This weekend, the Toronto Blue Jays will unveil a bronze statue outside Rogers Centre to celebrate Joe Carter’s World Series-winning home run in 1993.
It’s about time.
The Carter statue is long overdue, but the fact that this will be the first player statue at the ballpark, which opened in 1989, is somewhat odd. Almost every MLB stadium has one or more statues that commemorate former players; many stadiums have a lengthy list of such tributes. Toronto’s approach has always been kind of weird. In 2013, the team erected a statue of Ted Rogers, whose namesake company owns both the team and the stadium. No disrespect to Mr. Rogers, but, yeesh. Fans want to see statues of people they cheered for.
Nevertheless, the club is doing the right thing now; the Rogers statue has been removed, Carter’s statue is ready to be revealed, and it’s a great way to celebrate their 50th season. Recognizing Carter is a no-brainer, as his home run is the most defining moment in club history.
I hope Carter’s statue won’t be alone for long. Statues are a perfect way to recognize the franchise’s key figures, and it’s not too soon to begin discussing who should be next. Here are the next five people and the order in which they should appear:
Cito Gaston
The first Black manager to win a World Series. A two-time Series champ. A member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. A winner of 894 regular season games and 18 postseason games as bench boss. Yep, it’s a no-brainer that Cito Gaston should be one of the next Blue Jays honored with a statue at Rogers Centre. Fans often think of players when they think of ballpark statues, but several managers have been honored in this way around the big leagues. Bobby Cox in Atlanta, Earl Weaver in Baltimore, Tom Kelly in Minnesota, and Frank Robinson in Cleveland, to name a few.
Since I first saw it, I’ve loved the pose of Atlanta’s Cox statue —specifically, how he’s leaning on a wall around the dugout. Something similar for Gaston could work well, although I’d push for a standard-looking dugout railing. Alternatively, I also like the idea of having Gaston against the rails of a batting cage. Not only are there lots of great photos of him in this position to recreate, but it also subtly pays tribute to his tenure as the Blue Jays hitting coach from 1982 to 1989. Location-wise, I like the idea of having this statue on the main level concourse at the top of Section 129. That would put it directly above where Gaston stood in the home dugout for so many key moments in franchise history. Gaston is currently 82 years of age, so let’s get his statue done next.
Dave Stieb
The Blue Jays have had some quality starting pitchers over their five decades, but Dave Stieb stands uncontested at the top. The crafty righty, known for his wipeout slider, was one of the very best pitchers of the 1980s. Second in wins in the decade and fourth in wins above replacement (behind only Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan, Bert Blyleven, and Jack Morris), Stieb is widely celebrated for his 1990 no-hitter against Cleveland. That accomplishment came after heartbreakingly losing four no-nos in the ninth inning at other points in his career. To date, it’s the only no-hitter in franchise history.
Stieb, one of just two Blue Jays honored on the team’s Level of Excellence, is wholly deserving of being commemorated in bronze at Rogers Centre. Any pose of Stieb in his pitching delivery would suffice, but he has to be holding the baseball with a slider grip. Of course, a statue in which Stieb’s teammates hold him aloft after the final out of his no-hitter might have even more visual impact than a conventional pose. Stieb’s statue belongs in the vicinity of Gate 1, representing the lone no-hitter that took him so long to attain.
José Bautista
You can’t talk about big moments in Blue Jays franchise history without listing José Bautista’s memorable home run against Texas in Game 5 of the 2015 American League Division Series. The go-ahead, three-run home run in the seventh inning of one of the wildest games in recent memory — and the epic bat flip that followed — is easily one of the most indelible scenes from the big leagues in the 2010s. (Sorry, Rangers fans.) Bautista hit 288 of his 344 MLB home runs with the Jays, and none was bigger than this one.
The statue’s pose, of course, is a no-brainer: It can’t be anything but the iconic shot of Bautista, looking toward right field, his Marucci bat suspended horizontally in front of him. The best spot for this statue is in the open-air plaza between Gates 7 and 8, not far from Carter’s statue, along Bremner Boulevard. This statue might be the most popular of these proposals, particularly among newer and younger fans, so placing it smack dab in the middle of one of the busiest spots for fans before and after games is perfect for those who want a photo op.
Roy Halladay
Stieb is the best pitcher in franchise history, but there’s no debate about who ranks second. That’s the late, great Roy “Doc” Halladay. Just as Stieb was one of the top pitchers in the game for a decade, Halladay was unquestionably an ace during his tenure in T.O. From 2000 to 2009, the righty ranked fourth in wins and third in WAR; in the latter metric, he was behind only Randy Johnson and Johan Santana. Although Halladay’s two greatest days on the mound — a perfect game and a postseason no-hitter — came when he was a member of the Phillies, the durable pitcher won a Cy Young Award with Toronto and represented the club in six All-Star Games. To date, he’s the only Blue Jay to have his number retired by the club.
I like the idea of a pose in which Halladay tips his cap. With so many memorable performances during his time in Toronto, and a fanbase that absolutely loved when #32 took the mound, it seems only right to have Halladay remembered in a triumphant pose with his cap in the air. There wouldn’t be a dry eye at this plaque unveiling. There are a few different placement options to consider for Halladay’s statue, but I think a fitting location is near Gate 12. Twelve represents the number of seasons that Halladay suited up for the Blue Jays, from 1998 to 2009.
Carlos Delgado
First baseman Carlos Delgado earned plenty of accolades during his 17-year big league career, but is most remembered for his game on September 25, 2003, against Tampa Bay. That was the game in which Delgado slugged four home runs in just four at-bats — an achievement that no one else in MLB history has accomplished. His first of the night was the 300th of his career, but it was the fourth home run that fans remember most. That blast, which traveled a whopping 465 feet to straightaway center, earned a cool fist pump and bat toss from the three-time Silver Slugger.
Unquestionably one of the best players in franchise history, Delgado is the all-time Jays home run leader, with 336. A statue pose that depicts Delgado looking skyward as he follows the path of his fourth home run seems appropriate to me. To celebrate his four-home-run accomplishment, there’s no better spot for his statue than outside of Gate 4 on the east side of the ballpark, not far from the base of the CN Tower. A fitting tribute for a hitter who routinely drove towering home runs into the Rogers Centre seats.
Who Comes Next?
With 50 years of memories, limiting this list to just five people wasn’t easy. Several others should be in serious contention for the next round of statues, either for their on-field exploits or other roles they played with the club:
- George Bell: A feared slugger who still appears near the top of several of the franchise’s all-time offensive categories, Bell was the first Blue Jay to win the American League MVP award (1987). He was the linchpin of the best all-round outfield in team history.
- Tony Fernández: You can’t spend long reading the team’s record book without seeing Fernández’s name. The smooth-fielding shortstop suited up in nearly 1,500 games for Toronto over four different stints. His four Gold Gloves remain a testament to his slick glove work.
- Tom Cheek/Jerry Howarth: The affable broadcast duo was on the mic for many key moments in franchise history. The late Cheek called 4,306 straight regular season games over 27 seasons, and is most known for his legendary “Touch ’em all, Joe!” call of Carter’s World Series home run. Howarth spent more than 35 years broadcasting games for the Jays, both with and without Cheek, with his cheerful “Hello, friends!” greeting at the top of each broadcast endearing him to generations of fans.
- Edwin Encarnación: Encarnación played in 999 games for Toronto, and trails only Delgado and Bautista in home runs with the club. His extra-innings walk-off home run in the 2016 AL Wild Card Game is unquestionably one of the most unforgettable blasts in franchise history.
You must be logged in to post a comment.