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All-Century Roster: Blue Jays
By Gary Brooks
SportsLine Baseball Editor
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Like all teams that have put together sustained runs of excellence -- as
the Blue Jays did from 1983-93 winning at least 86 games each season --
Toronto's history is dotted with a significant amount of star-caliber players.
 | | | Joe Carter celebrates his World Series-winning home run in 1993.(Allsport) | |
The Blue Jays were especially aggressive in the 1990s trade and free
agent market, moving their own prominent players for other stars they
thought fit better. Toronto's mix worked to the tune of back-to-back World
Series championships in 1992 and '93 and other AL East titles in '85, '89
and '91.
The organization, which was stuck deep in last place in its first seven
seasons, when high-profile players were rare, has remained fairly transient
with its personnel and though there have been a large handful of future
Hall of Famers wear the Blue Jays' uniform, none of them has been around
long enough to earn the tag of "Mr. Blue Jay."
There have been All-Star types like Dave Winfield, Paul Molitor, Jose
Canseco, David Cone, David Wells, Rickey Henderson and Fred McGriff. And
none of them made the starting lineup as Toronto's baseball history has
been stacked with other prominent contributors.
Lineup
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Ernie Whitt, Catcher, 1977-78, '80-89
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| After four seasons as a reserve, Whitt worked his way into a starting spot
in 1982 and put together eight consecutive solid seasons to become a fan
favorite. He was an All-Star in 1985 when he hit 19 homers and drove in 64
runs. The highlight of his career came in one of the Blue Jays' most
extraordinary regular-season games ever. Whitt hit three of the Blue Jays'
10 major-league record home runs against Baltimore Sept. 14, 1987 at
Exhibition Stadium.
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John Olerud, 1B, 1989-96
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| Olerud holds the Blue Jays' single-season records for batting average
(.363), doubles (54), on-base percentage (.473) and hitting streak (26).
His .363 won the American League batting title in 1993. He was hitting .400
as late as Aug. 2. His 54 doubles were the most in the AL in 43 years. In
1996 he hit three home runs in a game off Roger Clemens.
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Roberto Alomar, 2B, 1991-95
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| Alomar blossomed into an all-around superstar upon his trade from San Diego
to Toronto. He was an All-Star in each of his Blue Jays seasons and was
named MVP of the 1992 ALCS. Alomar won Gold Gloves in each of his five
seasons in Toronto and in the '95-'96 seasons had a major-league record
string of 104 errorless games at second. His best season at the plate was
'93 when he hit .326, scored 109 runs, hit 17 home runs, drove in 93 and
stole 55 bases.
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Tony Fernandez, SS, 1983-90, '93, '98-99
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| Fernandez developed into one of the smoothest shortstops in history and
became a star in the mid-to-late '80s as the Blue Jays became a playoff
contender. He represented Toronto in three All-Star games but was dealt to
San Diego in the Roberto Alomar, Fred McGriff deal and was not a part of
the Blue Jays' two World Series teams. He holds the AL record for fielding
percentage by a shortstop (.982) and the Blue Jays single-season record for
hits (213).
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Kelly Gruber, 3B, 1984-92
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| Gruber was named the team's player of the year in 1990 when he won an AL
Silver Slugger award and was an All-Star selection. His 114 homers are
eighth most in club history.
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Joe Carter, OF, 1991-97
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| If you had to pick one swing from Blue Jays history to serve as the team's
highlight, it would belong to Joe Carter. His 1993 home run to left field
off of Mitch Williams of the Phillies was just the second ever to end a
World Series. Carter was much more than just one swing though. He's the
franchise leader in homers (203) and has the fourth-most hits (1,051).
Carter was a five-time All-Star with the Jays.
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George Bell, OF, 1981, '83-90
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| Bell wasn't the most outstanding person in club history but he was a feared
slugger and holds team records for RBI (740) and total bases (2,201) and is
second in homers (202). He was a three-time member of the Silver Slugger
team and the 1987 AL MVP. In '87, when he hit .308 with 47 homers and a
league-best 134 RBI, he became the first Blue Jay ever voted to the
starting lineup in the All-Star Game.
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Shawn Green, OF, 1993-99
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| Some think of Green as a late-bloomer, others see him as an outstanding
talent who was wrongly not given a chance to shine earlier in his career.
Either way, as the game turns to the 21st century, Green is among its best
players. He and Jeff Bagwell were the only players in '99 to hit .300
(.309) with 40 homers (42), 120 RBI (123) and 20 steals. He also scored 134
runs. In '98 he combined power and speed to hit 35 homers and drive in 100
runs while stealing 35 bases. In the previous three seasons he had showed
great promise but was given no more than a platoon role.
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Carlos Delgado, DH, 1993-99
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| Delgado emerged as Toronto's captain late in the '90s and was the leader on
the field as well as his power numbers increased four seasons in a row. In
1996 he hit 25 homers and drove in 92. In '97 he jumped to 30 homers and
drove in 91. A 38-homer, 115-RBI season followed and preluded his best
season in '99 when he hit 44 homers, drove in 134 and scored 113 runs.
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Pitchers
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Dave Stieb, SP, 1979-92, '98
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| Stieb is the club's career leader in just about every pitching category,
having been the foundation of the rotation for more than a decade and the
team's first legitimate ace. Stieb was a seven-time All-Star who won 10
games or more 10 times. He led the AL in complete games (19) and shutouts
(5) in 1982 when he went 17-14. He led the AL in ERA (2.48) in 1985 when he
went 14-13.
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Roger Clemens, SP, 1997-98
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| "Rocket" couldn't have had a better two-season stint with the Jays. He won
his fourth and fifth Cy Young awards by going 41-13. He led the AL in wins,
ERA and strikeouts -- the pitcher's triple crown -- each year, becoming
just the fourth pitcher ever to do it back-to-back. He won his final 15
decisions as a Blue Jay on his way to the AL record for consecutive wins
(20). His 2.33 two-season ERA is the Toronto record for those with at least
400 innings. It's over a run better than any other starter in club history.
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Jimmy Key, SP, 1984-92
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| Key is certainly the best left-hander in team history. His 116 wins are
third best and his 3.42 ERA is No. 5. Key began as a reliever and overcame
arm troubles to become an effective starter. In 1987, Key led the AL with a
2.76 ERA and won a then-team record 17 games. With better support he might
have been a 20-game winner. In his eight losses in 1987, including the AL
East division-deciding game in which the Tigers won 1-0, the Blue Jays
scored just 12 runs.
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Pat Hentgen, SP, 1991-99
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| Hentgen had started only three games before the Blue Jays' 1993 season but
he burst onto the scene as a reliable star winning 19 games in the second
of back-to-back World Series seasons for Toronto. He finished sixth in Cy
Young voting that season but would make the climb to the top of the list by
1996 when he went 20-10 with a career-best 3.22 ERA. Hentgen failed to
continue as an ace but left the Blue Jays after the '99 season with a
105-76 career mark.
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Juan Guzman, SP, 1991-98
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| Guzman's career began with such impressive numbers it appeared as if he
would become one of the best pitchers of the '90s. He went 10-3 as a rookie
and had a streak of 20 starts without a loss, the third longest since 1951.
In 1992 and '93 he went 30-8 as the Blue Jays won the World Series each
season. Guzman was also 5-0 in ALCS play from 1991-93. But after that
injuries and ineffectiveness dimmed his stardom.
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Tom Henke, RP, 1985-92
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| Henke was a dominant closer mixing a 95-mph fastball and good forkball. He
saved 20 or more games for seven consecutive seasons and recorded a 2.64
career ERA. In 1987, Henke was an All-Star, setting the Jays record with 34
saves. He was the toughest pitcher in the AL to hit that season, allowing a
league best 5.9 hits per nine innings and striking out a league best 12.3
per nine.
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Bench
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| Lloyd Moseby, Damaso Garcia, Jesse Barfield, Alfredo Griffin, Fred
McGriff, Willie Upshaw, Rance Mulliniks, Devon White, Paul Molitor, John
Mayberry, Dave Collins, Ed Sprague, Dave Winfield, Jose Canseco, Pat Borders.
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Best season
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| The '92 and '93 seasons were equally outstanding with no
distinct advantage either way. The '92 Jays won 96 regular-season games,
the '93 team won 95. Each won the World Series. The core group of players
made just a slight rotation with Paul Molitor taking over DH from Dave
Winfield and Ed Sprague starting at third where Kelly Gruber had been. Dave
Cone and Jimmy Key moved on from the pitching staff but Dave Stewart moved
in. Each team had a quality supporting cast.
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Worst season
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| Toronto began its existence with three consecutive losing
seasons, the worst coming in 1979 when the Jays went 53-109. Tom Underwood
led the staff with nine wins; the only season Toronto has not had a
double-digit winner. John Mayberry led the team with 21 homers and 74 RBI.
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Best individual season, player
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 | | | Shawn Green put up monster numbers in '99.(Allsport) | |
George Bell won the MVP for his 1987
performance, John Olerud was outstanding in 1993 hitting .400 until August and Roberto Alomar's 1993 season was truly outstanding, but none of them top the all-around excellence of Shawn Green's 1999.
In addition to winning
a Gold Glove in right field, Green's combo of speed and power production
was phenomenal. He became just the fourth Blue Jay to hit 40 homers, set a
club record with 134 runs and became the fourth in team history to pass 120
RBI.
No Blue Jay had ever combined a .300 average with even 30 homers, 100
RBI and 20 steals.
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Best individual season, pitcher
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| Roger Clemens' first season in '97 was a
tad better than his '98 season which brought him his second consecutive
unanimous Cy Young. In '97, Clemens became the first AL pitcher since Hal
Newhouser in 1945 to lead the league in wins (21), ERA (2.05) and
strikeouts (292). He also led the AL in innings pitched with 264 and had 14
games of 10 or more strikeouts.
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