6 B l u e J a y s NORTH OF THE BORDER ow exactly Toronto Ontario got its name is a subject of debate Before European settlers made their way to the place that is now known as Toronto various native tribes lived in the area Some people contend that the Mohawk word tkaronto which means where there are trees standing in the water is the origin of the name while others point to the Huron word toronton a place of meetings as the source Regardless Toronto has carried its name since 1834 and today it supports a population of more than 2 5 million inhabitants nearly half of which were born outside of Canada As Canada’s largest city Toronto is an important cultural center with a cosmopolitan reputation and as such it’s no surprise that the city attracted its share of professional sports teams during the 20th century In 1976 Major League Baseball voted to expand its number of clubs and granted Toronto a franchise The team was placed in the American League AL and named the Blue Jays to keep with the blue color scheme of such other Toronto sports franchises as the defunct H
As home to the 1,815-foot-tall CN Tower pictured right edge Toronto can lay claim to the tallest building in North America
ALL-TIME BLUE JAYS B l u e J a y s 8 (cid:39)(cid:32)(cid:43)(cid:26)(cid:31)(cid:28)(cid:41)(cid:1)(cid:76) DAVE STIEB A fierce competitor who hailed from sunny California Dave Stieb was a key cog in Toronto’s pitching rotation in 1979 contributing eight wins that year By 1982 he was a star posting a 17 14 record by way of some hard inside pitching and a wicked dead fish curveball On September 2 1990 Stieb claimed no-hit fame by completely shutting down the Cleveland Indians 3 0 in nine innings Known for his glowering gaze which was sometimes directed at teammates who made mistakes or umpires who were stingy with strike calls Stieb who accrued 10 double-digit-win seasons is widely regarded as the best pitcher in Jays history STATS Blue Jays seasons 1979 92 1998 Height 6-foot-1 Weight 195 (cid:115)(cid:0)(cid:23)(cid:13)(cid:84)(cid:73)(cid:77)(cid:69)(cid:0)(cid:33)(cid:76)(cid:76)(cid:13)(cid:51)(cid:84)(cid:65)(cid:82) (cid:115)(cid:0)(cid:19)(cid:16)(cid:0)(cid:67)(cid:65)(cid:82)(cid:69)(cid:69)(cid:82)(cid:0)(cid:83)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:84)(cid:79)(cid:85)(cid:84)(cid:83) (cid:115)(cid:0)(cid:17)(cid:23)(cid:22)(cid:110)(cid:17)(cid:19)(cid:23)(cid:0)(cid:67)(cid:65)(cid:82)(cid:69)(cid:69)(cid:82)(cid:0)(cid:82)(cid:69)(cid:67)(cid:79)(cid:82)(cid:68) (cid:115)(cid:0)(cid:17)(cid:12)(cid:22)(cid:22)(cid:25)(cid:0)(cid:67)(cid:65)(cid:82)(cid:69)(cid:69)(cid:82)(cid:0)(cid:83)(cid:84)(cid:82)(cid:73)(cid:75)(cid:69)(cid:79)(cid:85)(cid:84)(cid:83) Toronto Blue Jays dave stieb Pitcher
Huskies of the National Basketball Association the Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League and the Argonauts of the Canadian Football League For their inaugural manager the Blue Jays chose Roy Hartsfield a former player and minor-league manager who had distinguished himself in the Brooklyn Los Angeles Dodgers organization The team then put its first roster together via draft selections and player signings Catcher Phil Roof became the first player in Blue Jays franchise history when he signed a contract and the team acquired another catcher Alan Ashby as one of its marquee signings soon after Exhibition Stadium a multipurpose venue that had hosted Argonauts football games since 1959 was chosen as the Blue Jays home Although the stadium had been the setting of many championship football games it was less than ideal for baseball The stadium had been built next to Lake Ontario which meant it could experience very cool temperatures and other problems such as an overabundance of pesky seagulls Nonetheless excitement levels were high in Toronto though Hartsfield stayed realistic about his team’s chances for success in its B l u e J a y s 9
