Girish Mahajan (Editor)

1979 Toronto Blue Jays season

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Record
  
53–109 (.327)

General manager(s)
  
Pat Gillick

Divisional place
  
7th

Manager(s)
  
Roy Hartsfield

Owner(s)
  
Labatt Breweries, Imperial Trust, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

Local television
  
CBC Television (Don Chevrier, Tony Kubek, Tom McKee) CBFT (Jean-Pierre Roy, Guy Ferron)

The 1979 Toronto Blue Jays season was the franchise's third season of Major League Baseball. It resulted in the Blue Jays finishing seventh in the American League East with a record of 53 wins and 109 losses. The Blue Jays were the only American League East team to finish 1979 with a losing record and the loss total of 109 set the franchise mark. Attendance for the season decreased to 1,431,651.

Contents

Offseason

  • January 11, 1979: Rico Carty was signed as a free agent by the Blue Jays.
  • March 17, 1979: Steve Luebber was signed as a free agent by the Blue Jays.
  • March 25, 1979: Bobby Brown was selected off waivers by the Blue Jays from the New York Mets.

    • Regular season

    Following the team's poor performance, manager Roy Hartsfield was fired at the end of the season. One highlight of the season was the awarding of the American League Rookie of the Year Award to Alfredo Griffin.

    The end of the 1979 season marked a crossroads for the franchise. The first real talent from the minor leagues had made it to the major league roster. Such talent included pitcher Dave Stieb and third baseman Danny Ainge.

    Opening Day starters

  • Bob Bailor
  • Rick Bosetti
  • Rico Carty
  • Rick Cerone
  • Jim Clancy
  • Alfredo Griffin
  • Roy Howell
  • John Mayberry
  • Dave McKay
  • Alvis Woods

    • Notable transactions

  • April 19, 1979: Bobby Brown was purchased from the Blue Jays by the New York Yankees.
  • April 24, 1979: Tony Fernández was signed as an amateur free agent by the Blue Jays.
  • July 25, 1979: Craig Kusick was purchased by the Blue Jays from the Minnesota Twins.

    • Draft picks

  • June 5, 1979: 1979 Major League Baseball draft
  • Future NFL quarterback Jay Schroeder was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1st round, but did not sign.
  • Ron Shepherd was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 2nd round.
  • Ron Romanick was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 3rd round, but did not sign.
  • Andre Robertson was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 4th round.

    • Starters by position

    Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases

    Other batters

    Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases

    Starting pitchers

    Note: G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts

    Other pitchers

    Note: G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts

    Relief pitchers

    Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts

    Awards and honors

  • Alfredo Griffin, Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award
  • Alfredo Griffin, Player of the Month Award, September

    • All-Star Game

  • Dave Lemanczyk, reserve

    • References

    1979 Toronto Blue Jays season Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA