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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