1987 Toronto Blue Jays season
Encyclopedia
The Toronto Blue Jays
season witnessed the Blue Jays finishing second in the American League East
with a record of 96 wins and 66 losses. They had been in first place by 3½ games over the Detroit Tigers
with a week left to play. However, they dropped their next seven games in a row, capped off by a sweep at the hands of Detroit at Tiger Stadium on the last weekend of the season, and lost the division by two games.
All-Star Game
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
season witnessed the Blue Jays finishing second in the American League East
American League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...
with a record of 96 wins and 66 losses. They had been in first place by 3½ games over the Detroit Tigers
1987 Detroit Tigers season
The 1987 Detroit Tigers season saw the Tigers make a startling late-season comeback to win the American League Eastern Division. The Tigers finished with a record of 98 wins and 64 losses, two games ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays...
with a week left to play. However, they dropped their next seven games in a row, capped off by a sweep at the hands of Detroit at Tiger Stadium on the last weekend of the season, and lost the division by two games.
Offseason
- October 20, 1986: Dennis LampDennis LampDennis Patrick Lamp is a former middle relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1977 through 1992, Lamp played for the Chicago Cubs , Chicago White Sox , Toronto Blue Jays , Oakland Athletics , Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates .-Career:In a 19-season career, Lamp posted a...
was released by the Blue Jays. - February 2, 1987: Luis Leal and Dámaso GarcíaDámaso GarcíaDámaso Domingo García Sánchez is a former Major League Baseball player best known for his time spent with the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1980s....
were traded by the Blue Jays to the Atlanta BravesAtlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
for Craig McMurtryCraig McMurtryJoe Craig McMurtry was a Pitcher for the Atlanta Braves , Texas Rangers and Houston Astros . He is currently Baseball coach at Temple College....
. - March 26, 1987: Ron ShepherdRon ShepherdRonald Wayne Shepherd is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played all or part of three seasons in the majors, from until , for the Toronto Blue Jays.-Sources:...
was released by the Blue Jays.
Regular season
- Blue Jays left fielder George Bell drove in 134 runs to lead the American LeagueAmerican LeagueThe American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
, and was selected the league's Most Valuable PlayerMLB Most Valuable Player AwardThe Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
in a close vote over the Tigers' Alan TrammellAlan TrammellAlan Stuart Trammell is a retired American baseball shortstop of the Detroit Tigers from to . Trammell, nicknamed "Tram", played his entire career with the Tigers, highlighted by a World Series championship in and an American League East division championship in . Although his arm was not...
.
- Tom HenkeTom HenkeThomas Anthony Henke , nicknamed "The Terminator" because of his ability and success as a closer, is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was one of the most dominant and feared closers during the late 1980s and early 1990s, pitching for the Texas Rangers , Toronto Blue Jays , and St...
established himself as an elite closer as he led the American League in saves with 34. Jimmy KeyJimmy KeyJames Edward "Jimmy" Key is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Toronto Blue Jays , New York Yankees , and Baltimore Orioles...
led the American League with a 2.76 ERA.
- July 21, 1987: Pitcher Jimmy Key threw exactly three pitches and recorded three outs. This was accomplished in the second inning.
Notable transactions
- April 2, 1987: Bill CaudillBill CaudillWilliam Holland Caudill is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. One of the wackier players to play the game, Caudill was also one of baseball's top closers from to . Caudill is perhaps most notable for being agent Scott Boras' first client.-Early years:Caudill was drafted by the St...
was released by the Blue Jays. - June 2, 1987: 1987 Major League Baseball Draft1987 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1987 Major League Baseball draft.-Supplemental First Round Selections:-External links:*...
- Ryan ThompsonRyan ThompsonRyan Orlando Thompson is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played all or part of nine seasons in the majors between 1992 and 2002 for the New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros, New York Yankees, Florida Marlins, and Milwaukee Brewers. He also played one season in Japan for...
was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 13th round. Player signed June 4, 1987. - Steve WapnickSteve WapnickSteven Lee "Steve" Wapnick is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox. He held batters to a .222 batting average, holding righties to a .115 batting average.Wapnick attended Monroe High School in Sepulveda, California...
was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 30th round. - Darren LewisDarren LewisDarren Joel Lewis is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Oakland Athletics , San Francisco Giants , Cincinnati Reds , Chicago White Sox , Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox ; he played his final season in 2002 with the Chicago Cubs...
was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 45th round, but did not sign.
- Ryan Thompson
- August 25, 1987: Gary LavelleGary LavelleGary Robert Lavelle is a retired professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1974–1985 and 1987....
was released by the Blue Jays. - August 31, 1987: Oswaldo PerazaOswaldo PerazaOswald José Peraza [pay-RAH-za] is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Baltimore Orioles . He batted and threw right-handed....
and a player to be named later were traded by the Blue Jays to the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
for Mike Flanagan. The Blue Jays completed the deal by sending José MesaJosé MesaJosé Ramón Nova Mesa [MAY-sah] is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. His nickname was "Joe Table," the literal translation of his name in the English language....
to the Orioles on September 4. - September 22, 1987: Mike SharpersonMike SharpersonMichael Tyrone Sharperson was an infielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Toronto Blue Jays , Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves . Sharperson batted and threw right-handed...
was traded by the Blue Jays to the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
for Juan Guzmán.
Roster
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders Other batters |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Game log
| 1987 Game Log | |
|---|---|
Starters by position
Note: Pos = position; G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In| = Indicates team leader |
| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 135 | 446 | 120 | .269 | 19 | 75 | |
| 1B | 150 | 512 | 125 | .244 | 15 | 58 | |
| 2B | 122 | 310 | 65 | .210 | 4 | 30 | |
| 3B | 138 | 341 | 80 | .235 | 12 | 36 | |
| SS | 146 | 578 | 186 | .322 | 5 | 67 | |
| LF | 156 | 610 | 188 | .308 | 47 | 134 | |
| CF | 155 | 592 | 167 | .282 | 26 | 96 | |
| RF | 159 | 590 | 155 | .263 | 28 | 84 | |
| DH | 107 | 295 | 73 | .247 | 20 | 43 |
Other batters
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 124 | 332 | 103 | .310 | 11 | 44 | |
| 98 | 195 | 55 | .282 | 3 | 25 | |
| 82 | 175 | 47 | .269 | 14 | 32 | |
| 37 | 158 | 38 | .241 | 2 | 10 | |
| 56 | 121 | 31 | .256 | 1 | 11 | |
| 51 | 107 | 23 | .215 | 1 | 27 | |
| 32 | 96 | 20 | .208 | 0 | 9 | |
| 39 | 81 | 23 | .284 | 5 | 21 | |
| 34 | 48 | 9 | .188 | 1 | 6 | |
| 13 | 25 | 3 | .120 | 1 | 2 | |
| 5 | 12 | 1 | .083 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | 9 | 1 | .111 | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | 2 | 1 | .500 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 0 | 0 |
Starting pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | 241⅓ | 15 | 11 | 3.54 | 180 | |
| 36 | 261 | 17 | 8 | 2.76 | 161 | |
| 33 | 185 | 13 | 9 | 4.09 | 115 | |
| 14 | 66⅔ | 3 | 5 | 5.13 | 27 | |
| 7 | 49⅓ | 3 | 2 | 2.37 | 43 | |
| 3 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 8.25 | 7 |
Other pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | 151⅓ | 11 | 4 | 4.40 | 92 | |
| José Núñez | 37 | 97 | 5 | 2 | 5.01 | 99 |
Relief pitchers
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | 0 | 6 | 34 | 2.49 | 128 | |
| 89 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 3.17 | 96 | |
| 68 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4.15 | 54 | |
| 23 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5.53 | 17 | |
| 18 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3.99 | 32 | |
| 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6.94 | 10 | |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.09 | 3 |
Award winners
- Jesse BarfieldJesse BarfieldJesse Lee Barfield is a former Major League Baseball right fielder who played for the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees . He batted and threw right-handed. He lived in Tenafly, a suburb of New York City.Barfield was well known for his powerful, accurate throwing arm...
, Gold Glove AwardGold Glove AwardThe Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the... - George Bell, American League RBI Champion, 134
- George Bell, American League MVP
- George Bell, Silver Slugger Award
- George Bell, The Sporting News Player of the Year AwardThe Sporting News Player of the Year AwardThis is a list of the Major League Baseball players chosen by The Sporting News since 1936 as recipients of the TSN Player of the Year Award. Until 1969, it was the only major award given to a single player from MLB, rather than to a player in each league. In 1969, Baseball Digest began its Player...
- Jim ClancyJim Clancy (baseball)James Clancy is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Toronto Blue Jays , Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves . He batted and threw right-handed....
, Pitcher of the MonthPitcher of the MonthThe Pitcher of the Month award is a Major League Baseball award named by each league for each month of the regular season. The National League started recognizing the award in . The American League followed in...
Award, May - Tom HenkeTom HenkeThomas Anthony Henke , nicknamed "The Terminator" because of his ability and success as a closer, is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was one of the most dominant and feared closers during the late 1980s and early 1990s, pitching for the Texas Rangers , Toronto Blue Jays , and St...
, American League Leader, Saves, 34 - Jimmy KeyJimmy KeyJames Edward "Jimmy" Key is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Toronto Blue Jays , New York Yankees , and Baltimore Orioles...
, American League ERA Champion, 2.76 ERA
All-Star Game
1987 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1987 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 58th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 14, 1987 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland,...
- George Bell, OF, Starter
- Tony FernándezTony FernándezOctavio Antonio Fernández Castro , better known as Tony Fernández, is a former Major League Baseball player most noted for his defensive skills setting a record for shortstops with a .992 fielding percentage in 1989.-Career:...
, Shortstop, Reserve - Tom HenkeTom HenkeThomas Anthony Henke , nicknamed "The Terminator" because of his ability and success as a closer, is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was one of the most dominant and feared closers during the late 1980s and early 1990s, pitching for the Texas Rangers , Toronto Blue Jays , and St...
, Pitcher, Reserve