        Runs Scored 421

                                              Home Runs 114                    RBIs  434

                                              Doubles  145                         Triples  24

                                               Stolen Bases  80                  Walks  195

                One of the most naturally-gifted athletes in the history of the Toronto Blue Jays, Kelly Gruber would flourish for his first few years with the club, only to suffer through enigmatic slumps during his final years. He would also go from being one of the most popular players on the club to the one everyone wanted to boo and call radio shows to demand he be traded.

                Gruber was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the first round (10^th pick overall) in the June Amateur Draft in 1980. He never played with the Tribe and was selected by the Blue Jays in the Rule 5 Draft in December 1983. He got into 15 games with the Jays in 1984, only making 16 plate appearances. And while he only got one hit, it was a home run.

                In 1985, most of his season was spent in the minors and he only played five games with Toronto. He managed three hits in 15 at bats. More playing time came his way in 1986, this time appearing in 87 games. He batted .196, hit five home runs, added 15 RBIs while playing every position on the field except pitcher, catcher and first base.

                He finally broke into the starting lineup as the team’s everyday third baseman in 1987. In 138 games, he batted .235, hit 12 home runs, added 36 RBIs and stole 12 bases. Even more success followed in 1988 as Gruber was beginning to develop into the best player on the ball club. A .278 average was accompanied by 16 home runs, 81 RBIs and what would be career best 23 stolen bases.

                As the Jays were on their way to winning the AL East title in 1989, Gruber became an All-Star for the first time. His average of .290 would be the highest of his career. He had 18 home runs and 73 RBIs. In the ALCS (a five game loss to the Oakland A’s) Gruber collected five hits, stole a base and scored two runs.

                His breakout season would be 1990 as he became an All-Star again while winning a Gold Glove Award for his defensive play (.955 fielding percentage) and a Silver Slugger Award. His average dropped a bit to .274 but he walloped 31 home runs and added 118 RBIs. He even finished fourth in the voting for the AL’s MVP award. But the team struggled to be competitive and changes were needed for the 1991 season.

                After trades brought in Joe Carter, Roberto Alomar and Devon White, Gruber made headlines in Spring Training by boldly predicting the Jays would have the AL East Division clinched by the middle of September. While the team played well, Gruber struggled with injuries and his numbers dropped. A .252 average, 20 home runs and 65 RBIs were a far cry from his performance from a year earlier. The Jays did indeed win the division, but did so in the final week of the season. They lost the ALCS to Minnesota in five games, although Gruber had six hits and four RBIs in the series.

                On a personal level, Gruber’s 1992 was horrible. Injuries plagued him again and he appeared in only 120 games. His batting average plummeted to .220, he only hit 11 home runs and 43 RBIs. Even worse, Toronto fans were getting on the former All-Star, constantly booing him whenever he came to the plate. However, Toronto manager, Cito Gaston, stuck with Gruber as the Jays won the division for the second year in a row.

                In the ALCS against the Oakland Athletics, Toronto won in six games to advance to the World Series. But Gruber only managed two hits in 22 at bats (a dismal .091 average) but one of the hits was a home run to help win Game 2 of the series.

                In the World Series against Atlanta, despite having a .105 average (two hits in 19 at bats) he had quite an eventful series. In the second game, he caught the final out in a Jays’ win and then mocked the Atlanta fans by mimicking their Tomahawk Chop. In Game 3, he was on the back-end of a play that should have been a triple play, but the second-base umpire somehow missed his tag of Atlanta outfielder Deion Sanders. In the same game, he hit a game-tying home run, despite having torn his rotator cuff on the near triple play.

                In the fourth game, his head-first slide into home plate with what would turn out to be the game-winning run was also memorable, as he banged his chin in the dirt when making the slide, and appeared to be a bit concussed, but he stayed in the game.

                Even though the Jays would win the World Series, Gruber’s time in a Toronto uniform was over. He was traded to the California Angels before the 1993 season and only played in 18 games with the Halos before being forced to retire due to a bone spur on his spine.

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Top 40 All-Time Blue Jays: #22: Ernie Whitt

Top Blue Jays Player #22: Ernie Whitt

Position: Catcher

Seasons With the Jays: 12 (1977-1978, 1980-1989)

All-Star Game Selection: 1985

Stats: Games Played 1218            Batting Average .253

                                               Base Hits 888                        Runs Scored 424

                                               Home Runs 131                    RBIs  518

                                                Doubles  164                        Triples  15

                                                Stolen Bases  22                   Walks  403

During his time with the Toronto Blue Jays, Ernie Whitt was arguably the most popular player on the team. He was one of the players taken in the expansion draft when the team came into existence. As time went on and the players from the 1977 team left the club, he was referred to as one of the “original Blue Jays”, along with pitcher Jim Clancy and infielder Garth Iorg. When Clancy and Iorg retired, Whitt earned the honour of being the last original Blue Jay.

He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 15^th round of the Amateur Draft in 1972 and played with the Sox for eight games in 1976. While he only managed four hits in those games, one of them was his first Big League home run.

After being selected by the Jays in the expansion draft, Whitt got into 23 games with Toronto in 1977, batting .171 with no home runs and six RBIs. He played even less in 1978—only two games—and never managed a hit. The Blue Jays manager at the time, Roy Hartsfield, didn’t think much of Whitt’s potential. Whitt demanded to be traded after Hartsfield told him that he (Whitt) would never play on the team as long as he (Hartsfield) was the manager.

Hartsfield was fired after the 1979 and Bobby Mattick became the club’s new skipper. Whitt won the starting catcher’s job for the 1980 season and played in 106 games, batting .237, hitting six home runs and driving in 34. In the strike-shortened season of 1981, Whitt only played in 74 games, and had a batting average of .236 while hitting one home run and adding 16 RBIs.

While never much of an offensive threat, Whitt’s true talent lay in his defensive play and the ability to handle a pitching staff and the differing personalities that usually are contained therein. With the arrival of new manager Bobby Cox in 1982, a platoon system was devised where Whitt split the catching duties with Buck Martinez, but Whitt still saw most of the action.

In 105 games in 1982, his average improved to .261 and he hit 11 home runs and had 42 RBIs.

1983 was the breakout season for the Blue Jays’ club as for the first time, they avoided the basement and even held onto first place into August before finishing fourth behind Baltimore. Whitt also had his breakout season as he batted .256, hit 17 home runs and added 56 RBIs in 123 games.

His numbers dipped a bit in 1984 (.238, 15, 46) but he played well enough in 1985 (.245, 19, 64) to earn his only All-Star Game selection of his career. He also helped the Blue Jays win the division title for the first time and did most of the catching as Martinez broke his leg in the middle of the season.

While the team underachieved in 1986, Whitt still had a decent season (.268, 15, 56), but 1987 was the best offensive output of his career, with career highs in batting average (.269), home runs (19) and RBIs (75).

But his numbers started to decline in 1988 and even though he helped lead the team to another division title in 1989, Whitt was already grooming his replacement, Pat Borders, who would be the mainstay behind the plate for the next half-dozen seasons.

After the 1989 season, Whitt was released and signed by the Atlanta Braves as a backup catcher and only appeared in 67 games in the 1990 season. Before the start of the 1991 season, he signed with the Baltimore Orioles, but after struggling at the plate in his 35 games, the O’s released him in July.

Since his retirement, Whitt has gained notoriety as the manager of the Canadian National Baseball Team in such tournaments as the World Baseball Classic, the Olympics and the Pan-Am Games, winning gold medals in the Pan-Am event in 2011 and 2015. From 2005 to 2008, he also served with the Blue Jays as a bench coach and their first base coach.

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This Day In Baseball History: May 24, 1935

This Day In Baseball History: May 24, 1935

                It was on this date in 1935 that the first night game in the history of Major League Baseball was played at Crossley Field in Cincinnati. The hometown Reds were hosting the Philadelphia Phillies. The first game under the lights had been scheduled to be played the previous evening, but rain had spoiled that plan. During the opening ceremonies, United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressed a button at the White House that (symbolically only) turned on the lights in Cincinnati.

                The game was played in front of 20,422 fans and was finished in a remarkable one hour and thirty-five minutes (keep in mind there were no TV commercials to lengthen the time between innings back then.) Joe Bowman started on the mound for the Phillies while the Reds countered with Paul Derringer, who would pitch a complete game.

                The Reds won the game by a score of 2-1, scoring a run in the first and one in the fourth, while Philly picked up theirs in the fifth. 

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Top 40 All-Time Blue Jays: #23: Edwin Encarnacion

Top Blue Jays Player #23: Edwin Encarnacion

Position: Designated Hitter

Seasons With the Jays: 8 (2009--Current)

All-Star Game Selection: 2013, 2014

Stats**: Games Played 884               Batting Average .268

                                               Base Hits 862                        Runs Scored 513

                                               Home Runs 206                    RBIs  584

                                               Doubles  178                         Triples  4

                                               Stolen Bases  35                  Walks  407

                                         **Stats are as of Saturday, May 21, 2016

                The career of Edwin Encarnacion was salvaged when he was picked up at the trading deadline in 2009 from the Cincinnati Reds in exchanged for Scott Rolen. While a decent player in Cincinnati, his talents sky-rocketed a few years after joining the Jays.

                Encarnacion was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the ninth round of the draft in 2000. He never played a game with the Rangers and was traded to Cincinnati in 2001. After a few years in the minors, he joined the Reds in 2005. Over the next several seasons, he showed promise with the Reds, batting .289 with 16 homers and 76 RBIs in 2007 and following that up with a lower average in 2008 (.251) but more home runs (26).

                After struggling with the Reds in the beginning of 2009, he joined the Jays and played in 42 games, batting .240 with eight home runs and 23 RBIs. He struggled in 2010 with injuries and played in only 96 games, batting .244 with 21 homers and adding 51 RBIs.

                He was placed on waivers following the season and claimed by the Oakland Athletics. However, Oakland never offered him a contract and he became a free agent, re-signing with the Blue Jays.

                And in 2011, he had a better year as he began to blossom into the slugger Jays’ fans know today. Playing in 134 games, Edwin batted .272, hit 17 home runs and added 55 RBIs. It was 2012, however, when he really took off. His average was .280 and he hit a career high 42 home runs and drove in over a hundred runs (110) for the first time.

                Now officially splitting time between designated hitter and first base, he followed up his breakout season with a .272 average, 36 home runs, 104 RBIs and an All-Star Game Selection in 2013. A second All-Star Game appearance followed in 2014 as he hit .268, smashed 34 homers and narrowly missed on a third straight 100-RBI season (98).

                In 2015, the Jays’ offensive was the most potent in baseball as they captured the American League East title. Encarnacion’s 39 home runs were only good enough for third on the team (behind Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista). He bumped his batting average up to .277 after hitting in the low .200s for most of April and May, and finished with the highest RBI total of his career (111).

                In the five-game ALDS against the Texas Rangers, he hit .333 and homered once while driving in three. He struggled a bit in the ALCS against Kansas City (.227, no homers and only two RBIs.)

                It’s safe to say that Encarnacion has been the best designated hitter in club history, although (unlike some DHs) he has the ability to play a fair amount of games in the field. He will be a free agent following the 2016 season and if he does sign elsewhere, he will be greatly missed in the Toronto line-up.

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This Day In Blue Jays' History: May 22, 1983

                It was on this day in 1983 that Blue Jays’ slugger Cliff Johnson tied the Major League record—held by Jerry Lynch—with his 18^th career pinch hit home run.  The solo shot occurred in the eighth inning off of Baltimore Orioles’ reliever Tippy Martinez at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. The Blue Jays won the game 5-0.

                Johnson started his big league career with the Houston Astros in 1972. After playing parts of six years with Houston, he moved on to the New York Yankees where he helped win two World Championships in 1977 and 1978. He played year and a half in Cleveland, followed by a half season with the Cubs, and two seasons in Oakland before finally landing in Toronto in 1983 where he was primarily used as a designated hitter.

                After signing with the Texas Rangers prior to the 1985 season, he returned to Toronto via a trade later in the year and retired after the 1986 season, having played 1369 games, 400 of them with the Blue Jays.

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Top 40 All-Time Blue Jays: #24: Fred McGriff

Top Blue Jays Player #24: Fred McGriff

Position: First Base

Seasons With the Jays: 5 (1986-1990)

MLB Awards: Silver Slugger (1989)

Stats: Games Played 578               Batting Average .278

                                              Base Hits 540                        Runs Scored 348

                                              Home Runs 125                    RBIs  305

                                              Doubles  99                            Triples  8

                                               Stolen Bases  21                  Walks  352

                When Fred McGriff hit a home run, there was never any doubt about it clearing the wall once it left his bat. McGriff hit some towering, majestic drives and with his uppercut swing, and it was apparent he was going for the knockout every time he came to the plate. Perhaps one of the greatest sluggers in the team’s history, but not being a very good clutch hitter cost McGriff a chance at being further up the list.

                He was originally drafted by the New York Yankees in the ninth round of the Amateur Draft in 1981, then was traded as part of the Dave Collins for Dale Murray deal with the Blue Jays in 1982. But it wasn’t until 1986 that McGriff debuted in the Big Leagues, albeit for only three games.

                He started to play more regularly in 1987, spending time at first base while also being in the lineup as the designated hitter. Incumbent Willie Upshaw still held the first baseman’s job in 1987 but after a few months of watching McGriff play, it was obvious Upshaw’s days as a Blue Jay were numbered. In 1987, McGriff played in 107 games while batting .247, slugging 20 home runs and adding 43 RBIs.

                After winning the everyday job in 1988, McGriff responded with an improved .282 average, 34 home runs and 82 RBIs. in 1989, he led the American League in home runs with 36 and looked in line to be a front runner for the Most Valuable Player Award, but a horrible stretch run (he didn’t hit a single home run after September 3^rd) dropped him to sixth in the voting. His average dipped to .269 and he had 92 RBIs. He did, however, win a Silver Slugger Award and helped the Jays to the AL East Division title and a spot in the ALCS against the Oakland Athletics.

                In that series, Toronto lost in five games and McGriff hit a dreary .143 without a home run.

                1990 saw his average jump to .300 for the first time, and he smashed 35 home runs. But the lack of RBIs (only 88) was causing concern. McGriff would rarely come up with a two-out hit with runners on base, and appeared to be gunning for a home run every time at bat, even at times when a single would have sufficed.

                After the season, he was traded along with Tony Fernandez to the San Diego Padres for Joe Carter and Roberto Alomar. After two and a half years with the Padres, McGriff was sent to the Braves. While with Atlanta, he would help the team to the World Series Championship in 1995.

                After Atlanta, he would play with Tampa Bay, the Cubs, the Dodgers and back to Tampa for one more season before retiring at the age of 40 after the 2004 season.

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This Day In Baseball History: May 20, 2000

This Day in Baseball History: May 20^th, 2000

                It was on this day in 2000 that Rickey Henderson, in the first at-bat of his first game with the Seattle Mariners, hit a home run to lead off the game. It was the 76^th time in his career that he accomplished that feat. At the time, second place on the all-time list was Bobby Bonds (35). The Mariners would lose the game to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays by a score of 4-3. The game was played at Safeco Field in Seattle.

                Henderson would go on to hit five more home runs leading of a game before he retired following the 2003 season, giving him a total of 81. Currently in second place on the all-time list of lead-off homers is Alfonso Soriano with 54.

                Henderson’s home run on May 20^th, 2000, also made him only the third player in MLB history (joining Ted Williams and Willie McCovey) to hit a home run in four different decades. In 2010, Omar Vizquel became the fourth member of the group.

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Top 40 All-Time Blue Jays: #25: Damaso Garcia

Top Blue Jays Player #25: Damaso Garcia

Position: Second base

Seasons With the Jays: 7 (1980-1986)

MLB Awards: Silver Slugger (1982)

All-Star Game Selection: 1984, 1985

Stats: Games Played 902               Batting Average .288

                                              Base Hits 1028                     Runs Scored 453

                                              Home Runs 32                      RBIs  296

                                              Doubles  172                         Triples  26

                                              Stolen Bases  194                Walks  110

                Damaso Garcia, it could be argued, was one of the most talented baseball players that played for the Toronto Blue Jays. However, his volatile temper and personality clashes with the team’s managers kept him from realizing his true potential. Having said that, no one who watched the Blue Jays from the early to mid 1980s will ever forget the contributions Garcia made to the team.

                He was signed by the New York Yankees in March 1975 and played in the minor leagues for most of the next five years. In June of 1978, he made his Big League debut but only played in 18 games that season. After appearing in another 11 games in 1979, Garcia was traded by the Yankees to the Toronto Blue Jays.

                In 1980, he became the every day second baseman for the Jays under manager Bobby Mattick. He batted .278, hit four home runs (he never was much of a power hitter) and added 46 RBIs. Blessed with speed and base running smarts, Garcia managed to steal 13 bases in his rookie year, a sign of things to come. His performance was good enough to finish fourth in voting for the American’s League Rookie of the Year Award.

                In the strike-shortened season of 1981, he only played in 64 games, batted .252 hit one home run and had only 13 RBIs. He did, however, manage to steal 13 bases again. But 1982 would be Garcia’s break-out season. Toronto had a new manager, Bobby Cox, who Garcia would flourish under, but at the same time be at odds with over his spot in the batting order.

                He played 147 games, hit over .300 for the first time (.310), hit five home runs, added 42 RBIs and had an impressive 54 stolen bases. He also became the lead-off hitter, the position in the order he felt entitled to. The dispute over his lead-off spot would happen in 1983 when Cox would flip Garcia and centre-fielder Lloyd Moseby between the top two spots on occasion, depending on which player was performing better. It didn’t sit too well with the second baseman and he became moody and would voice his displeasure to the Toronto media.

                Despite the controversy, Garcia still finished the 1983 season with a .307 average, three home runs, 38 RBIs and 31 stolen bases. He would earn his first All-Star Game selection in 1984 (.284, 5, 46 and 46 stolen bases) and his second in 1985 (.282, 8, 65, 28 stolen bases) while helping the Blue Jays to their first AL East Division title. In the ALCS against Kansas City, Garcia only batted .233, with one RBI and no stolen bases.

                But 1986 would be his most tumultuous with the club. Cox was replace by Jimy Williams as the manager and Garcia was dropped to ninth in the batting order. Forever moody, Garcia sulked and his performance at the plate suffered. On May 18, trying to break out of his slump, he actually burned his uniform in the clubhouse, which angered Williams. He confronted Garcia in front of the entire team, souring the second baseman even more. He rallied to finish the season with a .281 average, six home runs and 46 RBIs, but only stole nine bases.

                He was traded to the Atlanta Braves before the 1987 season but missed the entire season after injuring his knee. In 1988, he only 21 games with Atlanta, batting a dismal .117, with only one home run and four RBIs. He joined the Montreal Expos for 1989, played in 80 games and was let go following the season. Prior to the 1990 season, he signed with the Yankees but never played another game in the Major Leagues, his career over at age 32.

                A year later, he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour. Even though he had the tumour removed (in 1991), doctors told him he only had six months to live. However, 25 years later he is still alive although the effects of the tumour have left him with limited speech and movement.

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Top 40 All-time Blue Jays: #26: Juan Guzman

Top Blue Jays Player #26: Juan Guzman

Position: Pitcher

Seasons With the Jays:  (1991-1998)

All-Star Game Selection: 1992

Stats: Games Pitched 195             Innings Pitched  1215.2

                                            Wins/Losses 76-62             Saves 0

                                             ERA 4.07                           Strike outs 1030

                                             Games Started  195          Games Finished 0

                                             Complete Games  15         Shutouts  2

                While the Toronto Blue Jays had a long history of fielding talented players from the Dominican Republic in their everyday line-up, it wasn’t until Juan Guzman came along in 1991 that the team had a bona fide Dominican pitcher on their mound. Guzman was originally signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers in March of 1985, but was traded to the Blue Jays just over a year later for infielder Mike Sharperson (only the most avid Blue Jays fans would remember Sharperson).

                Guzman came to Toronto at just the right time. Right-hander Dave Stieb, the ace of the staff for nearly a decade, went down during the season with an array of back and shoulder injuries. With Guzman exploding onto the Big League scene, he slotted right in to the rotation to replace Stieb. His first season in 1991 resulted in a 10-3 record in 23 games started, an impressive 2.99 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 138 2/3 innings. He could have won even more as several times he left the game with a lead only to have the bullpen fail to hold it. After winning the AL East title, Toronto lost to Minnesota 4 games to 1 in the ALCS. Guzman was the winning pitcher in the only game the Jays won.

                He would continue his dominant pitching performances in 1992. Despite missing some starts in September due to injury, he ended up with a 16-5 record, a 2.64 ERA and 165 strikeouts. In the ALCS against Oakland, he won both his starts (Games 2 and 6) and had a 2.08 ERA while striking out 11 batters. He only started one of the World Series games against Atlanta, a no-decision in which he only surrendered one earned run in eight innings. Toronto won the game in the bottom of the ninth.

                1993 would see a 14-3 record, and 16 no-decisions. Either not enough run support, or blown leads by the bullpen prevented Guzman from winning 20 games. His wildness was starting to haunt him, however, leading the AL with 26 wild pitches. In the ALCS against Chicago, he won both his starts (Games 1 and 5), but lost his only decision in the World Series against Philadelphia despite having decent outings in both his starts.

                Guzman’s numbers would start to decline, however, in 1994. Although he had a 12-11 record, his ERA was a shockingly high 5.68. It got even worse in 1995 when it rose to 6.32 and he had a miserable 4-14 record. He gathered himself together in 1996 (11-8, an AL-leading 2.93 ERA and 165 strike outs), but injuries plagued him in 1997. His 3-6 record and 4.95 ERA were the beginning of the end of his time in Toronto.

                After starting the 1998 season with a 6-12 record, Guzman was traded to Baltimore at the trade deadline in July. The Orioles would ship him to Cincinnati at the deadline the following year. In return, the Orioles got B.J. Ryan from the Reds, who would be the closer for the Jays several years later. In 2000, Guzman signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays but only pitched one game. He was lit up for seven earned runs in 1 2/3 innings. A once promising career was over at the age of 33.

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This Day In Baseball History: May 17, 1979

This Day In Baseball History: May 17, 1979

                It was on this date in 1979 that the game that would be known as the “Slugfest at Wrigley” was played. On a Thursday afternoon, the Chicago Cubs played host to the Philadelphia Phillies in front of 14,952 fans at Wrigley Field on the North Side of Chicago. The starting pitching match-up was Randy Lerch for the Phillies against Dennis Lamp of the Cubs. Neither pitcher would get out of the first inning.

                The Phils scored seven runs in the top of the first while the Cubs responded with six in their half of the inning. Thirteen runs in the first inning alone! That pretty much set the tone for the rest of the afternoon. After a scoreless second, Philly poured on eight more runs in the top of the third for a 15-6 lead. That wasn’t even half of the total runs that would be scored.

                Two more for the Phils and three for the Cubs in the fourth (17-9 Philly) would be followed by four for Philly and seven for the Cubs in the fifth (21-16 Philly). This may just have well have been the Eagles against the Bears.

                The Cubs cut the lead to two with three in the bottom half of the sixth (21-19). Philadelphia scored one in the seventh while the Cubs tied the game at 22 with three in the eighth. A scoreless ninth moved the game into the tenth. Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt hit a solo home run with two out and the Cubs couldn’t respond making the final score 23-22 for Philadelphia.

                Five home runs were hit by the Phillies: Schmidt had two, starting pitcher Lerch hit one before getting rocked himself when he took the mound, and catcher Bob Boone and outfielder Garry Maddox each had one. The Cubs hit six: left fielder Dave Kingman had three, while third baseman Steve Ontiveros, first baseman Bill Buckner (yes, THAT Bill Buckner) and centre fielder Jerry Martin had one.

                Six Phillies and seven Cubs had multi-hit games (shortstop Larry Bowa led Philly with five, while Buckner was the Cubs leader at four). Neither team stole a base, both teams committed two errors and the Cubs’ pitchers walked 12 Phillies’ batters. Needless to say, the game was not one that will ever be showcased on an instructional video about pitching. 

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