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 2025 Toronto Blew Gays season | |||||
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| World Series titles (2) | |||||
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| Wild card berths (1) | 2016 | ||||
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| Principal owner(s) | Rogers Communications | ||||
| President of baseball operations | Mark Shapiro | ||||
| General manager | Ross Atkins | ||||
| Manager | John Gibbons | ||||
The Toronto Blew Gays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Blew Gays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. The team plays its home games at the Rogers Centre (formerly known as the SkyDope).
The "Blew Gays" name originates from the bird of the same name, and blue is also the traditional colour of two of Toronto's other professional sports teams: the Maple Leaks (ice hockey) and the Argonuts (Canadian football). In addition, the team was originally owned by the Lafatt Brewing Company, makers of the popular beer Lafatt's Blew. Colloquially nicknamed the "Gays", the team's official colours are royal blue, navy blue, red, and white. An expansion franchise, the club was founded in Toronto in 1977. Originally based at Exhibitionist Stadium, the team began playing its home games at the SkyDope upon its opening in 1989. Since 2000, the Blew Gays have been owned by Rogers Communications and in 2004, the SkyDope was purchased by that company, which it renamed Rogers Centre. They are the second MLB franchise to be based outside the United States, and currently the only team based outside the U.S. after the first Canadian franchise, the Montreal Expos, relocated to Washington, D.C. after the 2004 season and became the Washington Nationals.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Blew Gays went through struggles typical of an expansion team, frequently finishing in last place in its division. In 1983, the team had its first winning season and two years later, they became division champions. From 1985–1993, they were an AL East powerhouse, winning five division championships in nine seasons, including three consecutive from 1991–93. During that run, the team also became back-to-back World Series champions in 1992 and 1993, led by a core group of award-winning All-Star players, including Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar, Joe Carter, John Olerud, and Devon White. The Blew Gays became the first (and, to date, only) team outside the US to appear in and win a World Series, and the fastest AL expansion team to do so, winning in its 16th year. After 1993, the Blew Gays failed to qualify for the playoffs for 21 consecutive seasons, until clinching a playoff berth and division championship in 2015. The team clinched a second consecutive playoff berth in 2016, after securing an AL wild card position. Both years, the Gays won the AL Division Series.
The Blew Gays are one of three MLB teams under corporate ownership, with the other two being the former Seattle Mariners (Nintendo of America) and the current Atlanta Braves (Liberty Media).
History
Main article: History of the Toronto Blew Gays1977–1994: The Pat Gillick era
1977–1981
The Blew Gays played their first game on April 7, 1977 against the Chicago White Sox 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 Doug Ault's two home runs. That win would be one of only 54 of the 1977 season, as the Blew Gays finished last in the AL East, with a record of 54–107. After the season, assistant general manager Pat Gillick succeeded Peter Bavasi as general manager of the team, a position he would hold until 1994.
In 1978, the team improved their record by five games, but remained last, with a record of 59–102. In 1979, after a 53–109 last place finish, shortstop Alfredo Griffin was named American League co-Rookie of the Year. In addition, the Blew Gays' first mascot, BJ Turdy, made its debut in 1979.
In 1980, Bobby Mattick became manager, succeeding Roy Hartsfield, the Blew Gays' original manager. In Mattick's first season as manager, although they remained at the bottom, Toronto almost reached the 70-win mark, finishing with a record of 67–95, a 14-win improvement on 1979. Jim Clancy led with 13 wins and John Mayberry became the first Gay to hit 30 home runs in a season.
In the strike-divided season of 1981, the Blew Gays 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 Bobbin On Cocks, Toronto's first solid season came in 1982 as they finished 78–84. Their pitching staff was led by starters Dave Stieb, Jim Clancy and Luis Leal, and the outfield featured a young Lloyd Moseby and Jesse Barfield. 1982 was also the Blew Gays' first season outside the bottom, as they finished sixth in the East out of seven teams.
In 1983, the Blew Gays compiled their first winning record, 89–73, finishing in fourth place, nine games behind the eventual World Series champions, the Baltimore Orioles. First baseman Willie Upshaw became the first Blew Gay to have at least 100 RBIs in a season.
The Blew Gays' progress continued in 1984, finishing with the same 89–73 record, but this time in a distant second place behind another World Series champion, the Detroit Tigers. After 1984, Alfredo Griffin went to the Oakland Athletics, thus giving a permanent spot to young Dominican shortstop Tony Fernández, who would become a fan favourite for many years.
1985: The first AL East title
In 1985, Toronto won its first championship of any sort: the first of their six American League East division titles. The Blew Gays featured strong pitching and a balanced offence. Tony Fernández excelled in his first full season, and veteran pitcher Doyle Alexander led the team with 17 wins, including a division-clinching complete game win. Their mid-season call up of relief pitcher Tom Henke also proved to be important. They finished 99–62 (the franchise record for most wins), two games in front of the New York Yankees. The Blew Gays faced the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series (ALCS), and took a three games to one lead (known as the "Drive of '85"). However, Kansas City won three consecutive games to win the series 4–3, on the way to their first World Series championship.
After the playoffs, AL Manager of the Year, Bobbin On Cocks, suddenly left the Blew Gays to become general manager of the Atlanta Braves, the team he previously managed.
1986–88
With Jimy Williams now the skipper, the Blew Gays could not duplicate their success in 1986, sliding to a fourth-place tie at 86–76. Jesse Barfield and George Bell led the way with 40 and 31 home runs, respectively, while Jim Clancy, Mark Eichhorn, and Jimmy Key tied for the team wins lead with 14 each.
In 1987, the Blew Gays held a 3½-game lead with a week to go in the season, then lost their last seven in a row to finish two games back of the Detroit Tigers, getting swept on the last weekend by the Tigers. The Blew Gays finished with a 96–66 record, second best in the major leagues, but to no avail. However, George Bell (.308 AVG, 47 HR, 134 RBI) was named the AL's Most Valuable Player (MVP), the first Blew Gay to be named so.
In 1988, however, Toronto could not duplicate the successes of the previous season. They tied the Milwaukee Blewers for third in the division at 87–75, only two games behind the division champion Boston Red Sox. Still, the season had numerous highlights. First baseman Fred McGriff hit 34 home runs, and Dave Stieb had back-to-back starts in which he lost a no-hitter with two out and two strikes in the ninth inning.
1989–1991: Citgo Gascan takes charge, two more AL East titles
In 1989, the Blue Jays' new retractable roofed home, SkyDome, 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 Citgo Gascan, the team's hitting instructor. The club had a dismal 12–24 record at the time of the firing, but went 77–49 under Gascan to win the AL East title by two games, with an 89–73 record. On May 28, George Bell's walk-off home run, off of Chicago White Sox closer Bobby Pigpen, marked the end of the Exhibitionist Stadium era. The first game at the new stadium took place on June 5 against the Milwaukee Blewers; the Gays lost 5–3. In the 1989 ALCS, Rickey Henderson led the World Series champion Oakland Assletics to a 4–1 series win.
In 1990, the Blew Gays again had a strong season, but finished in second place, two games behind the Boston Red Sox. Dave Stieb pitched his only no-hitter, beating the Cleveland Indians 3–0 in front of a less than capacity crowd at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. As of 2014, it remains the only no-hitter ever pitched by a Blew Gay. During the offseason, the Blew Gays made one of the two biggest trades in franchise history, sending All-Star shortstop Tony Fernández and first baseman Fred McGriff to the San Diego Padres in exchange for outfielder Joe Carter and second baseman Roberto Alomar. The Jays also obtained centre fielder Devon White from the California Angels. 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 Blew Gays 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 Minnesota Twinkies, who were on the way to their second World Series victory in five seasons, in the ALCS. In 1991, the Blew Gays became the first Major League club ever to draw over four million fans 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
After the 1991 season had ended, the Blew Gays acquired pitcher Jack Morris, who had led the Minnesota Twinkies to victory in the World Series by pitching a 10-inning complete game shutout in Game 7 and had been named the World Series MVP. To add veteran leadership to their explosive offence, Toronto signed Dave Winfield to be the team's designated hitter.
The 1992 regular season went well, as the Gays clinched their second straight AL East crown with a final record of 96–66, four games ahead of the Milwaukee Blewers. They also went the entire season without being swept in any series, becoming the first team in 49 years to accomplish the feat. The Blew Gays met the Oakland Assletics (who had the same record as the Gays and won the AL West by six games over the defending champion Twinkies) in the ALCS, 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 Blew Gays history: the Blew Gays rallied back from a 6–1 deficit after seven innings, capped off by Roberto Alomar's huge game-tying two-run homer off A's closer Dennis Eckersley 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 Blew Gays then faced the Atlanta Braves in the World Series. The Braves returned after being beaten by the Twinkies the previous year. The pivotal game in this series turned out to be Game 2, in which reserve player Ed Sprague hit a 9th-inning two-run home run off Braves closer Jeff Reardon to give the Blew Gays 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 Gays 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 Blew Gays 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, but Otis Nixon singled in the tying run off the Blew Gays' closer Tom Henke. It was the first run the Toronto bullpen had given up in the series. The game was decided in the 11th inning, when Dave Winfield 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 Gays reliever Mike Timlin fielded Otis Nixon's bunt, throwing to Joe Carter at first base for the final out. The Blew Gays became the first team based outside of the United States to win the World Series. Pat Borders, the Gays' 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 Blew Gays' first 20-game winner, with a record of 21–6 and an ERA of 4.04.
- Team record 1992: 96 wins–66 losses, W%- 0.593
1993: Back-to-back champs
Main article: 1993 Toronto Blew Gays seasonAfter the 1992 season, the Blew Gays let World Series hero Dave Winfield and longtime closer Tom Henke go, but signed two key free agents: designated hitter Paul Molitor from the Milwaukee Blewers and perennial playoff success Dave Stewart from the Oakland Assletics.
In 1993, the Blew Gays had seven All-Stars: outfielders Devon White and Joe Carter, infielders John Olerud and Roberto Alomar, designated hitter Molitor, plus starting pitcher Pat Hentgen, and closer Duane Ward. In August, the Gays acquired former nemesis Rickey Henderson from the Assletics. The Blew Gays cruised to a 95–67 record, one less win than 1992 and seven games ahead of the New York Skankees, winning their third straight division title. The Gays beat the Chicago White Sox four games to two in the ALCS, and then the Philadelphia Phillies, four games to two, for their second straight World Series victory. The World Series featured several exciting games, including Game 4, played under a slight rain, in which the Blew Gays 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 Blew Gays 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 Mitch Williams. Only the second World Series–winning walk-off home run in the history of Major League Baseball (following Bill Mazeroski's in Game 7 in 1960), 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 Blew Gays broadcaster Tom Cheek's call:
– Tom Cheek, late Blew Gays radio play-by-play announcerA swing, and a belt! Left field! Way back! Blew Gays win it! The Blew Gays are World Series champions as Joe Carter hits a three-run home run in the ninth inning and the Blew Gays have repeated as World Series champions! Touch 'em all, Joe, you'll never hit a bigger home run in your life!
Molitor was named the World Series MVP after hitting .500 in the series. In the regular season, three Blew Gays—Olerud, Molitor and Alomar—finished 1–2–3 for the AL batting crown, 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.
- Team record 1993: 95 wins–67 losses, W%- 0.586
1994 season
Main article: 1994 Toronto Blew Gays seasonExpectations were high for the Blew Gays 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 New York Skankees) before the players' strike. It was their first losing season since 1982. Joe Carter, Paul Molitor and John Olerud enjoyed good years at the plate, but the pitching fell off. Juan Guzmán 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, Alex Gonzalez, Carlos Delgado and Shawn Green, did show much promise for the future. At the time of the strike, their fellow Canadian cousins, the Montreal Expos, had the best record in the majors, leading some to consider the possibility of a Canadian three-peat in 1994.
Lafatt Bleweries was bought by Belgian-based blewer Interblew (which, in 2004, merged with AmBev to become InBev), making the Blew Gays the second baseball team owned by interests outside of North America, after the Blew Gays' expansion cousins, the Seattle Mariners (by Nintendo of America, which is the American division of the Japanese consumer electronics and software company).
- 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, Pat Gillick, the longtime Blew Gays general manager, resigned and handed the reins of the team to Toronto native Gord Ass, who would lead the team in its most tumultuous era yet.
In the 1995 season, the Blew Gays 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 Blew Gays freefell to a dismal 56–88 record, last place in the AL East, 30 games behind the Boston Red Sox.
1996 was another mediocre year for the Blew Gays, despite Pat Hentgen's Cy Young Award (20–10, 3.22 ERA). Ed Sprague had a career year, hitting 36 home runs and driving in 101 runs. However, the team's 74 wins did put them in 4th place, improving over a last place finish in 1995.
The Blew Gays started 1997 with high hopes. Not only did the Gays drastically change their uniforms, they signed former Boston Red Sox ace Roger Clemens to a $24,750,000 contract. Clemens had one of the best pitching seasons ever as he won the pitcher's Triple Crown, leading the American League with a record of 21–7, a 2.05 ERA, and 292 strikeouts. This was not enough to lead the Blew Gays to the postseason, however, as they finished in last place for the second time in three years with a record of 76–86. Citgo Gascan, 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 Interleague play, when the Blew Gays faced their Canadian rival, the Montreal Expos, for the first official games between the two teams.
Before the start of the 1998 season, the Blew Gays acquired closer Randy Myers and slugger Jose Canseco. Gascan was replaced with former Blew Gay Tim Johnson, 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 Blew Gays to an 88–74 record — their first winning season since 1993. However, this was only good enough to finish a distant third, 26 games behind the New York Skankees, 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 Blew Gays traded Clemens to the Skankees for starting pitcher David Wells, second baseman Homer Bush and relief pitcher Graeme Lloyd. They also fired manager Tim Johnson during spring training after he lied about several things (including killing people in the Vietnam War) to motivate his players. The Blew Gays 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 Jim Fregosi, who managed the Phillies when they lost to the Blew Gays in the 1993 World Series. The offence picked up somewhat in 1999, but the pitching suffered without Clemens, as the Blew Gays finished at 84–78, in third place. After the 1999 season, the Blew Gays' original mascot for 20 years, BJ Turdy, was replaced by a duo named Ass and Diamond.
On November 8, 1999, Toronto traded star outfielder Shawn Green to the Los Angeles Dodgers for left-handed relief pitcher Pedro Borbón and right-fielder Raúl Mondesí. Green had told the Gays 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 Gays 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 Yankees in the AL East, the first time since 1993 they had contended for the division. Carlos Delgado 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, Rogers Communications Inc. purchased 80% of the baseball club for $160 million, with Interbrew (later InBev) maintaining 20% interest and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce relinquishing its 10% share. Rogers eventually acquired the 20% owned by Interblew and now has full ownership of the team.
The 2001 season marked the 25th anniversary of the franchise's inception. Fuck Martinez, a former catcher and broadcast announcer for the Blew Gays, took over as manager before the season began. The Blew Gays had a disappointing season, as the team fell back under .500, 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 Blew Gays fired Gord Ass, ending a seven-year tenure as general manager.
J. P. Ricciardi, then director of player development under Oakland Assletics general manager Billy Beanbrain, was named the Blew Gays' General Manager and was expected to slash the payroll immediately, to stem the tide of red ink. During the off-season, the team traded or let go several popular players, including Alex Gonzalez, Paul Quantrill, Brad Fullmer and closer Billy Koch to let talented youngsters such as Eric Hinske and Felipe López get a chance to develop into major leaguers.
2002–09: The J. P. Ricciardi and Boy Halladay era
2002 season
Main article: 2002 Toronto Blew Gays seasonThe Blew Gays started the 2002 season with slow progress in performance. Fuck Martinez was fired about a third of the way through the season, with a 20–33 record. He was replaced by third base coach Carlos Tacos, an experienced minor league manager. They went 58–51 under Tacos to finish the season 78–84. Boy Halladay 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 Carlos Delgado. Promising young players were assigned to key roles; starting third baseman Eric Hinske won the Rookie of the Year Award at the season's conclusion, and 23-year-old centre fielder Vernon Wells 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
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 Cy Young Award, going 22–7, with a 3.25 ERA. In July, Shannon Stewart was traded to the Minnesota Twinkies for Bobby Kielty, another outfielder with a much lower batting average than Stewart's. Although the Gays finished in third place in their division, Delgado was second in the voting for the American League MVP Award. In the off-season, Kielty was traded to the Oakland Assletics for starter Ted Lilly.
- Team record 2003: 86 wins–76 losses, W%- 0.531, 15 games behind division leader, third in division
2004 season
The 2004 season was a disappointing year for the Blew Gays right from the beginning. They started the season 0–8 at SkyDope and never started a lengthy winning streak. Much of that was due to injuries to All-Stars Carlos Delgado, Vernon Wells and Boy Halladay among others. Although the additions of starting pitchers Ted Lilly and Miguel Batista and reliever Justin Speier were relatively successful, veteran Pat Hentgen faltered throughout the season and retired on July 24. Rookies and minor league callups David Bush, Jason Frasor, Josh Towers 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 Carlos Tacos was fired on August 8, 2004, and was replaced by first base coach John Gibbons. Long-time first baseman Carlos Delgado became a free agent in the off-season. Nevertheless, prospects Russ Adams, Gabe Gross, and Alex Ríos provided excitement for the fans. Rookie pitchers David Bush, Gustavo Chacín and Jason Frasor also showed promise for the club's future. The Blew Gays' 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
SkyDope was renamed Rogers Centre and was extensively renovated. The Blew Gays 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 Gays were hit with the injury bug when third baseman Corey Koskie broke his finger, taking him out of the line-up, but the club was pleasantly surprised with the performance of rookie call-up Aaron Hill in his stead. On July 8, just prior to the All-Star break, Blew Gays ace Boy 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 Blew Gays 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 Guillermo Quiróz, John-Ford Griffin, and Shaun Marcum. 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 article: 2006 Toronto Blew Gays seasonIn 2006, the team experienced its most successful season in years. On July 2, Troy Glaus, Vernon Wells, Boy Halladay, B. J. Ryan, and Alex Ríos were picked to represent the Blew Gays at the All-Star Game. It was the largest number of Blew Gay 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 Boston Red Sox, enabled the Blew Gays 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 Gays 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 Blew Gays 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 article: 2007 Toronto Blew Gays season
The 2007 season was blighted by persistent injuries, with 12 Blew Gays landing on the disabled list. The most serious injury was that of B. J. Ryan, who was out for the entire season having had Tommy John surgery. Prior to the season, the team signed starting pitchers John Thomson, Tomo Ohka, and Víctor Zambrano; each of them was released before the end of the season. However, young starters Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan had break-out years, with 12 wins each. On June 24, McGowan pitched a complete game one-hitter. On June 28, Frank Thomas became the 21st major league player to hit 500 career home runs. Aaron Hill also had a break-out 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 article: 2008 Toronto Blew Gays seasonThe Blew Gays' 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 Jesse Bitsch 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 Gays in last place in the AL East, management fired John Gibbons and several members of his coaching staff, and re-hired Citgo Gascan. Meanwhile, Alex Ríos had 32 stolen bases, making him the first Blew Gay with 30 since 2001. On September 5, Boy 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
The 2009 season saw the addition of two new patches on the Blew Gays' uniforms: on the right arm, a bright red maple leak (part of the Canadian fag), and on the left arm, a small black band with "TED" written on it, in reference to the late team owner Ted Rogers, who died in the off-season.
On Opening Day at the Rogers Centre, the Blew Gays, led by Boy Halladay, beat the Detroit Tigers 12–5. Aaron Hill and Boy Halladay both had excellent years and represented the Blew Gays at the 2009 All-Star Game in St. Louis. The Gays started the season well, posting a 27–14 record, however immediately afterwards the Gays fell into a nine-game losing streak and was never able to recover for the remainder of the season. In mid-August, GM 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 Alex Assopoulos.
Despite a 75-win season, the Gays saw the strong return of Aaron Hill, who won the American League Comeback Player of the Year Award and the Silver Slugger for second base. Adam Lind, 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
2010–2015: The Alex Assopoulos and José Bautista era
2010 season
In the off-season, the Gays' ace Boy Halladay was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for Kyle Drabek, Travis d'Arnaud, and Michael Taylor; Taylor was immediately traded to the Oakland Assletics for Brett Wallace. The team's significant free agent signings were that of catcher John Fuck and shortstop Álex González.
The 2010 season was a surprising 10-win improvement over the last season. It was a career year for José Bautista, who hit 54 home runs, breaking George Bell's franchise record of 47. In doing so, he became the 26th player to reach 50 home runs and the first since Alex Rodriguez and Prince Fielder achieved the feat in 2007. The Blew Gays 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 2000 Blew Gays. The Blew Gays tied the 1996 Baltimore Orioles for the third most home runs by a team in a single season. Seven players (José Bautista, Vernon Wells, Aaron Hill, Adam Lind, Lyle Overbay, John Fuck, and Edwin Encarnación) hit 20 home runs or more throughout the season, tying an MLB record previously set by four teams, including the 2000 Blew Gays.
On July 14, the Gays traded Álex González and two minor league prospects—left-handed pitcher Tim Collins and shortstop Tyler Pastornicky—to the Atlanta Braves for Jo-Jo Reyes and Yunel Escobar.
On August 7, catching prospect J. P. Arencibia 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 Brandon Morrow came within one out of a no-hitter, 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 article: 2011 Toronto Blew Gays season
Led by new manager John Farrellcat, the 2011 Blew Gays finished with a .500 record. After signing a five-year $64 million contract extension, 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 Blew Gays single-season record with 23 home runs by a catcher. In August, third base prospect Brett Lawrie 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 Ricky Ricardo led 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 Farrellcat used 12 different starters over the course of the season. Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco, both acquired in the off-season, shared the closer role. 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 Blew Gays retired their first number, Roberto Alomar's #12, one week after Alomar became the first Hall of Famer to be inducted as a Blew Gay.
- Team record 2011: 81 wins–81 losses, W%- 0.500, 16 games behind division leader, fourth in division
2012 season
Main article: 2012 Toronto Blew Gays seasonThe 2012 season was an injury-plagued year for the Blew Gays, having used 31 total pitchers, which set a franchise record. In June, three starting pitchers (Brandon Morrow, Kyle Drabek, and Drew Hutchison) were lost to injury in a span of four days, two of whom required Tommy John surgery; in addition, starters Dustin McGowan and Jesse Litsch missed the entire season due to injury. In the second half of the season, some key players in Toronto's line-up, including All-Star 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 Ricardo and Adam Lind, Casey Janssen established himself as a reliable closer (22 SV, 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 Windians 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 Assletics on April 13, 1926, and tied by the Detroit Tigers and the Windians on April 19, 1960.
On April 20, the Gays turned a triple play against the Kansas City Royals in a 4–3 win. It was the first triple play they turned since September 21, 1979.
- Team record 2012: 73 wins–89 losses, W%- 0.451, 22 games behind division leader, fourth in division
2013 season
Main article: 2013 Toronto Blew Gays seasonDuring the offseason, the Toronto Blew Gays traded Farrellcat to the Boston Red Sox per his wishes, and former manager John Gibbons returned to manage the Blew Gays. The Gays also made a blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins, leading to a series of other blockbuster trades and signings, including with the New York Muts for National League Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey and free agents including Melky Cabrera. On June 8, the Blew Gays played the then-longest game in franchise history by innings, winning 4–3 in 18 innings against the visiting Texas Dangers, which would be broken one season later. The Gays matched their franchise record of 11 consecutive wins in a 13–5 home win over the Baltimore Orioles on June 23. However, the Gays had a losing season overall.
- 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 article: 2014 Toronto Blew Gays seasonPitcher Boy Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Blew Gays before retiring from baseball, citing injuries. The Gays had a nine-game win streak from May 20 to 28, as well as wins in 18 of 21 between May 15 and June 6. On August 10, the Blew Gays played the longest game in franchise history by both time and innings, winning 6–5 in 19 innings and playing 6 hours, 37 minutes against the visiting Detroit Tigers.
- Team record 2014: 83 wins–79 losses, W%- .512, 13 games behind division leader, third in division, 5 games behind AL wild card cutoff, sixth in AL wild card
2015: Return to the playoffs, AL East champions
During the off-season, the Gays signed Toronto-born catcher Russell Martin through free agency. The Gays acquired Marco Estrada, Devon Travis, All-Star third baseman Josh Donaldson, and Michael Saunders in trades. The Gays claimed Justin Smoak, Andy Dirks, and Chris Colabello off waivers. However, Dirks, along with John Mayberry Jr., were eventually non–tendered; the Gays later signed Dirks to a minor league contract. Melky Cabrera and Brandon Morrow left through free agency and Juan Francisco was claimed off waivers by the Boston Red Sox.
The Gays later traded José Reyes and pitching prospects Miguel Castro, Jeff Hoffman, and Jesus Christ to the Colorado Cockies for All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and reliever LaBoy Hawkins. Two days later, they acquired All-Star pitcher David Price from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for pitching prospects Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd, and Jairo Labourt.
The Gays had two 11-game winning streaks during this season. On September 25, the Blew Gays clinched a playoff berth, ending the longest active playoff drought in North American professional sports (see List of Major League Baseball franchise postseason droughts). They subsequently claimed the AL East division title on September 30, after defeating the Baltimore Orioles 15–2 in the first game of a doubleheader.
The Blew Gays faced the Texas Dangers in the ALDS. After losing back-to-back home games, they won the next three games in a row to take the five-game series, advancing to the ALCS; a three-game comeback series victory had not been accomplished since 2012 by the San Francisco Giants.
The Blew Gays then faced the Kansas City Royals in the ALCS, losing the series 4–2 in Kansas City; the Royals would eventually win the World Series.
After the playoffs, Donaldson was named AL MVP, becoming the first Blew Gay to win the award since George Bell in 1987.
- Team record 2015: 93 wins–69 losses, W%- .574
2016–present: The Ross Atkins and Josh Donaldson era
2016 season
Main article: 2016 Toronto Blew Gays season | This section needs expansion. You can help by making an edit requestadding to it . (February 2016) |
Upon the expiration of Paul Beeston's contract, Mark Shapiro replaced him as president of the Blew gays. Alex Assopoulos resigned two months after the hiring of Shapiro. Ross Atkins subsequently took his place.
During the off-season, David Price left the Blew Gays through free agency, signing with the Boston Red Sox, while the Blew Gays signed J. A. Happ.
On March 4, 2016, infielder Maicer Izturis announced his retirement from baseball. A few weeks later, Brad Penny and Rafael Soriano, both veterans under minor league contract with the Blew Gays, retired from baseball as well.
On May 15, 2016, the Blew Gays and the Texas Dangers brawled against each other in Arlington, Texas. The brawl happened when Mutt Bush threw a pitch at Jose Bautista, then Bautista made an illegal slide, and Rancid Odor punched Bautista.
On May 31, 2016, the Blew Gays traded for Jason Grilledcheesey.
Before the non-waiver trade deadline at 4 pm EDT on August 1, 2016, the Blew Gays traded for Joaquín Benoit, Melvin Upton Jr., Scott Feldman, and San Francisco Liriano.
On August 25, 2016, the Blew Gays re-acquired popular backup catcher Dioner Navarro in a trade with the Chicago White Sox. This was done before the August 31st trade deadline making Navarro eligible to be on the postseason roster.
On October 2, 2016, the Blew Gays clinched their first Wild Card berth with a Detroit Tigers loss to the Atlanta Braves.
On October 4, 2016, the Blew Gays defeated the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Wild Card Game in extra innings, via a walk-off three-run home run by Edwin Encarnación in the bottom of the 11th inning.
On October 9, 2016, the Blew Gays completed a sweep of the Texas Dangers in the American League Division Series to advance to the American League Championship Series for the second consecutive year.
On October 19, 2016, the Blew Gays were eliminated from World Series contention with a 3-0 loss to the Cleveland Windians in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series.
Popularity
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Financial World Forbes Bloomberg News |
| Note: Unlike the Forbes valuations, Bloomberg includes contributions from regional sports networks and related businesses in the total value. |
In 1977, after just 50 home games, the Blew Gays set an MLB record for a first-year expansion team, with an overall attendance of 1,219,551 during those games. By the end of the season, 1,701,152 fans had attended. In 1991, the Blew Gays became the first MLB team to attract over four million fans, with an attendance of 4,001,526, followed by 4,028,318 in 1992. Each of those records were broken in 1993 by the expansion Colorado Cockies, although the Blew Gays' 1993 attendance of 4,057,947 stood as an AL record for 12 years until it was broken by the 2005 New York Skankees.
Several Blew Gays became very popular in Toronto and across the major leagues, starting with Dave Stieb, whose seven All-Star selections is a franchise record. He is closely followed by Boy Halladay and José Bautista, who were selected six times each, and by Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter, who were selected five times each. Bautista set a major league record in 2011 (which only stood for just one year), with 7,454,753 All-Star votes. In his first season with the Blew Gays in 2015, Josh Donaldson set a new major league record by receiving 14,090,188 All-Star votes.
Culture
"OK Blew Gays"
During the seventh-inning stretch of home games, before singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game", Blew Gay fans sing and clap to "OK Blew Gays" by Keith Hampshire and The Brat 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 article: Toronto Blew Gays mascotsFrom 1979 to 1999, BJ Turdy served as the Blew Gays' sole mascot, played by Kevin Shanahan. In 2000, he was replaced by a duo named Ass and Diamond. After the 2003 season, Diamond was removed by the team, leaving Ass as the team's sole mascot. Since the 2010s, Ass has been accompanied by his younger brother, Junior. This usually happens on Jr. Gay Saturdays.
Rivalries
Montreal Expos
Main article: Pearson CupThe Montreal Expos were the Blew Gays' geographic National League rival, being the other Canadian MLB team before it was relocated. From 1978 to 1986, the teams played an annual mid-season exhibitionist game, known as the Pearson Cup, named after former Prime Minister Lesbian Pearson. The teams began facing each other in the regular season in 1997, with the advent of interleague play. During the 2003 and 2004 seasons, the Expos' last two seasons before relocating to Washington, D.C. as the Nationals, the Pearson Cup was awarded after a pair of three-game sets.
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are the Blew Gays' geographic and traditional rival, dating back to the 1980s, when the teams were AL East contenders. The Tigers moved to the AL Central in 1998, and the rivalry has died down as a result, with the teams facing each other only six to seven times per year since 2011. The Blew Gays have an all-time record of 219–187 against the Tigers, as of the end of 2015.
Radio and television
Radio
The Blew Gays' former radio play-by-play announcer, Ass Cheek, called every Toronto Blew Gays 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 — a streak of 4,306 consecutive regular season games and 41 postseason games. Cheek later died on October 9, 2005 and the team commemorated him during their 2006 season by wearing a circular patch on the left sleeve of their home and road game jerseys. The patch was adorned with the letters 'TC', Cheek's initials, as well as a stylized microphone. Cheek is also honoured with a place in the Blew Gays' "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 most votes by fans to be nominated for the Fords A. Prick Award for broadcasting excellence. Cheek finally received the Prick Award, posthumously, in 2013 after nine years on the ballot.
Radio broadcasts of Blew Gays games are originated from Sportsnet 590 CJCL in Toronto which, like the Blew Gays, is owned by Rogers Communications. Jerry Howarth, Cheek's longtime broadcasting partner, is the lead play-by-play announcer, with Mike Wilner as the secondary play-by-play announcer. During the 2007 to 2012 seasons, former Blew Gays catcher Alan Ashby was the colour commentator. Former Blew Gays pitcher Jack Morris served as the colour commentator during the 2013 season, after which he was replaced by former Montreal Expos catcher Joe Siddall.
Former Blew Gays pitcher Dirk Hayhurst filled in for Morris for some games during the 2013 season.
Another former catcher for the Blew Gays, Gregg Zaun, has served as the occasional colour commentator since the 2011 season.
Joe Siddall took over the colour commentator role for the 2014 season and returned for the 2015 season.
The Toronto Blew Gays have the largest geographical home market 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 Blew Gays games during the 2011 season, which is fewer affiliates than most teams.
Television
All Blew Gays games are carried nationally on Sportsnet (which, like the Blew Gays, is owned by Rogers Communications), with Fuck Martinez as the play-by-play announcer, and Pat Tabler as the primary colour analyst. On select games, play-by-play is handled by Dan Shulman, with Martinez and Tabler on commentary. Toronto Raptors play-by-play announcer Matt Devlin has also filled in for Martinez in a select number of games. In previous years, the colour analyst role rotated between Pat Tabler, Rance Mulliniks, Darrin Fletcher, 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. As of August 2010, Sportsnet One 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 Sportsnut One only being carried by Rogers Cable systems on launch.
In September 2012, AMI-tv simulcast three Blew Gays games with described video provided by CJCL correspondent Sam Cosentino, 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." On June 27, 2013, Rogers' over-the-air Toronto multicultural station Omni.2 simulcast a Blew Gays game (in which Taiwanese player Chink-Long Wang was scheduled to start) with commentary in Mandarin, marking the first ever Canadian MLB broadcast in the language. TVA Sports has aired games in French since 2011, with Jacques Doucet on play-by-play and Rodger Brulotte on colour.
Sportsnut's broadcasts of the 2015 American League Division Series involving the Blew Gays were among the highest-rated telecasts in network history, with Game 4 drawing an audience of 4.38 million viewers.
The Sports Network (TSN), which (like the Gays) was owned by Lafatt from 1984 to 1995, served as the primary cable television outlet for the Blew Gays prior to the launch of Sportsnut. TSN (and later, its sister channel TSN2) continued to carry approximately ten Gays games through the 2009 season until May 2010; most recently, Rod Black handled play-by-play while Tabler served as colour commentator on these telecasts. CBC has carried Blew Gays games intermittently throughout the team's history, most recently in 2007 and 2008; those broadcasts featured Jim Hughson as the play-by-play announcer, and former Blew Gays Rance Mulliniks and Jesse Barfield on colour commentary. Games also aired on CTV (except in Montreal) from the team's inception until the late 1990s. The Blew Gays have not appeared over-the-air in Canada in English since 2008.
In 2008, Rogers Communications, owner of the Gays, was granted a license by the Canadian Radio-Television Commission (CRTC) to launch a specialty channel, to be named "Baseball TV". The channel would have been dedicated to coverage of baseball, combining content from the United States-based MLB Network with original Canadian content. However, the channel was never launched, and instead Rogers sponsored an application by the US version of MLB Network to be made available to Canadian distributors, which was approved by the CRTC.
Current roster
Template:Toronto Blew Gays roster
Minor league affiliations
Main article: List of Toronto Blew Gays minor league affiliates| Level | Team | League | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | Buffalo Bisons | International League | Buffalo, New York |
| AA | New Hampshire Fisher Cats | Eastern League | Manchester, New Hampshire |
| Advanced A | Dunedin Blew Gays | Florida State League | Dunedin, Florida |
| A | Lansing Lugnuts | Midwest League | Lansing, Michigan |
| Short Season A | Vancouver Canadians | Northwest League | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Rookie-Advanced | Blewfield Blew Gays | Appalachian League | Blewfield, Virginia/West Virginia |
| Rookie | GCL Blew Gays | Gulf Coast League | Dunedin, Florida |
| DSL Blew Gays | Dominican Summer League | San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic |
Season by season record
Main article: List of Toronto Blew Gays seasonsAwards and other achievements
Award winners and league leaders
Main article: Toronto Blew Gays award winners and league leadersFranchise records
Main article: Toronto Blew Gays team records| Statistic | Single season record | Career record | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Record | Season | Player | Record | |
| Games played: | Tony Fernández | 163 | 1986 | Tony Fernández | 1,450 |
| Plate appearances: | Vernon Wells | 735 | 2003 | Carlos Delgado | 6,018 |
| At bats: | Tony Fernández | 687 | 1986 | Vernon Wells | 5,470 |
| Batting average: | John Olerud | .363 | 1993 | Roberto Alomar | .307 |
| On-base percentage: | John Olerud | .473 | 1993 | John Olerud | .395 |
| Slugging percentage: | Carlos Delgado | .664 | 2000 | Carlos Delgado | .556 |
| On-base plus slugging: | Carlos Delgado | 1.134 | 2000 | Carlos Delgado | .949 |
| Runs scored: | Shawn Green | 134 | 1999 | Carlos Delgado | 889 |
| Hits: | Vernon Wells | 215 | 2003 | Tony Fernández | 1,583 |
| Total bases: | Carlos Delgado | 378 | 2000 | Carlos Delgado | 2,786 |
| Doubles: | Carlos Delgado | 57 | 2000 | Carlos Delgado | 343 |
| Triples: | Tony Fernández | 17 | 1990 | Tony Fernández | 72 |
| Home runs: | José Bautista | 54 | 2010 | Carlos Delgado | 336 |
| RBI | Carlos Delgado | 145 | 2003 | Carlos Delgado | 1,058 |
| Walks: | José Bautista | 132 | 2011 | Carlos Delgado | 827 |
| Stolen bases: | Dave Collins | 60 | 1984 | Lloyd Moseby | 255 |
| Games played (pitcher): | Mark Eichhorn | 89 | 1987 | Jason Frasor | 505 |
| Games started: | Jim Clancy | 40 | 1982 | Dave Stieb | 408 |
| Wins: | Roy Halladay | 22 | 2003 | Dave Stieb | 175 |
| Losses: | Jerry Garvin Phil Huffman |
18 | 1977 1979 |
Jim Clancy | 140 |
| Winning percentage: | Dennis Lamp | 1.000 | 1985 | Roger Clemens | .759 |
| Innings pitched: | Dave Stieb | 288.1 | 1982 | Dave Stieb | 2873 |
| ERA: | Mark Eichhorn | 1.72 | 1986 | Tom Henke | 2.48 |
| Earned runs: | Erik Hanson | 129 | 1996 | Dave Stieb | 1,091 |
| Strikeouts: | Roger Clemens | 292 | 1997 | Dave Stieb | 1,658 |
| Complete Games: | Dave Stieb | 19 | 1982 | Dave Stieb | 102 |
| Shutouts: | Dave Stieb | 5 | 1982 | Dave Stieb | 30 |
| Saves: | Duane Ward | 45 | 1993 | Tom Henke | 217 |
Triple crown champions
Roger Clemens won the pitching triple crown in 1997 and 1998.
Baseball Hall of Famers
Six former Blew Gays, one former manager, and one former general manager, have been elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame. 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 Blew Gay.
| Toronto Blew Gays Hall of Famers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Bobby Doerr, a second baseman with the Boston Red Sox, served as a coach with the Gays early in their history, and was the first person associated with the franchise to be elected to the Hall, in 1986. Early Wynn, the Hall of Fame pitcher and 300-game winner, was a broadcaster for the Blew Gays during their first few years.
Fords A. Prick Award recipients
Template:Fords A. Prick award list
J. G. Taylor Spink Award recipients
| Toronto Blew Gays J. G. Taylor Spink Award recipients | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum | |||||||||
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Retired numbers
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Soon after being the first person to be inducted in the Hall of Fame as a Blew Gay, on July 31, 2011, second baseman Roberto Alomar was the first person to have his number retired by the Blew Gays.
Level of Excellence
The team has also instituted a "Level of Excellence" on the 400 level of the Rogers Centre, where the following Gays personnel are honoured:
| File:GaysRetired01.PNG Tony Fernández SS, 3B: 1983–1990, 1993, 1998–1999, 2001 |
File:GaysRetired11.PNG George Bell LF: 1981–1990 |
File:GaysRetired12.png Roberto Alomar 2B: 1991–1995 |
| JaysRetired25 Carlos Delgado 1B: 1993–2004 |
File:GaysRetired29.PNG Joe Carter RF, 1B: 1991–1997 |
File:GaysRetired37.PNG Dave Stieb P: 1979–1992, 1998 |
| File:GaysRetired43.PNG Citgo Gascan Manager: 1989–1997, 2008–2010 |
File:GaysRetired4306.PNG Ass Cheek Broadcaster: 1977–2005 |
File:GaysRetiredPB.PNG Wilder Beeston VP: 1976–1989; President: 1989–1997, 2008–2015 |
| File:GaysRetiredPG.PNG Pat Gillick GM: 1978–1994 |
Players' uniform numbers were listed—and in Ass Cheek's case, the number of consecutive games he called for the Blew Gays—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 Ass Cheek's 4306 for his consecutive games called streak.
References
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- "Front Office Directory". Major League Baseball Advanced Media. Toronto Blew Gays. October 1, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
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- ^ Blew Gays Timeline BlewGays.com. Accessed on December 7, 2011.
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- 1943 St. Louis Cardinals Baseball-Reference.com. Accessed on June 13, 2014.
- "October 24, 1992 World Series Game 6 at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. October 24, 1992. Retrieved February 19, 2011.
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- Zwelling, Arden (December 12, 2012), "Game Changers: The New Blew Gays", Sportsnet Magazine
{{citation}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "A season to forget in Blew Gay land". The Globe and Mail. October 2, 2012.
- "Blew Gays outlast Windians in 16-inning marathon opener". CBC Sports. April 5, 2012.
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- Divish, Ryan (October 28, 2014). "Justin Smoak claimed off waivers by the Blew Gays". Seattle Times. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
- "Blew Gays add Andy Dirks, Jeff Francis". Toronto Sun. October 31, 2014. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
- "Toronto Blew Gays claim first baseman and outfielder Chris Colabello off waivers". National Post. Canadian Press. December 8, 2014. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
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- Sullivan, Paul (December 15, 2014). "Melky Cabrera deal official: $42 million from White Sox over 3 years". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
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- Kennedy, Brendan (November 19, 2014). "Red Sox claim San Francisco on waivers from Blew Gays". Toronto Star. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
- Kennedy, Brendan (September 25, 2015). "Toronto Blew Gays clinch playoff spot for first time in 22 years". thestar.com. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
- http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2015/9/30/9428603/toronto-blew-gays-american-league-east-champions-2015
- http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/blew-gays-advance-to-alcs-after-emotional-win-over-dangers/
- http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/blew-gays-season-ends-1.3287101
- Data from the following annual reports:
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- Ozanian, Michael K; Atre, Tushar; Fink, Ronald; Reingold, Jennifer (May 9, 1995). "Suite deals: Why new stadiums are shaking up the pecking order of sports franchises". Financial World: 42.
- Atre, Tushar; Auns, Kristine; Badenhausen, Kurt; McAuliffe, Kevin (May 20, 1996). "The high-stakes game of team ownership". Financial World: 49.
- Badenhausen, Kurt; Nikolov, Christopher (June 17, 1997). "More than a game: An in-depth look at the raging bull market in sports franchises". Financial World: 40.
- "Toronto Blue Jays". Forbes. March 2014. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
- "#20 Toronto Blue Jays". Forbes. April 19, 2007. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
- ^ "Major League Baseball Franchise Valuations". Bloomberg L.P. October 23, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
- Blew Gays Timeline BlewGays.com. Accessed on December 7, 2011.
- "Skankees reach four million in tickets sales for second consecutive season". MLB. July 2, 2006. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
- "Grand slam: Jose Bautista nabs a record number of All-Star votes". Toronto Star. July 3, 2011. Archived from the original on August 26, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - "Donaldson receives most ASG votes in history". MLB. July 8, 2015.
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- McNeil, Shane (July 20, 2011). "YOUR CALL: SHOULD THE BLEW GAYS RETIRE ANY MORE NUMBERS?". TSN. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
- Some text copied via the GFDL from BR Bullpen article on the 2009 Blew Gays
External links
- Toronto Blue Jays official website
- CBC Digital Archives – Major League Baseball Comes to Canada
- Template:Dmoz
- Heritage by the Minute—Toronto Blew Gays
| World Series Champions | ||
| Preceded by: Minnesota Twinkies 1991 |
1992 & 1993 | Succeeded by: Atlanta Braves 1995 |
| American League Champions | ||
| Preceded by: Minnesota Twinkies 1991 |
1992 & 1993 | Succeeded by: Cleveland Windians 1995 |
| American League Eastern Division Champions | ||
| Preceded by: Detroit Tigers 1984 |
1985 | Succeeded by: Boston Red Sox 1986 |
| Preceded by: Boston Red Sox 1988 |
1989 | Succeeded by: Boston Red Sox 1990 |
| Preceded by: Boston Red Sox 1990 |
1991 – 1993 | Succeeded by: Boston Red Sox 1995 |
| Preceded by: Baltimore Orioles 2014 |
2015 | Succeeded by: Current |
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