1990 Toronto Blue Jays season
Encyclopedia
The Toronto Blue Jays
season was a season in American baseball
. It involved the Blue Jays finishing second in the American League East
with a record of 86 wins and 76 losses. It was their first full season in the Skydome
. The Blue Jays led the division by 1½ games over the Boston Red Sox
with one week left in the season. However, they then proceeded to drop six of their last eight games, giving the division title to the Red Sox by a two-game margin.
. He started by becoming the first Blue Jay to hit for the cycle, accomplishing the feat on April 16 vs. the Kansas City Royals
. Along with outfielder George Bell and pitcher Dave Stieb
, Gruber was named an American League All-Star, stealing two bases in the All-Star Game
on July 10 at Chicago's Wrigley Field
. A finalist for the American League MVP Award
, at season's end he was named the AL's Silver Slugger
Award winner at third base.
s during the 1990 season. On June 29, Dave Stewart of the Oakland Athletics
no-hit them by a score of 5-0. On September 2, Jays ace Dave Stieb finally got the no-hitter that had eluded him, blanking the Cleveland Indians
3-0.
during his early career led to an exclusive deal with sports card manufacturer SCORE. Attempting to leverage this arrangement as much as possible, he was even featured on a baseball card
showing him as a third baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays
, although he never actually played baseball. He was only there taking batting practice one day.
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 was a season in American baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. It involved 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 86 wins and 76 losses. It was their first full season in the Skydome
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
. The Blue Jays led the division by 1½ games over the Boston Red Sox
1990 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Red Sox finishing first in the American League East with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses. It was the second AL East division championship in three years for the Red Sox...
with one week left in the season. However, they then proceeded to drop six of their last eight games, giving the division title to the Red Sox by a two-game margin.
Offseason
- December 4, 1989: 1989 rule 5 draftRule 5 draftThe Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
- Sil CampusanoSil CampusanoSilvestre Diaz Campusano is a former Major League Baseball player.-Career:Campusano both batted and threw right-handed, as an outfielder. His first season was for the Toronto Blue Jays, in . He played 79 games and had 142 at bats. He got 31 hits, 14 runs, with 2 home runs, and 12 runs batted in...
was drafted from the Blue Jays by the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. - 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 from the Blue Jays by the Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
.
- Sil Campusano
- December 5, 1989: Mike MaksudianMike MaksudianMichael Bryant Maksudian is a former Major League Baseball catcher/corner-infielder. He spent 1992 with the Toronto Blue Jays, 1993 with the Minnesota Twins, and 1994 with the Chicago Cubs. In 41 career at-bats, he collected 9 hits and 6 RBIs. He was famous for consuming insects in the Jays'...
was drafted by the Blue Jays from Miami Miracle in the 1989 minor league draft. - December 7, 1989: José Núñez was traded by the Blue Jays to the Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
for Paul KilgusPaul KilgusPaul Kilgus , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1987–1991 and 1993.-Fast Facts:* Kilgus won a career high 12 games for the Texas Rangers in...
. - December 17, 1989: Ernie WhittErnie WhittLeo Ernest "Ernie" Whitt is a former Major League Baseball catcher and coach who is the current manager for the minor league Clearwater Threshers. He is noted for the twelve years he spent as a player with the Toronto Blue Jays...
and Kevin BatisteKevin BatisteKevin Wade Batiste is a former Major League Baseball player. Batiste played for the Toronto Blue Jays in . He batted and threw right-handed.He was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 2nd round of the 1985 amateur draft....
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 Ricky TrlicekRicky TrlicekRichard Alan Trlicek was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was selected in the 4th round by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1987 MLB Draft.-Philadelphia Phillies:...
. - January 10, 1990: Tilson BritoTilson BritoTilson Manuel Brito Jiminez is a Dominican third baseman who is currently a free agent. From -, he played for the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions of Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan....
was signed as an amateur free agent by the Blue Jays. - January 29, 1990: Jim EppardJim EppardJames Gerhard Eppard was a Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman.Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 13th round of the 1982 MLB amateur draft, Eppard made his Major League debut with the California Angels on September 8, 1987, and appeared in his final game on October 1, 1990.He...
was signed as a free agent by the Blue Jays.
Regular season
The 1990 season belonged to third baseman Kelly GruberKelly Gruber
Kelly Wayne Gruber is a former Major League Baseball third baseman.-Early career:Gruber played baseball at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas where his number was later retired. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 1st round of the 1980 amateur draft but did not see time with the team...
. He started by becoming the first Blue Jay to hit for the cycle, accomplishing the feat on April 16 vs. the Kansas City Royals
1990 Kansas City Royals season
The Kansas City Royals season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Royals finishing 6th in the American League West with a record of 75 wins and 86 losses.-Offseason:* December 5, 1989: Richard Dotson was signed as a free agent by the Royals....
. Along with outfielder George Bell and pitcher Dave Stieb
Dave Stieb
David Andrew Stieb [STEEB] is a former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays.-Playing career:Born in Santa Ana, California, Stieb played varsity baseball at Southern Illinois University as an outfielder...
, Gruber was named an American League All-Star, stealing two bases in the All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
on July 10 at Chicago's Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
. A finalist for the American League MVP Award
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The 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...
, at season's end he was named the AL's Silver Slugger
Silver Slugger
The Silver Slugger Award is awarded annually to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball...
Award winner at third base.
Opening Day starters
- George Bell, OF
- Junior FelixJunior FelixJunior Francisco Félix Sánchez is a former professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from -....
, OF - 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:...
, SS - Kelly GruberKelly GruberKelly Wayne Gruber is a former Major League Baseball third baseman.-Early career:Gruber played baseball at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas where his number was later retired. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 1st round of the 1980 amateur draft but did not see time with the team...
, 3B - Nelson LirianoNelson LirianoNelson Arturo Liriano Bonilla is a former Major League baseball player. He played for various teams from 1987 to 1998 batting a career average of .260 over those 11 seasons. In 1999, he played in one game for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan.Before turning professional, Liriano played amateur...
, 2B - Fred McGriffFred McGriffFrederick Stanley McGriff is a left-handed former Major League Baseball player who starred for several teams from the mid-1980s until the early 2000s. A power-hitting first baseman with a tall, lanky build, the five-time All-Star became, in , the first player since the dead-ball era to lead both...
, 1B - Greg Myers, C
- John OlerudJohn OlerudJohn Garrett Olerud , is a former American first baseman in Major League Baseball. Olerud played with the Toronto Blue Jays , New York Mets , Seattle Mariners , New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox ....
, DH - Dave StiebDave StiebDavid Andrew Stieb [STEEB] is a former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays.-Playing career:Born in Santa Ana, California, Stieb played varsity baseball at Southern Illinois University as an outfielder...
, P - Mookie WilsonMookie WilsonWilliam Hayward "Mookie" Wilson is an American former Major League Baseball center fielder and current coach for the New York Mets. He played 12 years in baseball for the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays . He was a switch hitter primarily known for his impressive speed and positive attitude...
, OF
No-Hitters
The Blue Jays were involved in two no-hitterNo-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
s during the 1990 season. On June 29, Dave Stewart of the Oakland Athletics
1990 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics' 1990 season saw the A's win their third consecutive American League West title, with a record of 103 wins and 59 losses, nine games ahead of the Chicago White Sox. It was the third consecutive year in which Oakland finished with the best record in all of MLB...
no-hit them by a score of 5-0. On September 2, Jays ace Dave Stieb finally got the no-hitter that had eluded him, blanking the Cleveland Indians
1990 Cleveland Indians season
-Offseason:*October 4, 1989: Luis Aguayo was released by the Cleveland Indians. *November 21, 1989: Cecilio Guante was signed as a free agent by the Indians....
3-0.
Notable transactions
- May 1, 1990: 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 returned to the Blue Jays by the Detroit Tigers. - May 8, 1990: Mike Flanagan was released by the Blue Jays.
- June 4, 1990: 1990 Major League Baseball Draft1990 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1990 Major League Baseball draft.-Background:The draft went a record 101 rounds, surpassing 1989's total of 88, and included a record 1,487 selections. The Astros led all clubs with 100 selections. Seattle was second with 75,...
- Steve KarsaySteve KarsayStefan Andrew Karsay is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher for the Oakland Athletics , Cleveland Indians , Atlanta Braves , New York Yankees , and Texas Rangers .Karsay grew up in the College Point neighborhood in Queens, New York City, just a few miles from Shea...
was drafted by the Jays in the 1st round (22nd pick). - Future Heisman TrophyHeisman TrophyThe Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner Chris WeinkeChris WeinkeChristopher Jon Weinke is a former professional American football and baseball player. After spending six years in the Toronto Blue Jays minor league baseball system, he enrolled at Florida State University at the age of 26, and played quarterback for the Florida State Seminoles...
was drafted by the Blue Jays. Player signed August 20, 1990. - Felipe CrespoFelipe CrespoFelipe Javier Crespo is a former utility in Major League Baseball who played for three different teams between and . Listed at 5'11, 195 lb., Crespo was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed...
was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 3rd round. Player signed September 22, 1990. - Howard BattleHoward BattleHoward Dion Battle is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball. Battle spent parts of three seasons in the majors with the Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves.-External links:...
was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 4th round. Player signed June 6, 1990. - Ricardo JordanRicardo JordanRicardo Jordan is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played parts of four seasons in the majors, from until , for four different teams....
was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 37th round.
- Steve Karsay
- June 18, 1990: Kenny Williams was selected off waivers by the Blue Jays from the Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. - July 27, 1990: Nelson LirianoNelson LirianoNelson Arturo Liriano Bonilla is a former Major League baseball player. He played for various teams from 1987 to 1998 batting a career average of .260 over those 11 seasons. In 1999, he played in one game for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan.Before turning professional, Liriano played amateur...
and Pedro MuñozPedro Muñoz (baseball)Pedro Javier Muñoz González is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played seven seasons in the majors, from until , for the Minnesota Twins and Oakland Athletics.-External links:...
were traded by the Blue Jays to the Minnesota TwinsMinnesota TwinsThe Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
for John CandelariaJohn CandelariaJohn Robert Candelaria . He attended The Caton School P.S. 249. Nicknamed "The Candy Man," is a former professional left-handed pitcher who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles...
. - September 16, 1990: Mauro GozzoMauro GozzoMauro Gozzo is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played all or part of six seasons in the majors, from until ....
and players to be named later were traded by the Blue Jays to the Cleveland IndiansCleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
for Bud BlackBud BlackHarry Ralston "Bud" Black is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher and current manager of the San Diego Padres.-College:Black played two years at Lower Columbia College in Longview...
. The Blue Jays completed the trade by sending Steve CummingsSteve Cummings (baseball)Steven Brent Cummings is an American former professional baseball player. A pitcher, Cummings played Major League Baseball from 1989 to 1990 with the Toronto Blue Jays.-External links:**...
to the Indians on September 21 and Alex SanchezAlex Sanchez (pitcher)Alex Anthony Sanchez was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He attended Antioch High School. Alex was high school teammate with Chicago Cubs pitcher Jeff Pico and PGA Tour golfer Larry Silveira.-Sources:*...
to the Indians on September 24. - September 24, 1990: Rich ButlerRich ButlerRichard Dwight Butler is a former outfielder for the Major League Baseball Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Devil Rays...
was signed as an amateur free agent by the Blue Jays. - September 24, 1990: Rob ButlerRob ButlerRobert Frank John Butler is a former Major League Baseball outfielder with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies. He is also a former baseball player with the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball club of the Intercounty Baseball League.Butler first signed with the Blue Jays as an amateur...
was signed as an amateur free agent by the Blue Jays.
Eric Lindros
The hype around Eric LindrosEric Lindros
Eric Bryan Lindros is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. Lindros played junior hockey in the OHL for the Oshawa Generals prior to being selected first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques...
during his early career led to an exclusive deal with sports card manufacturer SCORE. Attempting to leverage this arrangement as much as possible, he was even featured on a baseball card
Baseball card
A baseball card is a type of trading card relating to baseball, usually printed on some type of paper stock or card stock. A card will usually feature one or more baseball players or other baseball-related sports figures...
showing him as a third baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays
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 ....
, although he never actually played baseball. He was only there taking batting practice one day.
Roster
| 1990 Toronto Blue Jays | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders Other batters |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Game log
| 1990 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 | 125 | 346 | 99 | .286 | 15 | 49 | |
| 1B | 153 | 557 | 167 | .300 | 35 | 88 | |
| 2B | 117 | 391 | 95 | .243 | 6 | 41 | |
| 3B | 150 | 592 | 162 | .274 | 31 | 118 | |
| SS | 161 | 635 | 175 | .276 | 4 | 66 | |
| LF | 142 | 562 | 149 | .265 | 21 | 86 | |
| CF | 147 | 588 | 156 | .265 | 3 | 51 | |
| RF | 127 | 463 | 122 | .263 | 15 | 65 | |
| DH | 111 | 358 | 95 | .265 | 14 | 48 |
Other batters
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84 | 260 | 60 | .231 | 12 | 32 | |
| 87 | 250 | 59 | .236 | 5 | 22 | |
| 50 | 170 | 36 | .212 | 1 | 15 | |
| 57 | 97 | 28 | .289 | 2 | 16 | |
| 33 | 88 | 12 | .273 | 2 | 7 | |
| 33 | 80 | 18 | .225 | 1 | 9 | |
| 49 | 72 | 14 | .194 | 0 | 8 | |
| 19 | 53 | 16 | .302 | 0 | 7 | |
| 15 | 12 | 1 | .083 | 0 | 1 | |
| 6 | 5 | 1 | .200 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | 5 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | |
| 9 | 3 | 1 | .333 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | 2 | 1 | .500 | 0 | 0 |
Starting pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 208⅔ | 18 | 6 | 2.93 | 125 | |
| 27 | 154⅔ | 13 | 7 | 4.25 | 88 | |
| 33 | 203 | 13 | 17 | 4.34 | 115 | |
| 30 | 140 | 9 | 9 | 4.76 | 49 | |
| 5 | 20⅓ | 2 | 2 | 5.31 | 5 |
Other pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | 189 | 11 | 6 | 3.14 | 115 | |
| 27 | 68.2 | 3 | 5 | 4.06 | 43 | |
| 13 | 21.1 | 0 | 3 | 5.48 | 19 | |
| 3 | 15.2 | 2 | 1 | 4.02 | 3 | |
| 6 | 12.1 | 0 | 0 | 5.11 | 4 |
Relief pitchers
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | 2 | 4 | 32 | 2.17 | 75 | |
| 73 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 3.45 | 112 | |
| 59 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3.83 | 54 | |
| 44 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 4.73 | 72 | |
| 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.06 | 7 | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 5 | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | |
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6.75 | 0 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.00 | 0 |
Award winners
- Kelly GruberKelly GruberKelly Wayne Gruber is a former Major League Baseball third baseman.-Early career:Gruber played baseball at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas where his number was later retired. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 1st round of the 1980 amateur draft but did not see time with the team...
, Player of the MonthPlayer of the MonthThe Player of the Month Award is a Major League Baseball award named by each league every month of the regular season. The National League started recognizing the award on June 4, 1958. National League president Warren Giles conducted a poll of baseball writers in each Major League city and...
Award, September - Kelly Gruber, Silver Slugger Award
All-Star Game
1990 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1990 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 61st 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 10, 1990 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, the home of the...
- George Bell, OF
- Kelly Gruber, 3B
- Dave StiebDave StiebDavid Andrew Stieb [STEEB] is a former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays.-Playing career:Born in Santa Ana, California, Stieb played varsity baseball at Southern Illinois University as an outfielder...
, P