Today would have been Roy Halladay’s 49th birthday.
Depending on who you ask, Roy Halladay is either the best or second-best Blue Jays starter of all time, but there’s no question that he and Dave Stieb top the list in franchise history. Stieb was the best AL pitcher of the 1980s, while Halladay dominated the AL in the 2000s. Doc ranks second in franchise wins with 148 (Stieb had 175), second in BWAR at 48.5 (Stieb 57.2), and third in starts at 287 (behind Stieb’s 408 and Jim Clancy’s 345).
Halladay won two Cy Young Awards (one as a Jay, one as a Phillie) and finished in the top five in voting five other times. He was also selected for eight All-Star teams. Doc was one of the few bright spots on an otherwise average Blue Jays squad during most of his tenure. I always looked forward to his starts. Beyond his immense talent, he was a fierce competitor. On days he pitched, he was completely locked in—teammates and especially the press knew not to disturb him as he focused on the task at hand.
Halladay’s passing remains one of the saddest moments for me as a fan.
Pat Borders turns 63 today. Borders was never a star player or a great hitter, but he did have one above-average season as a Jay. In 1990, he posted a 120 OPS+, hit .286 with 15 home runs, and had an on-base percentage above .300 (.319) for the only time in his Blue Jays career. His career offensive win percentage with the Jays was .458. He had decent power, though his lack of plate discipline held him back. Still, he was a tough catcher and an excellent handler of pitchers, with a decent arm, though never quite Gold Glove caliber.
Borders played 747 games for the Jays, ranking second among catchers behind Ernie Whitt. He went on to play for eight other MLB teams and was still playing professional baseball at age 42. Kirk is at 569.
Borders was the World Series MVP in 1992, and every Jays fan owes him a beer or two for that feat alone. I thought he e could have pursued a career as a coach or manager after his 17-year major league stint, and he did spend some time managing in the Phillies system. Now, he coaches at the university level.
Pat always struck me as the kind of guy you’d want to share a drink with—just a genuinely good person and a hard worker.
I also want to mention Dennis Martinez, who turns 72 today. Though he never played for the Jays during his 23-year career, he spent eight years as an Expo. Martinez racked up 245 wins, but the highlight for me will always be his perfect game against the Dodgers in 1991. Dave Van Horne’s call—“El Presidente, El Perfecto”—remains iconic. Martinez overcame alcoholism to become one of the era’s best pitchers.
It’s a shame he dropped off the Hall of Fame ballot after just one year.
Also, having birthdays:
Hosken Powell would have turned 71 today, but sadly, he passed away last June.
Powell played six seasons in MLB—four with the Twins and his last two with the Jays.
He played for the Jays in 1982 and 1983. In 1982, he performed respectably, batting .275/.304/.389 over 112 games. The following year didn’t go as well—he hit just .169/.213/.205 in 40 games before being released on July 10th. Over his career, Powell hit .259/.314/.349 with 17 home runs and 17 triples in 594 games, adding 43 steals while mainly playing right field. As a left-handed hitter, his splits were remarkably similar: a .649 OPS against lefties and .665 against righties. I don’t recall much about him except enjoying his Strat-O-Matic Baseball card.
Mark Dalesandro turns 58 today. He served as a backup catcher for the Jays in parts of 1998 and 1999, appearing in 48 games and hitting .266/.276/.383 with two home runs. He also played a few games for the Angels and made a single appearance for the White Sox.
