Toronto Blue Jays

From BR Bullpen

Franchise Season Summaries 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Franchise Record: 2258-2315 World Series Titles: 2 (1992, 1993) American League Pennants: 2 (1992, 1993) Playoffs: 5 (1985, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993) Franchise Players: Joe Carter, Dave Stieb, George Bell, Jesse Barfield, Carlos Delgado, Tom Henke, Jimmy Key, Shawn Green

Toronto Blue Jays logo

The Toronto Blue Jays were created in the expansion of 1977. The team played in old Exhibition Stadium, before relocating to the Skydome (now named Rogers Centre), the first stadium with a removable roof in MLB history. The franchise's first 5 years of life were dismal, but the Jays were able to develop a winner in the early 1980s sticking with a core of young players. The basic core that bridged the gap from the last place team of 1980 to the AL East winning 1985 Blue Jays was:

C Ernie Whitt 1B Willie Upshaw 2B Damaso Garcia SS Alfredo Griffin 3B Garth Iorg 3B Rance Mulliniks OF George Bell OF Lloyd Moseby OF Jesse Barfield P Dave Stieb P Jim Clancy P Luis Leal

The team became competitive in 1982 finishing 78-84. The franchise had its first winning record in 1983. The 1984 Blue Jays found their first star in George Bell and added a veteran starter, Doyle Alexander. In 1985, under current Atlanta Braves skipper Bobby Cox, Jesse Barfield emerged as a star, and Tony Fernandez replaced the departed Alfredo Griffin, resulting in the franchise's first postseason appearance. The team was competitive thru the 1980's and eventually won the World Series in 1992 and 1993. From 1985 to 1993, the Jays were the dominant team in the AL East, winning 5 divisional titles (1985, 1989, 1991, 1992 and 1993) and two world championships (1992 and 1993). In 1992, led by the talent of 2B Roberto Alomar, CF Devon White, RF Joe Carter, 1B John Olerud, DH Dave Winfield, and pitchers Jack Morris, Juan Guzman, David Cone and Duane Ward, the Jays became the first - and so far only - foreign team to win a World Series. Also, they became the first team to win back to back world championships (1992-1993) since the 1977-1978 New York Yankees. In 2006, the Jays were one of the busiest teams in the off-season, adding big-name players such as RHP A.J. Burnett, RP B.J. Ryan, 3B Troy Glaus, C Bengie Molina and 1B Lyle Overbay. While the club was improved and finished in second place, they still fell short of the postseason.

[edit] Toronto managers

• Roy Hartsfield 1977-1979
• Bobby Mattick 1980-1981
• Bobby Cox 1982-1985
• Jimy Williams 1986-1989
• Cito Gaston 1989-1997
• Mel Queen 1997
• Tim Johnson 1998
• Jim Fregosi 1999-2000
• Buck Martinez 2001-2002
• Carlos Tosca 2002-2004
• John Gibbons 2004-2008
• Cito Gaston 2008-Present

[edit] Toronto general managers

• Peter Bavasi 1976-1977
• Pat Gillick 1977-1994
• Gord Ash 1994-2001
• J.P. Ricciardi 2001-present

[edit] Further Reading

• David Luchuk: Blue Jays 1, Expos 0: The Urban Rivalry that Killed Major League Baseball in Montreal, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2007.