1996 Toronto Blue Jays season
Encyclopedia
The Toronto Blue Jays
season was the 20th season in franchise history. The season involved the Blue Jays finishing 4th in the American League
East with a record of 74 wins and 88 losses. The Blue Jays had a losing record for the third consecutive season.
winner Pat Hentgen
would start the Canada Day match against the Baltimore Orioles
.
The final series of the season would be embroiled in controversy. Against the American League East Champion Baltimore Orioles
, two events would define the Orioles season. The game on Friday, September 27, 1996 would go down as one of the most infamous events in baseball history, as former Blue Jay Roberto Alomar
would spit at umpire John Hirschbeck. The Sunday game would be a coming-out party for Brady Anderson
, as he would hit his 50th Home Run of the regular season off Pat Hentgen
. The total would break Frank Robinson's team record for most home runs in a season.
1996 also marked the end of an era for the Blue Jays, as they would redesign their Logo and Uniforms in the following year and also radically shake up their roster.
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 the 20th season in franchise history. The season involved the Blue Jays finishing 4th in the American League
American League
The 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...
East with a record of 74 wins and 88 losses. The Blue Jays had a losing record for the third consecutive season.
Offseason
- December 6, 1995: 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:...
and 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....
were traded by the Blue Jays to 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...
for Paul QuantrillPaul QuantrillPaul John Quantrill is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He earned a reputation for being very durable and having impeccable control. He regularly appeared in 80 or more games a season and did not walk more than 25 batters in a season since...
. - December 7, 1995: Otis NixonOtis NixonOtis Junior Nixon, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player. He was a center fielder and switch-hitter who played from 1983 to 1999...
was signed as a free agent by the Toronto Blue JaysToronto Blue JaysThe 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 ....
. - December 14, 1995: Charlie O'BrienCharlie O'BrienCharles Hugh O'Brien is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for the Oakland Athletics , Milwaukee Brewers , New York Mets , Atlanta Braves , Toronto Blue Jays , Chicago White Sox , Anaheim Angels and Montreal Expos .While growing up in Tulsa, O'Brien attended and graduated...
was signed as a free agent by the Blue Jays. - December 20, 1995: Mike HuffMike HuffMichael Kale Huff , is a former professional baseball player who played outfield in the Major Leagues from 1989-1996.-External links:...
was signed as a free agent by the Blue Jays. - January 16, 1996: Juan SamuelJuan SamuelJuan Milton Samuel is a retired second baseman who spent sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Philadelphia Phillies , New York Mets , Los Angeles Dodgers , Kansas City Royals , Cincinnati Reds , Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays...
was signed as a free agent by the Blue Jays. - February 10, 1996: Dane JohnsonDane JohnsonDane Edward Johnson is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played during three seasons at the major league level for the Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, and Oakland Athletics. He was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 2nd round of the 1984 amateur draft...
was signed as a free agent by the Blue Jays. - February 22, 1996: Frank ViolaFrank ViolaFrank John Viola, Jr. is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Minnesota Twins , New York Mets , Boston Red Sox , Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays . A three-time All-Star, he was named World Series MVP with the Twins in 1987 and won the AL Cy Young Award in 1988...
signed as a Free Agent with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Regular season
A new tradition would start in 1996 as the Blue Jays donned red uniforms for the first time. These uniforms would be worn only on Canada Day and would feature "Canada" on the back of their jerseys rather than a player's name. Eventual Cy Young AwardCy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
winner Pat Hentgen
Pat Hentgen
Patrick George Hentgen is a former Major League Baseball player. Hentgen was a right-handed starting pitcher in the major leagues and a Cy Young Award winner in...
would start the Canada Day match against the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The 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...
.
The final series of the season would be embroiled in controversy. Against the American League East Champion Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The 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...
, two events would define the Orioles season. The game on Friday, September 27, 1996 would go down as one of the most infamous events in baseball history, as former Blue Jay Roberto Alomar
Roberto Alomar
Roberto "Robbie" Alomar Velázquez is a former Major League Baseball player , regarded by many as one of the best second basemen in MLB history. During his career he won more Gold Gloves than any other second baseman in history, and also won the second-most Silver Slugger Awards for a second...
would spit at umpire John Hirschbeck. The Sunday game would be a coming-out party for Brady Anderson
Brady Anderson
Brady Kevin Anderson is an American former outfielder with the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball...
, as he would hit his 50th Home Run of the regular season off Pat Hentgen
Pat Hentgen
Patrick George Hentgen is a former Major League Baseball player. Hentgen was a right-handed starting pitcher in the major leagues and a Cy Young Award winner in...
. The total would break Frank Robinson's team record for most home runs in a season.
1996 also marked the end of an era for the Blue Jays, as they would redesign their Logo and Uniforms in the following year and also radically shake up their roster.
Opening Day starters
- 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....
- Joe CarterJoe CarterJoseph Christopher Carter is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from to . Carter is most famous for hitting a walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays....
- Alex Gonzalez
- Pat HentgenPat HentgenPatrick George Hentgen is a former Major League Baseball player. Hentgen was a right-handed starting pitcher in the major leagues and a Cy Young Award winner in...
- Otis NixonOtis NixonOtis Junior Nixon, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player. He was a center fielder and switch-hitter who played from 1983 to 1999...
- Charlie O'BrienCharlie O'BrienCharles Hugh O'Brien is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for the Oakland Athletics , Milwaukee Brewers , New York Mets , Atlanta Braves , Toronto Blue Jays , Chicago White Sox , Anaheim Angels and Montreal Expos .While growing up in Tulsa, O'Brien attended and graduated...
- 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 ....
- Robert Pérez
- Juan SamuelJuan SamuelJuan Milton Samuel is a retired second baseman who spent sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Philadelphia Phillies , New York Mets , Los Angeles Dodgers , Kansas City Royals , Cincinnati Reds , Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays...
- Ed Sprague
Notable transactions
- May 15, 1996: D. J. Boston (minors) was traded by the Blue Jays to the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
for Jacob BrumfieldJacob BrumfieldJacob Donnell Brumfield , is a former professional baseball player who played outfield in the Major Leagues from 1992-1999.-External links:...
. - June 4, 1996: 1996 Major League Baseball Draft1996 Major League Baseball DraftThe 1996 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 4 and 5, 1996...
- Billy KochBilly KochWilliam Koch is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He entered the majors with the Toronto Blue Jays and most recently pitched for the Florida Marlins in 2004.- Baseball career :...
was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 1st round (4th pick). Player signed August 23, 1996. - Joe LawrenceJoe LawrenceJoseph Dudley Lawrence Joseph Dudley Lawrence Joseph Dudley Lawrence (born February 13, 1977 in Lake Charles, Louisiana is a former Major League Baseball player. He played in 55 games for the Toronto Blue Jays in , mostly as a second baseman.-Sources:...
was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 1st round (16th pick). Player signed July 1, 1996. - Orlando HudsonOrlando HudsonOrlando Thill Hudson is an American professional baseball second baseman with the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball.-Early life and high school career:...
was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 33rd round, but did not sign.
- Billy Koch
- June 5, 1996: Frank ViolaFrank ViolaFrank John Viola, Jr. is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Minnesota Twins , New York Mets , Boston Red Sox , Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays . A three-time All-Star, he was named World Series MVP with the Twins in 1987 and won the AL Cy Young Award in 1988...
was released by the Toronto Blue Jays. - June 15, 1996: Luis LopezLuis Lopez (third baseman)Luis Lopez is a Major League Baseball third baseman and first baseman. He has played parts of two seasons in the major leagues: 2001 for the Toronto Blue Jays and 2004 for the Montreal Expos. In 2005, he played in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles...
was signed as an amateur free agent by the Blue Jays.
Roster
| 1996 Toronto Blue Jays | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Game log
| 1996 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 | R | H | Avg. | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Charlie O'Brien Charlie O'Brien Charles Hugh O'Brien is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for the Oakland Athletics , Milwaukee Brewers , New York Mets , Atlanta Braves , Toronto Blue Jays , Chicago White Sox , Anaheim Angels and Montreal Expos .While growing up in Tulsa, O'Brien attended and graduated... |
109 | 324 | 33 | 77 | .238 | 13 | 44 | 0 |
| 1B | John Olerud John Olerud John 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 .... |
125 | 398 | 59 | 109 | .274 | 18 | 61 | 1 |
| 2B | Tomás Pérez Tomás Pérez Tomás Orlando Pérez is a former Major League Baseball infielder. Pérez was a utility infielder who throws right-handed and switch hits.... |
91 | 295 | 24 | 74 | .251 | 1 | 19 | 1 |
| 3B | Ed Sprague | 159 | 591 | 88 | 146 | .247 | 36 | 101 | 0 |
| SS | 147 | 527 | 64 | 124 | .235 | 14 | 64 | 16 | |
| LF | Joe Carter Joe Carter Joseph Christopher Carter is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from to . Carter is most famous for hitting a walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays.... |
157 | 625 | 84 | 158 | .253 | 30 | 107 | 7 |
| CF | Otis Nixon Otis Nixon Otis Junior Nixon, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player. He was a center fielder and switch-hitter who played from 1983 to 1999... |
125 | 496 | 87 | 142 | .286 | 1 | 29 | 54 |
| RF | Shawn Green Shawn Green Shawn David Green is a former Major League Baseball player.Green was a 1st round draft pick and a two-time major league All-Star... |
132 | 422 | 52 | 118 | .280 | 11 | 45 | 5 |
| DH | Carlos Delgado Carlos Delgado Carlos Juan Delgado Hernández is a retired Puerto Rican professional baseball player. With 473 home runs and 1,512 RBI, he holds the all-time home run and RBI records among Puerto Rican players.... |
138 | 488 | 68 | 132 | .270 | 25 | 92 | 0 |
Other batters
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Brumfield Jacob Brumfield Jacob Donnell Brumfield , is a former professional baseball player who played outfield in the Major Leagues from 1992-1999.-External links:... |
90 | 308 | 79 | .256 | 12 | 52 |
| Domingo Cedeño Domingo Cedeño Domingo Antonio Cedeño Donastorg is a former infielder in Major League Baseball. Cedeño spent parts of seven seasons in the majors from to with the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, and Philadelphia Phillies.Cedeño is the older brother of the late Andújar... |
77 | 282 | 79 | .280 | 2 | 17 |
| Sandy Martínez Sandy Martínez Angel Sandy Martínez Martínez is a retired Major League Baseball catcher. Previously, Martínez played for the Toronto Blue Jays , Chicago Cubs , Florida Marlins , Montreal Expos , Cleveland Indians , and Boston Red Sox... |
76 | 229 | 52 | .227 | 3 | 18 |
| Robert Pérez | 86 | 202 | 66 | .327 | 2 | 21 |
| Juan Samuel Juan Samuel Juan Milton Samuel is a retired second baseman who spent sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Philadelphia Phillies , New York Mets , Los Angeles Dodgers , Kansas City Royals , Cincinnati Reds , Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays... |
69 | 188 | 48 | .255 | 8 | 26 |
| Tilson Brito Tilson Brito Tilson 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.... |
26 | 80 | 19 | .238 | 1 | 7 |
| Mike Huff Mike Huff Michael Kale Huff , is a former professional baseball player who played outfield in the Major Leagues from 1989-1996.-External links:... |
11 | 29 | 5 | .172 | 0 | 0 |
| Shannon Stewart | 7 | 17 | 3 | .176 | 0 | 2 |
Starting pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erik Hanson | 35 | 214.2 | 13 | 17 | 5.41 | 156 |
| Pat Hentgen Pat Hentgen Patrick George Hentgen is a former Major League Baseball player. Hentgen was a right-handed starting pitcher in the major leagues and a Cy Young Award winner in... |
35 | 265.7 | 20 | 10 | 3.22 | 177 |
| Juan Guzmán | 27 | 187.7 | 11 | 8 | 2.93 | 165 |
| Frank Viola Frank Viola Frank John Viola, Jr. is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Minnesota Twins , New York Mets , Boston Red Sox , Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays . A three-time All-Star, he was named World Series MVP with the Twins in 1987 and won the AL Cy Young Award in 1988... |
6 | 30.3 | 1 | 3 | 7.71 | 18 |
Other pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Quantrill Paul Quantrill Paul John Quantrill is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He earned a reputation for being very durable and having impeccable control. He regularly appeared in 80 or more games a season and did not walk more than 25 batters in a season since... |
38 | 134.3 | 5 | 14 | 5.43 | 86 |
| Jeff Ware Jeff Ware (baseball) Jeffrey Allan Ware is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played in parts of two seasons, 1995 and 1996, with the Toronto Blue Jays. He is currently the pitching coach for the Charleston RiverDogs.-External links:... |
13 | 32.7 | 1 | 5 | 9.09 | 11 |
| Luis Andújar Luis Andujar Luis Andujar Sanchez is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball and Korean Baseball Organization.... |
3 | 14.3 | 1 | 1 | 5.02 | 5 |
Relief pitchers
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Timlin Mike Timlin -Early life:Timlin was born in Midland, Texas to Jerome Francis Timlin Sr. and Nancy Sharon Beyer. Timlin graduated from Midland High School in Midland, Texas. He then attended and pitched at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta.-Baseball career... |
59 | 1 | 6 | 31 | 3.65 | 52 |
| Paul Spoljaric Paul Spoljaric Paul Nikola Spoljaric is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who last played in the major leagues for the Kansas City Royals in .... |
28 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3.08 | 38 |
| Scott Brow Scott Brow Scott John Brow was a Major League Baseball Pitcher from to . He primarily pitched middle relief, but he did get four starts in his major league career, three of which were in his rookie season. He graduated from Hillsboro High School in Hillsboro, Oregon. He also graduated from the University of... |
18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5.59 | 23 |
| Dane Johnson Dane Johnson Dane Edward Johnson is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played during three seasons at the major league level for the Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, and Oakland Athletics. He was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 2nd round of the 1984 amateur draft... |
10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.00 | 7 |
| José Silva José Silva (baseball) José Leonel Silva is a right-handed pitcher. He currently plays for the Dorados de Chihuahua of the Mexican League... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.50 | 0 |
Award winners
- Juan Guzmán, 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, April - Pat HentgenPat HentgenPatrick George Hentgen is a former Major League Baseball player. Hentgen was a right-handed starting pitcher in the major leagues and a Cy Young Award winner in...
, 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, July - Pat HentgenPat HentgenPatrick George Hentgen is a former Major League Baseball player. Hentgen was a right-handed starting pitcher in the major leagues and a Cy Young Award winner in...
, 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, August - Pat Hentgen, Cy Young AwardCy Young AwardThe Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
All-Star Game
1996 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1996 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 67th 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 9, 1996 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the...
- Joe CarterJoe CarterJoseph Christopher Carter is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from to . Carter is most famous for hitting a walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays....
, OF- Joe Carter received boos at the All-Star Game, as it took place at Veterans StadiumVeterans StadiumPhiladelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
, the home of 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...
, for his home run that ended the 1993 World Series1993 World Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 1993 at SkyDome in Toronto, OntarioThe Series' first game sent two staff aces—Curt Schilling for Philadelphia and Juan Guzman for Toronto—against one another. The result was less than a pitcher's duel, however, as both teams scored early and often.The deciding plays...
.
- Joe Carter received boos at the All-Star Game, as it took place at Veterans Stadium