Top Ten Blue Jays’ Home
Openers
#7: 1983 vs New York
Yankees
 |
| Jays' right fielder Jesse Barfield |
1983 was the seventh year in the
history of the Blue Jays’ franchise and the first six were nothing to write
home about. After three consecutive 100+ loss seasons in 1977-79, the 80s
started with a bit more promise, but not much better results. They won 67 games
in 1980, 37 in the strike-shortened season of 1981 and then managed a
respectable 78-84 record in 1982 but still couldn’t get out of the basement in
the American League East.
The Jays and their fans were
hoping that 1983 would be the turnaround year, and it was, with the team
posting it’s first winning season. They compiled an 89-73 record under
second-year manager Bobby Cox, and finished in fourth place.
For their home opener on Saturday,
April 9th against the Yankees, 36,459 fans braved damp, cold
conditions to see Jim Gott take to the mound for the Jays. The Yankees would
start Doyle Alexander, who in just a few months time, would join the Jays’
rotation after New York unceremoniously dumped him.
After a scoreless first, the
Jays got to Alexander in the bottom of the second. Back-to-back singles by
Rance Mulliniks and Lloyd Moseby scored Cliff Johnson and Ernie Whitt,
respectively. Both pitchers blanked the opposition over the next several
innings and the Jays took their 2-0 lead to the top of the seventh.
The Yankees would score two in
the seventh and then added another two
in the eighth and held a 4-2 lead as Toronto came to the plate for their
turn at bat in the eighth. With two on and none out, Willie Upshaw singled in
Damaso Garcia to make the score 4-3. A sacrifice bunt by Johnson put runners on
second and third. Yankee closer Rich “Goose” Gossage got Whitt to pop the ball
up into short right field. Three Yankee defenders converged on the ball but
none of them could catch it and the error allowed Dave Collins to score and the
game was tied at four.
The next batter, Jesse Barfield,
drilled a Gossage pitch over the left field wall for a three-run homer and a
7-4 Blue Jays’ lead. The Yanks threatened in the ninth but never pushed any
runs across and the Jays had won their home opener after a thrilling eighth
inning comeback.
Follow us on Twitter at @topofthethird
No comments:
Post a Comment