The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team based in Toronto, Ontario, and a member of Major League Baseball's (MLB) American League Eastern Division. Since June 5, 1989, the Blue Jays have played in the Rogers Centre (called the "SkyDome" until February 2, 2005).[1] Prior to that, they played at Exhibition Stadium.[2] The name "Blue Jays" was chosen via a contest in 1976 from among more than 4,000 suggestions.[3]
Toronto made their MLB debut in the 1977 baseball season, as an expansion team.[3] After a stretch of unsuccessful years following their debut, the team's fortunes began to turn, resulting in them capturing the American League East Division in 1985. They lost the American League Championship Series (ALCS) to the Kansas City Royals, in a series that went the full seven games.[4] They returned to the playoffs in 1989, where they lost to the Oakland Athletics in the ALCS in five games,[5] and again in 1991, where once more they were defeated in the ALCS in five games, this time by the Minnesota Twins.[6]
In 1992, they became the first Canadian-based team to win the World Series, with a pair of six-game victories over Oakland in the ALCS and the Atlanta Braves in the World Series.[7] In 1993, they repeated their success, with another pair of six-game victories over the Chicago White Sox in the ALCS and the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series.[8]
Table key
editAmerican League Championship Series | |
American League Cy Young Award[9] | |
Final position in league or division, excluding post-season play | |
Number of regular season games played[a] | |
"Games behind" the first-place team in the division[b] | |
Number of regular season losses; regular and post-season records are combined only at the bottom of the list | |
Each year is linked to an article about that particular MLB season | |
American League Manager of the Year[10] | |
American League Most Valuable Player.[9] | |
American League Rookie of the Year[11] | |
Each year is linked to an article about that particular Blue Jays season | |
Wins as a percentage of games played (regular season); regular and post-season records are combined only at the bottom of the list | |
Number of regular season wins; regular and post-season records are combined only at the bottom of the list |
Regular season results
editWorld Series Champions† |
American League Champions‡ |
Division Champions* |
Wild Card Berth§ |
MLB season |
Team season |
League[12] | Division[12] | Regular season[13] | Post-season | Awards | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Finish | Games | Wins | Losses | Win% | GB | ||||||
1977 | 1977 | AL | East | 7th | 161 | 54 | 107 | .335 | 45½ | ||
1978 | 1978 | AL | East | 7th | 161 | 59 | 102 | .366 | 40 | ||
1979 | 1979 | AL | East | 7th | 162 | 53 | 109 | .327 | 50½ | Alfredo Griffin (Co-ROY)[11] | |
1980 | 1980 | AL | East | 7th | 162 | 67 | 95 | .414 | 36 | ||
1981[c] | 1981 | AL | East | 7th | 58 | 16 | 42 | .349 | 23½ | ||
7th | 48 | 21 | 27 | ||||||||
1982 | 1982 | AL | East | 6th | 162 | 78 | 84 | .481 | 17 | ||
1983 | 1983 | AL | East | 4th | 162 | 89 | 73 | .549 | 9 | ||
1984 | 1984 | AL | East | 2nd | 162 | 89 | 73 | .549 | 15 | ||
1985 | 1985 | AL | East* | 1st | 161 | 99 | 62 | .615 | — | Lost ALCS to the Kansas City Royals, 3–4.[4] | Bobby Cox (MOY)[10] |
1986 | 1986 | AL | East | 4th | 162 | 86 | 76 | .531 | 9½ | ||
1987 | 1987 | AL | East | 2nd | 162 | 96 | 66 | .593 | 2 | George Bell (MVP)[9] | |
1988 | 1988 | AL | East | 3rd | 162 | 87 | 75 | .537 | 2 | ||
1989 | 1989[d] | AL | East* | 1st | 162 | 89 | 73 | .549 | — | Lost ALCS to the Oakland Athletics, 1–4.[5] | |
1990 | 1990 | AL | East | 2nd | 162 | 86 | 76 | .531 | 2 | ||
1991 | 1991 | AL | East* | 1st | 162 | 91 | 71 | .562 | — | Lost ALCS to the Minnesota Twins, 1–4.[6] | |
1992† | 1992 | AL‡ | East* | 1st | 162 | 96 | 66 | .593 | — | Won ALCS over the Oakland Athletics, 4–2. Won World Series over the Atlanta Braves, 4–2.[7] |
|
1993† | 1993 | AL‡ | East* | 1st | 162 | 95 | 67 | .586 | — | Won ALCS over the Chicago White Sox, 4–2. Won World Series over the Philadelphia Phillies, 4–2.[8] |
|
1994[e] | 1994 | AL | East | 3rd | 115 | 55 | 60 | .478 | 16 | ||
1995[f] | 1995 | AL | East | 5th | 144 | 56 | 88 | .389 | 30 | ||
1996 | 1996 | AL | East | 4th | 162 | 74 | 88 | .457 | 18 | Pat Hentgen (CYA)[9] | |
1997 | 1997 | AL | East | 5th | 162 | 76 | 86 | .469 | 22 | Roger Clemens (CYA)[9] | |
1998 | 1998 | AL | East | 3rd | 162 | 88 | 74 | .543 | 26 | Roger Clemens (CYA)[9] | |
1999 | 1999 | AL | East | 3rd | 162 | 84 | 78 | .519 | 14 | ||
2000 | 2000 | AL | East | 3rd | 162 | 83 | 79 | .512 | 4½ | ||
2001 | 2001 | AL | East | 3rd | 162 | 80 | 82 | .494 | 16 | ||
2002 | 2002 | AL | East | 3rd | 162 | 78 | 84 | .481 | 25½ | Eric Hinske (ROY)[11] | |
2003 | 2003 | AL | East | 3rd | 162 | 86 | 76 | .531 | 15 | Roy Halladay (CYA)[9] | |
2004 | 2004 | AL | East | 5th | 161 | 67 | 94 | .416 | 33½ | ||
2005 | 2005 | AL | East | 3rd | 162 | 80 | 82 | .494 | 15 | ||
2006 | 2006 | AL | East | 2nd | 162 | 87 | 75 | .537 | 10 | ||
2007 | 2007 | AL | East | 3rd | 162 | 83 | 79 | .512 | 13 | ||
2008 | 2008 | AL | East | 4th | 162 | 86 | 76 | .531 | 11 | ||
Totals | Games | Wins | Losses | Win% | |||||||
5059 | 2514 | 2545 | .497 | All-time regular season record | |||||||
41 | 21 | 20 | .512 | All-time post-season record | |||||||
5100 | 2535 | 2565 | .497 | All-time regular and post-season record |
Note: These statistics are current as of the end of the 2008 Major League Baseball season.
See also
editNotes
edit- a Although all teams are scheduled for the same number of games each season, variance in the number from year to year is possible due to games that are cancelled or postponed and not played later in the season, or due to tie-breakers played at the end of the season to determine playoff eligibility or seeding.
- b Determined by taking the difference in wins between this team and the first place team, adding the difference in losses between this team and the first place team, and dividing the sum by two.
- c The 1981 season was shortened by a players' strike. MLB decided to split the season into two halves, with the division winner of each half playing in a divisional round of the playoffs.[14]
- d The Blue Jays played their final home game at Exhibition Stadium on May 28, 1989. They began play in the Rogers Centre (then SkyDome) on June 5, 1989.[15]
- e The 1994 Major League Baseball strike ended the season on August 11, as well as cancelling the entire postseason.
- f The 1994 Major League Baseball strike caused the shortening of the 1995 season to 144 games.
References
edit- ^ "Rogers Centre". Major League Baseball. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
- ^ "Blue Jays Ballparks". Major League Baseball. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
- ^ a b "History Highlights 1976–1979". Major League Baseball. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
- ^ a b "1985 Toronto Blue Jays Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
- ^ a b "1989 Toronto Blue Jays Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
- ^ a b "1991 Toronto Blue Jays Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
- ^ a b "1992 Toronto Blue Jays Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
- ^ a b "1993 Toronto Blue Jays Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Most Valuable Player MVP Awards & Cy Young Awards Winners". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
- ^ a b "Manager of the Year Award Winners". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
- ^ a b c "Rookie of the Year Awards & Rolaids Relief Award Winners". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
- ^ a b "Toronto Blue Jays Team History & Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 16, 2008.
- ^ "Toronto Blue Jays year-by-year results". Major League Baseball. Retrieved May 16, 2008.
- ^ Jim Kaplan (August 10, 1981). "Let The Games Begin". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
- ^ "History Highlights 1980-1989". Major League Baseball. Retrieved May 17, 2009.