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{{Redirect|Blue Jays|the bird|Blue Jay|the 1975 album by ] and ]|Blue Jays (album)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2012}}
{{Infobox MLB
| name = Toronto Blue Jays
| established = 1977
| misc =
| logo = Toronto Blue Jays logo.svg
| uniformlogo = TorontoBlueJays2012cap.png
| current league = American League
| y1 = 1977
| division = ]
| y2 = 1977
| Uniform = ALE-Uniform-TOR.PNG
| retirednumbers = ]{{dot}}]
| colors = Royal Blue, Navy Blue, White, Red
{{color box|#003DA5}} {{color<!--Do not change to colour, as doing so breaks the template--> box|#041E42}} {{color<!--Do not change to colour, as doing so breaks the template--> box|#ffffff}} {{color<!--Do not change to colour, as doing so breaks the template--> box|#DA291C}}
| name = Toronto Blue Jays
| y3 = 1977
| nicknames = The Jays<!-- Please do not add Bluebirds unless it becomes common among reputable sportscasters and sports publications and please provide a reliable source when that happens-->
| pastnames =
| ballpark = ]
| y4 = 1989
| pastparks = <nowiki></nowiki>
:*a.k.a. SkyDome ({{by|1989}}–{{by|2005}})
*] ({{by|1977}}–{{by|1989}})
| WS = (2)
| WORLD CHAMPIONS = {{wsy|1993}}{{dot}}{{wsy|1992}}
| LEAGUE = AL
| P = (2)
| PENNANTS = ]{{dot}}]
| misc1 =
| OTHER PENNANTS =
| DIV = East
| DV = (5)
| Division Champs = 1993{{dot}}1992{{dot}}1991{{dot}}1989{{dot}}1985
| misc5 =
| OTHER DIV CHAMPS =
| WC = (0)
| Wild Card = <!-- Wild Card Years -->
| misc6 =
| owner = ]
| manager = ]
| gm = ]
| presbo = ]
}}
The '''Toronto Blue Jays''' are a ] located in ], ], ]. The Blue Jays are a member of the ] of ] (MLB)'s ] (AL).

The "Blue Jays" name originates from the ], and the fact that blue is the traditional colour of Toronto's other professional sports teams, the ] (ice hockey) and the ] (Canadian football); in addition, the team was originally owned by the ], makers of the popular beer Labatt's Blue. ] "the '''Jays'''", the team's official colours are royal blue, navy blue, white, and red.<ref name="colors2">{{cite web|title=Blue Jays unveil new logo for 2012 season|url=http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111117&content_id=25996396&vkey=news_tor&c_id=tor|publisher=BlueJays.com|author=Gregor Chisholm|date=November 18, 2011|accessdate=November 18, 2011}}</ref> An ], the club was founded in Toronto in 1977. Originally based at ], the team began playing its home games at the ], upon its opening in 1989. Since 2000, the Blue Jays have been owned by ], and in 2004, the SkyDome was purchased by that company, which renamed the venue ]. They are the second MLB team to be based outside the ], and currently the only team outside the U.S. after fellow Canadian franchise, the ], relocated to ] after the 2004 season (becoming the ]).<!-- American does not always refer to the United States in this case -->

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Blue Jays went through struggles typical of an expansion team, frequently finishing in last place in their division. In 1983, the team had its ], and two years later, they became ]. From 1985–1993, the Blue Jays were an AL East powerhouse, winning five division championships in nine seasons, including three consecutive from ]–]. During their run of three straight division championships, the team also became back-to-back ] champions from ]–], led by a core group of ]-winning ] players, including ] ], ], ], and ]. They became the first (and to date, only) team outside the U.S. to appear in and win a World Series, and the fastest AL expansion team to do so, winning in their 16th year. Since 1993, the Blue Jays have not made the playoffs, though they have remained competitive in their division.

The Blue Jays are one of three MLB teams under corporate ownership, with the other two being the ] (]) and the ] (]).

==History==
{{Main|History of the Toronto Blue Jays}}

===1977–1994<!-- He resigned as GM on October 31, 1994 -->: The Pat Gillick era===

====1977–1981====
].]]
The Blue Jays played their first game on April 7, 1977, against the ], before a home crowd of 44,649. The game is now perhaps best remembered for the minor snowstorm which began just before the game started. Toronto won the snowy affair 9–5, led by ]'s two ]s. That win would be one of only 54 of the 1977 season, as the ] finished in last place in the AL East, with a record of 54–107. After the season, assistant general manager ] succeeded ] as general manager of the team, a position he would hold until 1994.<ref name="history"/>

In 1978, ] improved their record by five games, but remained last, with a record of 59–102. In 1979, after a 53–109 ], shortstop ] was named American League co-]. In addition, the Blue Jays' first mascot, ], made its debut in 1979.

In 1980, ] became manager, succeeding ], the Blue Jays' original manager. In Mattick's first season as manager, although they remained at the bottom, ] almost reached the 70-win mark, finishing with a record of 67–95, a 14-win improvement on 1979. ] led with 13 wins and ] became the first Jay to hit 30 home runs in a season.

In the ]-divided season of 1981, the ] finished in last place in the AL East in both halves of the season. They were a dismal 16–42 in the first half, but improved dramatically, finishing the 48-game second half at 21–27, for a combined record of 37–69.

====1982–84====
Under new manager ], Toronto's first solid season came in 1982 as they finished 78–84. Their pitching staff was led by starters ], ] and ], and the outfield featured a young ] and ]. 1982 was also the ] first season outside the bottom, as they finished sixth in the East out of seven teams.

In 1983, the ] compiled their first winning record, 89–73, finishing in fourth place, nine games behind the eventual ] champions, the ]. First baseman ] became the first Blue Jay to have at least 100 ] in a season.

The ] progress continued in 1984, finishing with the same 89–73 record, but this time in a distant second place behind another ] champion, the ]. After 1984, Alfredo Griffin went to the ], thus giving a permanent spot to young ] shortstop ], who would become a fan favorite for many years.

====1985: The first AL East title====
] has the second highest number of wins among pitchers in the 1980s.]]
{{main|1985 Toronto Blue Jays season}}
In 1985, Toronto won their first championship of any sort: the first of their five American League East division titles. The Blue Jays featured strong pitching and a balanced offense. Tony Fernández excelled in his first full season, and veteran pitcher ] led the team with 17 wins, including a division-clinching complete game win. Their mid-season call up of relief pitcher ] also proved to be important. They finished 99–62 (the franchise record for most wins), two games in front of the ]. The Blue Jays faced the ] in the ] (ALCS), and took a three games to one lead (known as the "Drive of '85").<ref>{{cite book |title=The Drive of '85: A Salute to the Blue Jays by the Toronto Star|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=BZoYAAAACAAJ|first1=Wayne|last1=Braun|first2=Jack |last2=Brehl|publisher=Doubleday Canada|year=1985 |isbn=978-0-385-25037-5}}</ref> However, Kansas City won three consecutive games to win the series 4–3, on the way to their first, and only, ] championship.

After the playoffs, ], Bobby Cox, suddenly left the Blue Jays to become general manager of the ], the team he previously managed.

====1986–88====
With ] now the skipper, the ] could not duplicate their success in 1986, sliding to a fourth-place tie at 86–76. ] and ] led the way with 40 and 31 home runs, respectively, while ], ], and ] tied for the team wins lead with 14 each.

In 1987, the ] lost a thrilling division race to the ] by two games, after being swept on the last weekend of the season by the Tigers. The Blue Jays finished with a 96–66 record, second best in the major leagues, but to no avail. However, George Bell (.308 ], 47 HR, 134 RBI) was named the AL's ] (MVP), the only Blue Jay to be named so.

In 1988, however, ] could not duplicate the successes of the previous season. They tied the ] for third in the division at 87–75, only two games behind the division champion ]. Still, the season had numerous highlights. First baseman ] hit 34 home runs, and Dave Stieb had back-to-back starts in which he lost a ] with two out and two strikes in the ninth inning.

====1989–1991: Cito Gaston takes charge, two more AL East titles====
]
In 1989, the ] new ]ed home, ], opened in mid-season. It also marked the beginning of an extremely successful five-year period for the team. In May, management fired manager Jimy Williams and replaced him with ], the team's hitting instructor. The club had a dismal 12–24 record at the time of the firing, but went 77–49 under Gaston to win the AL East title by two games, with an 89–73 record. On May 28, George Bell's ], off of ] closer ], marked the end of the Exhibition Stadium era. The first game at the new stadium took place on June 5 against the ]; the Jays lost 5–3. In the ], ] led the ] champion ] to a 4–1 series win.

In 1990, the ] again had a strong season, but finished in second place, two games behind the ]. Dave Stieb pitched his only no-hitter, beating the ] 3–0 in front of a less than capacity crowd at ]. As of 2013, it remains the only no-hitter ever pitched by a Blue Jay. During the offseason, the Blue Jays made one of the two biggest trades in franchise history, sending All-Star shortstop ] and first baseman ] to the ] in exchange for outfielder ] and second baseman ]. The Jays also obtained center<!-- Baseball terminology supersedes Canadian English in preference for this article --> fielder ] from the ]. These deals, particularly the trade with San Diego, were instrumental in the team's future success.

Carter, Alomar and White would prove to be extremely effective additions, as the ] again won the division in 1991, as Carter drove in Alomar for the division-winning run. Once again, however, they fell short in the postseason, losing to the ], who were on the way to their second ] victory in five seasons, in the ]. In 1991, the Blue Jays became the first Major League club ever to draw over ] in one season.

* Team record 1989: 89 wins–73 losses, W%- 0.549
* Team record 1990: 86 wins–76 losses, W%- 0.531, 2 games behind division leader
* Team record 1991: 91 wins–71 losses, W%- 0.562

====1992–93: World Series champions====

=====1992: Canada's first World Series title=====
]. The two blue banners are for the 1992 and 1993 World Series teams. (Two other banners, in light blue, exist to represent the team's two American League championships, but do not hang.)]]
{{main|1992 Toronto Blue Jays season}}

After the 1991 season had ended, the Blue Jays acquired pitcher ], who had led the Minnesota Twins to victory in the World Series by pitching a 10-inning complete game shutout in Game 7 and had been named the ]. To add veteran leadership to their explosive offense, Toronto signed ] to be the team's designated hitter.

The 1992 regular season went well, as the Jays clinched their second straight AL East crown with a final record of 96–66, four games ahead of the ]. They also went the entire season without being swept in any series. The Blue Jays met the ] (who had the same record as the Jays and led the division by six games over the defending champion ]) in the ], winning four games to two. The pivotal game of the series was Game 4, considered by many to be one of the most important games in Blue Jays history: the Blue Jays rallied back from a 6–1 deficit after seven innings, capped off by ]'s huge game-tying two-run homer off A's closer ] in the top of the ninth. This paved the way for a 7–6 victory in 11 innings, a 3-games-to-1 lead in the series and an eventual 4–2 ALCS series win.

]
The Blue Jays then faced the ] in the ]. The Braves returned after being beaten by the Twins the previous year. The pivotal game in this series turned out to be Game 2, in which reserve player ] hit a 9th-inning two-run home run off Braves closer ] to give the Blue Jays a 5–4 lead, which would hold up. After winning Game 3 thanks to Candy Maldonado's ninth inning RBI hit and Game 4 due to Jimmy Key's superb 7⅓ inning pitching effort in which he retired 15 straight batters (five innings), the Jays could not win the Series on home turf as the Braves struck back with a 7–2 win in Game 5. Game 6 in Atlanta, with the Blue Jays leading 3 games to 2, was a very close game. Toronto was one strike away from winning in the bottom of the 9th inning, 2–1,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ATL/ATL199210240.shtml |title=October 24, 1992 World Series Game 6 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium Play by Play and Box Score |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |date=October 24, 1992 |accessdate=February 19, 2011}}</ref> but ] singled in the tying run off the Blue Jays' closer ]. It was the first run the Toronto bullpen had given up in the series. The game was decided in the 11th inning, when ] doubled down the left-field line, driving in two runs. The Braves would again come within one run in the bottom of the 11th, but Jays reliever ] fielded ]'s bunt, throwing to Joe Carter at first base for the final out. The Blue Jays became the first team based outside of the United States to win the World Series. ], the Jays' catcher, was the unlikely player who was named MVP after hitting .450 with one home run in the World Series. Oddly, Morris was acquired in large part for his reputation as a clutch postseason pitcher, but he went 0–3 in the playoffs. Morris, however, pitched well in the regular season, becoming the Blue Jays' first 20-game winner, with a record of 21–6 and an ] of 4.04.

* Team record 1992: 96 wins–66 losses, W%- 0.593

=====1993: Back-to-back champs=====
{{main|1993 Toronto Blue Jays season}}

After the 1992 season, the Blue Jays let World Series hero Dave Winfield and longtime closer Tom Henke go but signed two key free agents: designated hitter ] from the Milwaukee Brewers and perennial playoff success ] from the Oakland Athletics.

In 1993, the Blue Jays had seven All-Stars: outfielders Devon White and Joe Carter, infielders ] and Roberto Alomar, designated hitter Molitor, plus starting pitcher ], and closer ]. In August, the Jays acquired former nemesis ] from the Athletics. The Blue Jays cruised to a 95–67 record, one less win than 1992 and seven games ahead of the ], winning their third straight division title. The Jays beat the ] four games to two in the ], and then the ], four games to two, for their second straight ] victory. The World Series featured several exciting games, including Game 4, played under a slight rain, in which the Blue Jays came back from a 14–9 deficit to win 15–14 and take a 3 games to 1 lead in the series. It remains the highest scoring game in World Series history. Game 6 in Toronto saw the Blue Jays lead 5–1, but give up 5 runs in the 7th inning to trail 6–5. In the bottom of the 9th inning, Joe Carter hit a one-out, three-run walk-off home run to clinch the series off of Phillies closer ]. Only the second World Series–winning walk-off home run in the history of Major League Baseball (following ]'s in Game 7 in ]), Carter's hit differed from the first in that Toronto, while not facing elimination, was trailing in the bottom of the 9th. The home run is also memorable for late Blue Jays broadcaster ]'s call:

{{Quote box
|width=98%
|align=left
|quote=A swing, and a belt! Left field! Way back! Blue Jays win it! The Blue Jays are World Series champions as Joe Carter hits a three-run home run in the ninth inning and the Blue Jays have repeated as World Series champions! Touch 'em all, Joe, you'll never hit a bigger home run in your life!
|source=– ], late Blue Jays radio play-by-play announcer
}}

In the regular season, three Blue Jays—John Olerud, Paul Molitor and Roberto Alomar—finished 1–2–3 for the AL ], led by Olerud's franchise record .363 average. It was the first time in 100 years that the top three hitters in the league were from the same team.<ref name="history"/><ref> Baseball-Reference.com. Accessed on May 29, 2012.</ref>

* Team record 1993: 95 wins–67 losses, W%- 0.586

====1994 season====
{{main|1994 Toronto Blue Jays season}}

Expectations were high for the Blue Jays for the 1994 season, following back-to-back championships, but they slumped to a 55–60 record and a third place finish (16 games back of the ]) before the ]. It was their first losing season since 1982. ], ] and ] enjoyed good years at the plate, but the pitching fell off. ] slumped considerably from his first three years (40–11, 3.28 ERA), finishing 1994 at 12–11 with a 5.68 ERA. Three young players, ], ] and ], did show much promise for the future. At the time of the strike, their fellow Canadian cousins, the ] had the best record in the majors, leading some to consider the possibility of a Canadian three-peat in 1994.

Labatt Breweries was bought by ]-based brewer ] (which, in 2004, merged with AmBev to become ]), making the Blue Jays the second baseball team owned by interests outside of North America, after the Blue Jays' expansion cousins, the ].

* Team record 1994: 55 wins–60 losses, W%- 0.478, 16 games behind division leader

===1995–2001: The Gord Ash era===

====1995–2000====
On October 31, 1994, ], the longtime Blue Jays general manager, resigned and handed the reins of the team to Toronto native ],<ref name="history"/> who would lead the team in its most tumultuous era yet.

In the 1995 season, the ] proved that they had lost their contending swagger of the past 12 years. Although they had most of the same cast of the World Series teams, the Blue Jays freefell to a dismal 56–88 record, last place in the AL East, 30 games behind the ].

1996 was another mediocre year for the ], despite ]'s ] (20–10, 3.22 ERA). ] had a career year, hitting 36 home runs and driving in 101 runs. However, their 74 wins did put them in 4th place, improving over their last place finish in 1995.

]
The ] started 1997 with high hopes. Not only did the Jays drastically change their uniforms, they signed former ] ace ] to a $24,750,000 contract. Clemens had one of the best pitching seasons ever as he won the pitcher's ], leading the American League with a record of 21–7, a 2.05 ERA, and 292 strikeouts. This was not enough to lead the Blue Jays to the postseason, however, as they finished in last place for the second time in three years with a record of 76–86. ], the longtime manager who led the team to four division titles and two World Series crowns, was fired five games before the end of the season. The season did provide a unique experience for its fans with the advent of ], when the Blue Jays faced their Canadian rival, the ], for the first official games between the two teams.

Before the start of the 1998 season, the ] acquired closer ] and slugger ]. Gaston was replaced with former Blue Jay ], a relative unknown as a manager. Despite mediocre hitting, strong pitching led by Clemens' second straight pitching Triple Crown (20–6, 2.65 ERA, 271 strikeouts) sparked the Blue Jays to an 88–74 record&nbsp;– their first winning season since 1993. However, this was only good enough to finish a distant third, 26 games behind the ], who posted one of the greatest records in all of baseball history at 114–48. They were, however, in contention for the wildcard spot until the final week.

Before the 1999 season, the Blue Jays traded Clemens to the Yankees for starting pitcher ], second baseman ] and relief pitcher ]. They also fired manager Tim Johnson during spring training after he lied about several things (including killing people in the ]) in order to motivate his players. The Blue Jays had initially been willing to stand by Johnson. A blizzard of questions about his credibility during spring training, however, led Ash to fire him less than a month before opening day. Johnson was replaced with ], who managed the Phillies when they lost to the Blue Jays in the ]. The offense picked up somewhat in 1999, but the pitching suffered without Clemens, as the ] finished at 84–78, in third place. After the 1999 season, the Blue Jays' original mascot for 20 years, BJ Birdy, was replaced by a duo named ].

On November 8, 1999, Toronto traded star outfielder ] to the ] for left-handed relief pitcher ] and right-fielder ]. Green had told the Jays that he would not be re-signing when his contract was up at the end of the year (he wished to play closer to his home in Southern California).

2000 proved to be a similar season, as the ] had an 83–79 record, well out of the wild card race but only a slim 4½ games back of the three-time defending World Series champion ] in the AL East, the first time since 1993 they had contended for the division. ] had a stellar year, hitting .344 with 41 home runs, 57 doubles, 137 RBI, 123 walks and 115 runs. In addition, six other players hit 20 or more home runs, an outstanding feat.

====2000–01====
On September 1, 2000, ] Inc. purchased 80% of the baseball club for $160 million,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ted-rogers-buys-the-blue-jays-1.253587|title=
Ted Rogers buys The Blue Jays
|date=2000-09-01|accessdate=2013-12-28|publisher=]}}</ref> with Interbrew (now{{when|date=May 2012}} ]) maintaining 20% interest and the ] relinquishing its 10% share. Rogers eventually acquired the 20% owned by Interbrew and now has full ownership of the team.

], a former catcher and broadcast announcer for the Blue Jays, took over as manager before the 2001 season. The ] were back under .500 for 2001, finishing at 80–82, with mediocre pitching and hitting. Delgado led the team again with 39 home runs and 102 RBI. After the 2001 season ended, the Blue Jays fired Gord Ash, ending a seven-year tenure as general manager.

], then director of player development under ] general manager ], was named the Blue Jays' General Manager and was expected to slash the payroll immediately, in order to stem the tide of red ink. During the off-season, the team traded or let go several popular players, including ], ], ] and ] ] to let talented youngsters such as ] and ] get a chance to develop into major leaguers.

===2002–09: The J. P. Ricciardi and Roy Halladay era===

====2002 season====
{{Main|2002 Toronto Blue Jays season}}

The Blue Jays started the 2002 season with slow progress in performance. ] was fired about a third of the way through the season, with a 20–33 record. He was replaced by third base coach ], an experienced minor league manager. They went 58–51 under Tosca to finish the season 78–84. ] was relied on as the team's ace and rose to the challenge of being the team's top pitcher, finishing the season with a 19–7 record and 2.93 ERA. The hitters were led once again by ]. Promising young players were assigned to key roles; starting third baseman ] won the Rookie of the Year Award at the season's conclusion, and 23-year-old center fielder ] had his first 100 RBI season.

* Team record 2002: 78 wins–84 losses, W%- 0.481, 25.5 games behind division leader, third in division

====2003 season====
]
{{Main|2003 Toronto Blue Jays season}}

The 2003 season was a surprise to both team management and baseball analysts. After a poor April, the team had its most successful month ever in May. Carlos Delgado led the majors in RBI, followed closely by Wells. Despite their hitting successes, poor pitching continued to plague the team. Halladay was an exception, winning his first ], going 22–7, with a 3.25 ERA. In July, ] was traded to the ] for ], another outfielder with a much lower batting average than Stewart's. Although the Jays finished in third place in their division, Delgado was second in the voting for the ]. In the off-season, Kielty was traded to the ] for starter ].

* Team record 2003: 86 wins–76 losses, W%- 0.531, 15 games behind division leader, third in division

====2004 season====
]
{{Main|2004 Toronto Blue Jays season}}

The 2004 season was a disappointing year for the Blue Jays right from the beginning. They started the season 0–8 at SkyDome and never started a lengthy winning streak. Much of that was due to injuries to All-Stars Carlos Delgado, Vernon Wells and Roy Halladay among others. Although the additions of starting pitchers Ted Lilly and ] and reliever ] were relatively successful, veteran ] faltered throughout the season and retired on July 24. Rookies and minor league callups ], ], ] and others filled the void in the rotation and the bullpen; however, inconsistent performances were evident. With the team struggling in last place and mired in a five-game losing streak, manager ] was fired on August 8, 2004, and was replaced by first base coach ]. Long-time first baseman Carlos Delgado became a free agent in the off-season. Nevertheless, prospects ], ], and ] provided excitement for the fans. Rookie pitchers David Bush, ] and Jason Frasor also showed promise for the club's future. The Blue Jays' lone MLB All-Star Game representative was Lilly.

* Team record 2004: 67 wins–94 losses, W%- 0.416, 33.5 games behind division leader, fifth in division

====2005 season====
]

{{Main|2005 Toronto Blue Jays season}}
The Blue Jays had a good start to the 2005 season. They led the AL East from early to mid-April and held their record around .500 until late August. The Jays were hit with the injury bug when third baseman ] broke his finger, taking him out of the lineup, but the club was pleasantly surprised with the performance of rookie call-up ] in his stead. On July 8, just prior to the All-Star break, Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay was struck on the shin by a line drive, resulting in a fractured leg. Though Halladay's injury was hoped to be minor, the recovery process was met with constant delays, and eventually, he was out for the rest of the season. Prior to his injury, the Blue Jays were in serious wild card contention, but soon fell out of the playoff race. The team received glimpses of the future from September call-ups ], ], and ]. Marcum made himself noteworthy by posting an ERA of 0.00 over five relief appearances and eight innings in September. Josh Towers also stepped up, showing largely unseen potential by going 7–5 with a 2.91 ERA in the second half of the season.

* Team record 2005: 80 wins–82 losses, W%- 0.494, 15 games behind division leader, third in division

====2006 season====
{{Main|2006 Toronto Blue Jays season}}

In 2006, the team experienced its most successful season in years. On July 2, Troy Glaus, Vernon Wells, Roy Halladay, ], and Alex Ríos were picked to represent the Blue Jays at the All-Star Game.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060702&content_id=1534446&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor |title=Five Jays named to AL All-Star squad |first=Jordan |last=Bastian |date=July 2, 2006 |accessdate=June 18, 2007 |publisher=MLB.com}}</ref> It was the largest number of Blue Jay All-Stars selected for the game since 1993. The team played well in the critical month of September, going 18–10. This, combined with the slumping of the ], enabled the Blue Jays to take sole possession of second place in the American League East by the end of the season. This marked the first time that the Jays had finished above third place in their division since their World Championship season of 1993, and with the most wins since the 1998 season. On December 18, the Blue Jays announced that they had re-signed centre fielder Wells to a seven-year contract worth $126 million, which came into effect after the 2007 season.

* Team record 2006: 87 wins–75 losses, W%- 0.537, 10 games behind division leader, second in division

====2007 season====
{{Main|2007 Toronto Blue Jays season}}
] pitching for the Blue Jays in 2007]]
The 2007 season was blighted by persistent injuries, with 12 Blue Jays landing on the disabled list. The most serious injury was that of B. J. Ryan, who was out for the entire season having had ]. Prior to the season, the team signed starting pitchers ], ], and ]; each of them was released before the end of the season. However, young starters ] and ] had breakout years, with 12 wins each. On June 24, McGowan pitched a complete game one-hitter. On June 28, ] became the 21st major league player to hit ]. Aaron Hill also had a breakout year, setting a team record for second baseman with 47 doubles.

* Team record 2007: 83 wins–79 losses, W%- 0.512, 13 games behind division leader, third in division

====2008 season====
{{Main|2008 Toronto Blue Jays season}}

The Blue Jays' 2008 season featured a strong pitching staff, which led the major leagues with a 3.49 ERA. For much of the season, however, the team struggled to hit home runs and drive in runs. On May 24, starter ] set a team record, with 38 consecutive innings without giving up a walk. On June 20, following a five-game losing streak and with the Jays in last place in the AL East, management fired ] and several members of his coaching staff, and re-hired ]. Meanwhile, Alex Ríos had 32 stolen bases, making him the first Blue Jay with 30 since 2001. On September 5, Roy Halladay earned his 129th career win, moving him into second spot on Toronto's all-time wins list. Halladay also came second in the voting for the Cy Young Award, after posting a 20–11 record and 2.78 ERA.

* Team record 2008: 86 wins–76 losses, W%- 0.531, 11 games behind division leader, fourth in division

====2009 season====
]]]
{{Main|2009 Toronto Blue Jays season}}

The 2009 season saw the addition of two new patches on the Blue Jays' uniforms: on the right arm, a bright red ] (part of the ]), and on the left arm, a small black band with "TED" written on it, in reference to team owner ], who died in the off-season.

On opening day at the Rogers Centre, the Jays, led by Roy Halladay, beat the ] 12–5. Aaron Hill and Roy Halladay both had excellent years and represented the Blue Jays at the ] in St. Louis. Despite a hot start, the Jays quickly fell, including a nine-game losing streak, after starting with a 27–14 record. In mid-August, J. P. Ricciardi allowed the Chicago White Sox to claim Alex Ríos off waivers. With two games remaining in what was a disappointing season, Ricciardi was fired on October 3. He was replaced by assistant general manager ].<ref> TSN. Accessed on October 3, 2009.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091003&content_id=7302990&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor|title=Ricciardi out as Blue Jays GM|last=Bastian|first=Jordan|date=October 3, 2009|publisher=]|accessdate=October 3, 2009}}</ref>

Despite a 75-win season, the Jays saw the strong return of Aaron Hill, who won the American League ] and the ] for second base. ], who also had a strong season, earned the Silver Slugger for designated hitter.

* Team record 2009: 75 wins–87 losses, W%- 0.463, 28 games behind division leader, fourth in division

===2010–present: The Alex Anthopoulos and José Bautista era===

====2010 season====
]' first full season as General Manager of the Jays.]]
{{Main|2010 Toronto Blue Jays season}}
In the off-season, the Jays' ace ] was traded to the ] for ], ], and ]; Taylor was immediately traded to the ] for ]. The team's significant free agent signings were that of catcher ] and shortstop ].<ref>{{cite web|author=By&nbsp;Jordan Bastian&nbsp;/&nbsp;MLB.com |url=http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091126&content_id=7721268&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor |title=Blue Jays ink shortstop Gonzalez &#124; bluejays.com: News |publisher=Toronto.bluejays.mlb.com |accessdate=February 19, 2011}}</ref>

The 2010 season was a surprising 10-win improvement over the last season. It was a career year for ], who hit 54 home runs, breaking ]'s franchise record of 47. In doing so, he became the 26th player to reach ] and the first since ] and ] achieved the feat in 2007. The Blue Jays also set a franchise record for the most home runs in a single season as they hit 257, 13 more than their previous record of 244 set by the ]. The Blue Jays tied the ] for the third most home runs by a team in a single season. Seven players (José Bautista, ], ], ], ], John Buck, and ]) hit 20 home runs or more throughout the season, tying an MLB record previously set by four teams, including the 2000 Blue Jays.

On July 14, the Jays traded Álex González and two minor league prospects—left-handed pitcher ] and shortstop ]—to the Atlanta Braves for ] and ].

On August 7, catching prospect ] made his major league debut. He went 4-for-5 with two home runs, including a home run hit on the first pitch he saw. The next day, starting pitcher ] came within one out of a ], finishing with 17 strikeouts in a complete game one-hitter.

* Team record 2010: 85 wins–77 losses, W%- 0.525, 11 games behind division leader, fourth in division

====2011 season====
{{Main|2011 Toronto Blue Jays season}}
] in 2011]]
Led by new manager ], the Blue Jays' 2011 season was up-and-down for the most part, as the team finished with a .500 record. After signing a five-year $64 million contract extension,<ref> TSN. Accessed on February 23, 2011.</ref> José Bautista followed up his record-setting 2010 season with an arguably better season. He finished with a Major League-leading 43 home runs, along with 103 RBI, 132 walks, and a .302 average. Rookie J. P. Arencibia also had a successful year, setting a Blue Jays single-season record with 23 home runs by a catcher. In August, third base prospect ] made his Major League debut and hit .293 with 9 home runs, 4 triples, and 25 RBI, in just 43 games.

Starting pitcher and ace ] had a breakout year, leading the team with 15 wins and a 2.92 ERA. He also became an All-Star for the first time in his career. The other starting pitchers were inconsistent, and John Farrell used 12 different starters over the course of the season.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al/bluejays/story/2012-03-12/blue-jays-spring-preview/53500120/1 |title=Spring preview: Rotation key for Blue Jays |work=USA Today |date=January 25, 2011 |accessdate=March 12, 2012}}</ref> ] and ], both acquired in the off-season, shared the closer role.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tsn.ca/mlb/story/?id=351016 |title=Blue Jays acquire Francisco in exchange for Napoli |publisher=Tsn.ca |date=January 25, 2011 |accessdate=February 19, 2011}}</ref> They both struggled through the first half of the season, though Francisco improved in the last two months of the season, and had six saves in September.

On July 31, the Blue Jays ], ]'s #12, one week after Alomar became the first ] to be inducted as a Blue Jay.<ref>{{citation |last=Zwelling|first=Arden |title=Game Changers: The New Blue Jays |work=Sportsnet Magazine |date=December 12, 2012 |accessdate=February 20, 2013}}</ref>

* Team record 2011: 81 wins–81 losses, W%- 0.500, 16 games behind division leader, fourth in division

====2012 season====
{{main|2012 Toronto Blue Jays season}}

The 2012 season was an injury-plagued year for the Blue Jays, having used 31 total pitchers, which set a franchise record.<ref name="theglobe">{{cite news |url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/baseball/a-season-to-forget-in-blue-jay-land/article4583808/ |title=A season to forget in Blue Jay land |date=October 2, 2012 |publisher='']''}}</ref> In June, three starting pitchers (Brandon Morrow, ], and ]) were lost to injury in a span of four days, two of whom required ];<ref name="theglobe"/> in addition, starters ] and ] missed the entire season due to injury. In the second half of the season, some key players in Toronto's lineup, including ] José Bautista, missed a significant amount of playing time due to injury, sending the team into a freefall and culminating in a 73–89 record. Despite the underachievements of Ricky Romero and Adam Lind, ] established himself as a reliable closer (22 ], 2.52 ERA) and Edwin Encarnación developed into one of the league's best power hitters (.280 AVG, 42 HR, 110 RBI).

The team opened on the road in Cleveland, where they beat the Indians 7–4 in 16 full innings, setting a new record for the longest opening-day game in major league history. The previous record of 15 innings had been set by the Washington Senators and Philadelphia Athletics on April 13, 1926, and tied by the Detroit Tigers and the Indians on April 19, 1960.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/mlb/story/2012/04/05/sp-mlb-toronto-blue-jays-indians-opener.html |title=Blue Jays outlast Indians in 16-inning marathon opener |date=April 5, 2012 |publisher=]}}</ref>

On April 20, the Jays turned a ] against the Kansas City Royals in a 4–3 win. It was the first triple play they turned since September 21, 1979.<ref> '']''. Accessed on April 22, 2012.</ref>

* Team record 2012: 73 wins–89 losses, W%- 0.451, 22 games behind division leader, fourth in division

====2013 season====
{{main|2013 Toronto Blue Jays season}}
The Toronto Blue Jays traded Farrell to the ] per his wishes, and former manager ] returned to manage the Blue Jays. The Jays also made a blockbuster trade with the ], leading to a series of other blockbuster trades and signings, including with the ] for National League ] ] and free agents including ]. On June 8, the Blue Jays played the longest game in franchise history by innings, winning 4–3 in 18 innings against the visiting ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thestar.com/sports/bluejays/2013/06/08/toronto_blue_jays_win_longest_game_in_18_innings.html|title=Toronto Blue Jays win longest game in 18 innings|last=Kennedy|first=Brendan|publisher=TheStar.com|date=June 8, 2013|accessdate=June 8, 2013}}</ref> The Jays matched their franchise record of 11 consecutive wins in a 13–5 home win over the ] on June 23.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2013_06_23_balmlb_tormlb_1&mode=recap_home&c_id=tor|title=Blowout win puts Blue Jays firmly in AL East race|last=Chisholm|first=Gregor|publisher=MLB.com|date=June 23, 2013|accessdate=June 23, 2013}}</ref>
* Team record 2013: 74 wins–88 losses, W%- 0.457, 23 games behind division leader, fifth in division, 17.5 games behind AL wild card cutoff, eighth in AL wild card

====2014 season====
{{main|2014 Toronto Blue Jays season}}
{{emptysection|date=January 2014}}

==Popularity==
In 1977, after only 50 home games, the Blue Jays set an MLB record for a first-year expansion team, with an overall attendance of 1,219,551.<ref> BlueJays.com. Accessed on December 7, 2011.</ref> By the end of the season, 1,701,152 fans had attended. In 1991, the Blue Jays became the first MLB team to attract over ], with an attendance of 4,001,526, followed by 4,028,318 in 1992.<ref name="history"> BlueJays.com. Accessed on December 7, 2011.</ref> Each of those records were broken in 1993 by the expansion ], although the Blue Jays' 1993 attendance of 4,057,947 stood as an AL record for 12 years until it was broken by the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20060702&content_id=1535941&vkey=pr_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy|title=Yankees reach four million in tickets sales for second consecutive season|publisher=MLB.com|date=July 2, 2006|accessdate=December 13, 2011}}</ref>

Several Blue Jays became popular in Toronto and across the major leagues, starting with ], whose seven All-Star selections is a franchise record. He is closely followed by ], who was selected six times, and by ] and ], who were selected five times each. ] set a major league record in 2011 (which stood for only one year), with 7,454,753 All-Star votes.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thestar.com/sports/baseball/mlb/bluejays/article/1018759--grand-slam-jose-bautista-s-off-to-the-all-star-game |title=Grand slam: Jose Bautista nabs a record number of All-Star votes |work=Toronto Star |date=July 3, 2011 |accessdate=December 7, 2011 |deadurl=yes}} {{Dead link|date=August 2012|bot=RjwilmsiBot}}</ref>

==Culture==

==="OK Blue Jays"===
], on the field during the 2009 season]]
During the ] of home games, before singing "]", Blue Jay fans sing and clap to "]" by ] and The Bat Boys, which was released in 1983. The song was remixed in 2003, and since then, the new shortened version is played at home games.

===Mascots===
{{main|Toronto Blue Jays mascots}}
From 1979 to 1999, BJ Birdy served as the Blue Jays' mascot, played by Kevin Shanahan. In 2000, he was replaced by a duo named Ace and Diamond. After the 2004 season, Diamond retired, leaving Ace as the team's sole mascot.

==Radio and television==
{{See also|List of Toronto Blue Jays broadcasters}}
]
{{legend|#144A9B|Toronto Blue Jays exclusively}}
{{legend|#005F50|Shared with ]}}
{{legend|#7D1703|Shared with ]}}
{{legend|#DD2726|Shared with ]}}
Note: Toronto Blue Jays territory covers all of Canada]]

The Blue Jays' former radio play-by-play announcer, ], called every Blue Jays game from the team's inaugural contest on April 7, 1977 until June 3, 2004, when he took two games off following the death of his father&nbsp;— a streak of 4,306 consecutive regular season games and 41 postseason games. Cheek died in 2005 and the team commemorated him during their 2006 season by wearing a circular badge on the left sleeve of their jerseys. The badge was adorned with Cheek's initials, as well as a stylized ]. Cheek is also honoured with a place in the Blue Jays' "Level of Excellence" in the upper level of the Rogers Centre; the number 4,306 is depicted beside his name. In 2008, Cheek received the third highest amount of votes by fans to be nominated for the ] for broadcasting excellence. Cheek finally received the Frick Award posthumously in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|last=Fordin|first=Spencer|title=Cheek's wife accepts Frick Award with moving speech|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130727&content_id=54970258&c_id=mlb|publisher=MLB Advanced Media|accessdate=22 August 2013}}</ref>

Radio broadcasts of Blue Jays games are originated from Rogers Communications-owned station ] in Toronto. For the 2013 season, ] is the lead play-by-play announcer, with ] as the secondary play-by-play announcer, and former Blue Jays pitcher ] serving as the ]. Former Blue Jays pitcher ] has spelled Morris as the colour commentator. Another former catcher for the Blue Jays, ], serves as the occasional colour commentator since the ]. The Toronto Blue Jays have the largest geographical home market and blackout area for television in all of baseball, encompassing all of Canada. Despite this, the number of radio stations that broadcast games is actually quite small. Only twenty radio stations across the country aired at least some Blue Jays games during the 2011 season,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/tor/schedule/radio_network.jsp |title=Blue Jays Radio Network &#124; bluejays.com: Schedule |publisher=Toronto.bluejays.mlb.com |date=March 22, 2010 |accessdate=February 19, 2011}}</ref> which is fewer affiliates than most teams.

On television, all Blue Jays games are carried nationally on ] (which, like the Blue Jays, is owned by Rogers Communications), with ] as the play-by-play announcer,<ref>{{cite web|author=By&nbsp;Jordan Bastian&nbsp;/&nbsp;MLB.com |url=http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091210&content_id=7796960&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor |title=Martinez joins Jays as play-by-play man &#124; bluejays.com: News |publisher=Toronto.bluejays.mlb.com |date=January 17, 2006 |accessdate=February 19, 2011}}</ref> and ] as the primary colour analyst. Jack Morris joined Martinez and Tabler on air for one series. In previous years, the colour analyst role rotated between ], ], ], and since the 2011 season, Gregg Zaun. Sportsnet became the team's primary carrier soon after it launched in the late 1990s, and became the team's exclusive broadcaster in 2010.<ref>, Blue Jays press release, May 13, 2010</ref> As of August 2010, ] also broadcasts Blue Jays games (often in case of scheduling conflicts with the main Sportsnet channels). Rogers was however, criticized by fans and critics due to Sportsnet One only being carried by ] systems on launch.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dowbiggun|first=Bruce|title=Pelley will need all his smarts to fix Sportsnet One fiasco|url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/pelley-will-need-all-his-smarts-to-fix-sportsnet-one-fiasco/article1679219/|work=Globe and Mail |location=Canada |accessdate=August 23, 2010}}</ref>

In September 2012, ] simulcast three Blue Jays games with ] provided by CJCL correspondent ], which included explanations of on-screen graphics. Paul Beeston praised AMI's involvement, stating that "to our knowledge, we are the first sports organization to have our games provided through this revolutionary approach to accommodating the needs of the blind and low-vision community."<ref name=jays-amitv>{{cite web|title=Three Blue Jays games to feature described video|url=http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120828&content_id=37476848&vkey=news_tor&c_id=tor|work=bluejays.com|publisher=MLB Advanced Media|accessdate=8 June 2013}}</ref> On June 27, 2013, Rogers' Toronto multicultural station ] simulcast a Blue Jays game (where Taiwanese player ] was scheduled to start) with commentary in the ] language, marking the first ever Canadian MLB broadcast in the language.<ref name=omni-bluejays>{{cite web|title=OMNI to air Blue Jays vs Red Sox in Mandarin, Thursday|url=http://www.citynews.ca/2013/06/25/omni-to-air-blue-jays-vs-red-sox-in-mandarin-thursday/|work=Citynews.ca|publisher=Rogers Media|accessdate=28 June 2013}}</ref><ref name=bc-omnijays>{{cite web|title=OMNI TV To Air First Mandarin Broadcast of MLB Game in Canada|url=http://www.broadcastermagazine.com/news/omni-tv-to-air-first-mandarin-broadcast-of-mlb-game-in-canada/1002431677/|work=Broadcaster Magazine|accessdate=28 June 2013}}</ref>

], which (like the Jays) was owned by Labatt from 1984 to 1995, served as the primary cable television outlet for the Blue Jays prior to the launch of Sportsnet. TSN (and later, its sister channel ]) continued to carry approximately ten Jays games through the 2009 season until May 2010; most recently, ] handled play-by-play while Tabler served as colour commentator on these telecasts. ] has carried Blue Jays games intermittently throughout the team's history, most recently in 2007 and 2008; those broadcasts featured ] as the play-by-play announcer, and former Blue Jays ] and ] on colour commentary.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/story/2007/06/07/jays-cbc-broadcast-team.html?ref=rss |title=Mulliniks, Barfield join CBC's Blue Jays booth |date=June 7, 2007 |accessdate=June 18, 2007 |publisher=CBC |location=Canada }}</ref> This is the last time the Blue Jays have appeared over-the-air in Canada. Games also aired on ] (except in Montreal) from the team's inception until the late 1990s.

==Current roster==
{{Toronto Blue Jays roster}}

==Minor league affiliations==
{{Main|List of Toronto Blue Jays minor league affiliates}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Level
! Team
! League
! Location
|-
| ''AAA''
| ]
| ]
| ], New York<ref>{{cite web|url=http://buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120917/SPORTS/120919102/1003|title=Herd signs with Blue Jays for two years|last=Harrington|first=Mike|date=17 September 2012|work=]|accessdate=18 September 2012}}</ref>
|-
| ''AA''
| ]
| ]
| ], New Hampshire
|-
| ''Advanced A''
| ]
| ]
| ], Florida
|-
| ''A''
| ]
| ]
| ], Michigan
|-
|''Short Season A''
| ]
| ]
| ], British Columbia
|-
|''Rookie-Advanced''
| ]
| ]
| ], Virginia/West Virginia<!--The team represents both Bluefields. Its park is physically located in Virginia, although the park is operated by the West Virginia city.-->
|-
|rowspan=2|''Rookie''
| ]
| ]
| Dunedin, Florida
|-
| ]
| ]
| ], ]
|}

==Season by season record==
{{Main|List of Toronto Blue Jays seasons}}

==Awards and other achievements==

===Award winners and league leaders===
{{main|Toronto Blue Jays award winners and league leaders}}

===Franchise records===
{{Main|Toronto Blue Jays team records}}

===Season records===
*Highest Batting Average: .363, ] (1993)
* Most Games: 163, ] (1986)
* Most Runs: 134, ] (1999)
* Most Hits: 215, ] (2003)
* Highest On-base %: .473, ] (1993)
* Highest Slugging %: .664, ] (2000)
* Highest OPS: 1.134, ] (2000)
* Most Doubles: 57, ] (2000)
* Most Triples: 17, ] (1990)
* Most Home Runs: 54, ] (2010)
* Most Grand Slams: 3, ] (1997) and ] (2000)
* Most RBI: 145, ] (2003)
* Most Stolen Bases: 60, ] (1984)
* Most Wins: 22, ] (2003)
* Lowest ERA: 2.05, ] (1997)
* Most Strikeouts: 292, ] (1997)
* Most Appearances: 89, ] (1987)
* Complete Games: 19, ] (1982)
* Saves: 45, ] (1993)

===Career records===
*Highest Batting Average: .307, ]
* Most At Bats: 5,470, ]
* Most Games: 1,450, ]
* Most Runs: 889, ]
* Most Hits: 1,583, ]
* Highest Slugging %: .556, ]
* Most Doubles: 343, ]
* Most Triples: 72, ]
* Most Home Runs: 336, ]
* Most RBIs: 1,058, ]
* Most Stolen Bases: 255, ]
* Most Wins: 175, ]
* Lowest ERA: 3.42, ] and ]
* Strikeouts: 1,658, ]
* Complete Games: 103, ]
* Saves: 217, ]
* No-hitters: 1, ]

===Baseball Hall of Famers===
Six former Blue Jays, one former manager, and one former general manager, have been elected into the ]. Second baseman Roberto Alomar, elected to the Hall of Fame in 2011, is the first player to be inducted based primarily on service as a Blue Jay.

<center>{{HOFList
|Current Team Name = Toronto Blue Jays
| All Team Names = Blue Jays
| ColorA# = 003DA5
| ColorB# = FFFFFF
| ColorC# = 041E42
| ColorD# = FFFFFF
| Team Name 1 = '''Blue Jays'''
| List 1.1 =''']'''
| List 1.2 =]<br>]<sup>†</sup>
| List 1.3 = ]<br>]
| List 1.4 = ]<br>]
| List 1.5 =]
| Team Name 2 =
| List 2.1 =
| List 2.2 =
| List 2.3 =
| List 2.4 =
| List 2.5 =
| Team Name 3 =
| List 3.1 =
| List 3.2 =
| List 3.3 =
| List 3.4 =
| List 3.5 =
| Team Name 4 =
| List 4.1 =
| List 4.2 =
| List 4.3 =
| List 4.4 =
| List 4.5 =
| Footnote1 =<sup>†</sup>&nbsp;– Pat Gillick was elected as an Executive/Pioneer due in part to his contributions to baseball as general manager of the Blue Jays.<ref>{{cite web|last=Carr|first=Samantha|title=Emotional Election|url=http://baseballhall.org/news/voting-news/emotional-election|publisher=National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|accessdate=January 5, 2011|date=December 6, 2010}}</ref>
| Footnote2 =
| Footnote3 =
| Footnote4 =
|}}</center>

], a second baseman with the ], served as a coach with the Jays early in their history, and was the first person associated with the franchise to be elected to the Hall, in 1986. ], the Hall of Fame pitcher and 300-game winner, was a broadcaster for the Blue Jays during their first few years.

===Ford C. Frick Award recipients===
<center>{{FCFList
|Current Team Name = Toronto Blue Jays
| All Team Names = Blue Jays
| ColorA# = 003DA5
| ColorB# = FFFFFF
| ColorC# = 041E42
| ColorD# = FFFFFF
| List 1 =
| List 2 = ''']'''
| List 3 =
| List 4 = ]
| List 5 =
| Footnote1 =
| Footnote2 =
| Footnote3 =
| Footnote4 =
|}}</center>

===J. G. Taylor Spink Award recipients===
{| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%;" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|-
! colspan="1" style="background-color: #003DA5; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: center;" | '''Toronto Blue Jays ] recipients'''
|-
| colspan="1" style="background-color: #041E42; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: center;" | '''Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum'''
|-
|<center>
{|
|valign="top"|
|width="50"|
|valign="top"|
|width="50"|
|valign="top"|''']'''
|width="50"|
|valign="top"|
|width="50"|
|valign="top"|
|}
</center>
: '''Names in bold''' received the award based primarily on their work covering the Blue Jays.
|-
|}

===Retired numbers===
]
]
{{See also|List of Major League Baseball retired numbers}}

Soon after being the first person to be inducted in the Hall of Fame as a Jay, on July 31, 2011, second baseman Roberto Alomar was the first person to have his number retired by the Blue Jays.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110719&content_id=21993596&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb |title=Roberto Alomar's uniform number to be retired by Blue Jays &#124; MLB.com: News |publisher=Mlb.mlb.com |accessdate=November 19, 2011}}</ref>

{{-}}

===Level of Excellence===

The team has also instituted a "Level of Excellence" on the 400 level of the ], where the following Jays personnel are honoured:

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:120%; border:3px;"
|- style="text-align:center; background:#498bae;"
|]<br />''']'''<br />SS, 3B: 1983–1990, 1993, 1998–1999, 2001 <br /><span style="font-size:87%;"></span>
|]<br />''']'''<br />LF: 1981–1990<br /><span style="font-size:87%;"></span>
|]<br />''']'''<br />2B: 1991–1995<br /><span style="font-size:87%;"></span>
|- style="text-align:center; background:#498bae;"
|<!--Please add ] when it is available-->''']'''<br />1B: 1993–2004<br /><span style="font-size:87%;"></span>
|]<br />''']'''<br />RF, 1B: 1991–1997<br /><span style="font-size:87%;"></span>
|]<br />''']'''<br />P: 1979–1992, 1998<br /><span style="font-size:87%;"></span>
|- style="text-align:center; background:#498bae;"
|]<br />''']'''<br />M: 1989–1997, 2008–2010<br /><span style="font-size:87%;"></span>
|]<br />''']'''<br />Broadcaster: 1977–2005<br /><span style="font-size:87%;"></span>
|]<br />''']'''<br />VP: 1976–1989; President: 1989–1997, 2008–present<br /><span style="font-size:87%;"></span>
|- style="text-align:center; background:#498bae;"
|]<br />''']'''<br />GM: 1978–1994<br /><span style="font-size:87%;"></span>
|}

Players' uniform numbers were listed — and in Tom Cheek's case, the number of consecutive games he called for the Blue Jays<ref name="Level of Excellence">{{cite web|title=Level of Excellence|url=http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/tor/history/level_of_excellence.jsp|publisher=Toronto Blue Jays|accessdate=November 19, 2011}}</ref> — until the 2013 All-Star Break even though, with the exception of Roberto Alomar's, these numbers have not been retired. During the 2013 All-Star Break, the Level of Excellence was redesigned for the addition of Carlos Delgado's name. The redesign removed all uniform numbers from the Level of Excellence aside from Roberto Alomar's retired #12 and Tom Cheek's 4306 for his consecutive games called streak.<ref name="McNeil retired numbers">{{cite web|last=McNeil|first=Shane|title=YOUR CALL: SHOULD THE BLUE JAYS RETIRE ANY MORE NUMBERS?|url=http://www.tsn.ca/mlb/story/?id=372126|publisher=TSN|accessdate=November 19, 2011|date=July 20, 2011}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
:Some text copied via the GFDL from

==External links==
{{Portal|Baseball|Toronto}}
{{Commons category|Toronto Blue Jays}}

* {{MLBTeam|Toronto|BlueJays|TOR}}
*
*
*
* {{dmoz|Sports/Baseball/Major_League/Teams/Toronto_Blue_Jays|Toronto Blue Jays}}
*
* {{Facebook User|BlueJays}}
* {{twitter|BlueJays|Toronto Blue Jays}}
{{S-start}}
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| ''']'''
|-
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Preceded by:<br />''']''' <br /> ]
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| ] & ]
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Succeeded by :<br />''']'''<br /> ]
|-
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| ''']'''
|-
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Preceded by:<br />''']'''<br /> ]
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| ] & ]
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Succeeded by :<br />''']'''<br /> ]
|-
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| ''']'''
|-
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{{S-end}}
{{Toronto Blue Jays}}
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Revision as of 18:21, 24 February 2014

poo

Toronto Blue Jays: Difference between revisions Add topic