This is the last part of a series looking back at major moments in Toronto Blue Jays history as the franchise celebrated its 50th season.
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franchise → look → season
The man whose name is plastered across the top row of the Jays’ all-time record books isn’t always immediately recalled among the giants in franchise history, and that’s a huge shame.
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that → plaster → history
Carlos Delgado wielded his big bat and even bigger smile in an era where the Jays never once sniffed the post-season, through no fault of his own.
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Jays → wield → fault
He got two plate appearances as a late-season call-up in 1993, long after the Jays had clinched their third straight American League East division title, each time late in a meaningless blowout game.
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Jays → get → game
The Aguadilla, Puerto Rico native became an everyday player in 1996, as the regular DH, taking over at first base after John Olerud was traded the next winter, and for nine seasons destroyed the baseball like no Blue Jay has before or since.
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Jay → become → baseball
Over his seven-year peak, from 1998-2004, Delgado posted a .987 OPS, averaging 38 home runs and 120 RBIs.
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Delgado → post → runs
Delgado is the Jays’ all-time leader in home runs, runs scored, RBIs, doubles, extra-base hits, walks (intentional and otherwise), total bases, slugging percentage and OPS.
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Delgado → score → runs
“I was here for a long time,” Delgado told the Star, with that trademark smile, after it was pointed out how prevalent his name is in the record book.
But it wasn’t just that.
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it → tell → book
Delgado has the three highest single-season RBI totals in franchise history (tied with George Bell for the third), topped by his still-standing club record of 145, achieved in 2003.
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Delgado → have → 2003
That ‘03 season was magical, with Delgado finishing second in MVP voting to Alex Rodriguez.
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Delgado → finish → Rodriguez
In 2000, Delgado hit .344 with an 1.134 OPS, blasting 41 home runs and driving in 137, but he finished fourth in MVP voting owing to the Jays’ third-place finish in the AL East.
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he → hit → East
Steroid cheat Jason Giambi, who led Delgado in only walks and OBP that season, won the award, pushed to the MVP by his Oakland A’s going 22-7 down the stretch, a run over which Giambi hit .396 with 13 homers.
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Giambi → lead → homers
Three seasons later, Delgado had the greatest single game in Jays’ history, belting four home runs against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at SkyDome on Sept. 25, 2003.
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Delgado → have → Sept.
He came to the plate four times and hit the ball out of the yard every time, the final a moonshot tying the game 8-8 in the bottom of the eighth.
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final → come → eighth
The Jays would score twice more that inning for a 10-8 win.
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Jays → score → win
“I remember that I was sick as a dog that day,” said Delgado when he was in town last month for the opening of the Blue Jays’ new Hall of Excellence.
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he → remember → Excellence
“I kept telling myself ‘don’t try too hard, just make contact, let’s get through today.’
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’s → tell → today
”
After homering twice off Jorge Sosa, “we had all his pitches, so I knew what he was throwing,” the Rays brought in future Blue Jay Joe Kennedy to face Delgado for his third at-bat.
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Rays → homer → bat
“That guy had my number,” said Delgado of the big left-hander, who made nine appearances for the Jays in 2007.
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who → have → 2007
“He used to throw me sinkers down and in (and I would hit a) ground ball to second base.
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I → use → base
That day he hung me a breaking ball.”
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he → hang → ball
Delgado wound up hitting just .139 against Kennedy in 36 career at-bats.
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Delgado → wind → bats
He finished the big day by sitting on a Lance Carter change-up and crushing it off the top of what used to be Windows restaurant in right-centre field.
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what → finish → field
He would wind up with 336 as a Blue Jay, 473 overall after spending a year with the Florida Marlins and four with the New York Mets, where he went to the post-season in 2006.
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he → wind → 2006
In his only taste of playoff baseball, 10 games, Delgado hit .351 with an 1.199 OPS, four home runs and 11 RBIs as his Mets lost the National League championship series to the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.
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Mets → hit → games
When he’s home in Puerto Rico, Delgado doesn’t do a lot of reminiscing about his Cooperstown-worthy baseball days, but wandering around his old stomping grounds, it all comes flooding back.
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it → ’ → grounds
“I always get some great memories as soon as I walk in,” said Delgado.
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Delgado → get → memories
“I will always remember the first time that I was here.
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I → remember → time
I remember my first home run, I remember my first hit, I remember a big home run against Pedro Martinez, I remember my four home run game.”
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I → remember → game
This list goes on.
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list → go → ?
“I remember shooting the sh— with Pat Hentgen and Darren Fletcher, I remember my time with Shawn Green.
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I → shoot → Green
I remember hanging out with José Cruz Jr., I remember laughing with Raul Mondesi.
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I → remember → Mondesi
I remember when Vernon Wells, Alexis Rios and Orlando Hudson walked into that clubhouse for the first time and they told us that we’ve got new guys coming in and we should take care of them.
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we → remember → them
The Aporia
