Top Blue Jays Player #7: Tony
Fernandez
Position: Shortstop
Seasons With the
Jays: 12 (1983-1990, 1993, 1998-99, 2001)
MLB Awards: Gold
Glove (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989)
All-Star Game
Selection: 1986, 1987, 1989
Stats: Games Played 1450 Batting
Average .297
Base Hits 1583 Runs
Scored 704
Home Runs 60 RBIs 613
Doubles
291 Triples 72
Stolen Bases 172 Walks 439
Easily the best shortstop in the
history of the Blue Jays’ franchise, Tony Fernandez is still the club leader in
career games played, hits, singles and triples. He was a four-time Glove Glove
Award winner and would have started some All-Star Games if he hadn’t played in
the same league as Cal Ripken.
His defense was unbelievable. He
was a wonder and his signature move was fielding a ground ball while running
deep into the hole at short, jumping and pivoting in mid-air and throwing a
bullet to first base to record the out. His speed and long legs made him a
threat on the base paths and he could occasionally hit the long ball as well.
He was signed by Toronto as an
amateur free agent in 1979 and made his debut with the club in 1983, playing
only 15 games but collecting nine hits. He was the back-up to Alfredo Griffin
in 1984 but showed enough promise at the plate (Griffin was never much of a
hitter) by batting .270 in 88 games, hitting three home runs, adding 19 RBIs
and stealing five bases, to serve notice he would soon start everyday.
After Griffin was traded to
Oakland after the 1984 season, Fernandez won the starting shortstop job for the
1985 season. Toronto won their first AL East title in 1985 and Fernandez was a
big part of that, with an average of .289, two home runs and 51 RBIs with 13
stolen bases. In the ALCS against the Royals (the Jays lost in seven games), he
had eight hits for a .333 batting average.
In 1986, he was selected to his
first All-Star Game, and even though the Blue Jays struggled to a fourth-place
finish, Fernandez had a great offensive year (.310, 10 home runs, 65 RBIs, 25
stolen bases). Even more followed in 1987 as the Jays looked like they were on
their way to another division title. With ten games left, Toronto led the
Detroit Tigers by half a game and Detroit was at Exhibition Stadium for a
crucial four game series.
In the top of third of the first game, Tiger outfielder Kirk Gibson hit
what looked like a sure double-play ball to second baseman Nelson Liriano, who
flipped the ball to Fernandez for the first out. Detroit’s Bill Madlock,
charged and slid hard into second base trying to break up the double play.
Madlock collided with Fernandez who landed hard with his right elbow on the dirt
cut-out, fracturing a bone. He was done for the season. After winning the first
three games of the series, the Jays would lose seven straight to lose the
division to Detroit. Fernandez finished the year batting .322 with five home
runs and 67 RBIs.
After playing well in 1988
(.287, 5, 70), his 1989 season got off to a horrible start when he was hit in
the face with a pitch, breaking his jaw. He recovered to play 140 games,
batting .257, hitting a career high 11 home runs and adding 64 RBIs in helping the
Jays to another division title. In the five-game ALCS loss to Oakland, he hit
.350 with seven hits and six runs scored.
Fernandez led the league in
triples with 17 in 1990, while batting .276 with four homers and 66 RBIs.
However, he was traded after the season, along with Fred McGriff, to the San
Diego Padres for Joe Carter and Roberto Alomar.
After two seasons with the
Padres and half a year with the New York Mets, Toronto re-acquired Fernandez in
June of 1993 to help in their pursuit of their second consecutive World Series.
In 94 games with Toronto, he batted .306, hit four home runs and added 50 RBIs
while playing (as usual) solid defense. In the ALCS against the Chicago White
Sox, he batted .318 with seven hits and an RBI. In the World Series against the
Phillies, his average was .333 and he scored two runs while driving in nine.
After 1993, he would play with
Cincinnati, the Yankees and Cleveland before returning to Toronto for the 1998
and 1999 seasons. Now playing second base, Fernandez had decent offensive
seasons both years (.321, 9, 72 in 1998 and .328, 6, 75 in 1999).
He would play in Japan in 2000
before signing with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2001. After being released by
Milwaukee at the end of May, the Jays signed him a week later. In his fourth
stint with Toronto, he played in only 48 games, but still had a good average
(.305), but was mostly used as a pinch hitter, accumulating only 59 at bats
over the 48 games. He retired at the end of the season at the age of 39.
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