2003 Toronto Blue Jays season
Encyclopedia
The Toronto Blue Jays
season was a season in American baseball
. It involved the Blue Jays finishing 3rd in the American League
East with a record of 86 wins and 76 losses.
second base and third base, Chris Woodward
shortstop and Orlando Hudson
second base. Minor league
call-up Howie Clark
entered the mix as a utility player after Hinske underwent surgery to repair a broken hamate bone
in his right hand, which he had tried to play through for the first six weeks.
Despite their hitting successes, poor pitching continued to plague the team. Roy Halladay
was spectacular in winning his first Cy Young Award
, going 22–7, with a 3.25 ERA, but he didn't get much help from his fellow pitchers, although he had a poor start himself. Rookie Aquilino Lopez
was a pleasant surprise out of the bullpen. Kelvim Escobar
and former NBA
player Mark Hendrickson
were inserted into the rotation with their places in the bullpen
filled by waiver acquisitions Doug Davis and Josh Towers
, who went 8–1 after being called up from Triple-A Syracuse. The closer role was a season-long revolving door, with nobody able to take hold of the reins. Trade speculation had focussed on the acquisitions of pitching at the expense of hitters, but in the end the team simply divested itself of impending free agent Shannon Stewart without getting a pitcher in return. Instead Bobby Kielty
, another outfielder with a much lower batting average than Stewart's, was obtained from the Minnesota Twins
and later traded in November 2003 to the Oakland Athletics
for starter
Ted Lilly
. The top four pitchers for the projected 2004 rotation would include Halladay, Lilly, free agent
Miguel Batista
, and the return of Pat Hentgen
.
After the spectacular turnaround in May 2003, which helped the team move to just few games behind the wildcard leading Boston Red Sox
, team performance slowly returned to reality, as predicted by team management. Carlos Delgado was second in the voting for the American League MVP Award, although the Jays were in third place in their division. The Jays also announced that a new logo, and new uniforms, would be used as of January 1, 2004.
The 2003 MLB Draft
was held on June 3–4.
All-Star Game
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
season was a season in American baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. It involved the Blue Jays finishing 3rd in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
East with a record of 86 wins and 76 losses.
Offseason
- October 9, 2002: Chris Carpenter was released by the Toronto Blue Jays.
- October 9, 2002: Brandon Lyon was selected off waivers by the Boston Red Sox from the Toronto Blue Jays.
- October 23, 2002: Doug Linton was signed as a Free Agent with the Toronto Blue Jays.
- December 15, 2002: Felipe López was traded as part of a 4-team trade by the Toronto Blue Jays to the Cincinnati Reds. The Oakland Athletics sent a player to be named later to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Arizona Diamondbacks sent Erubiel Durazo to the Oakland Athletics. The Cincinnati Reds sent Elmer Dessens and cash to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Oakland Athletics sent Jason Arnold (minors) (December 16, 2002) to the Toronto Blue Jays to complete the trade.
- December 20, 2002: Mike Bordick was signed as a Free Agent with the Toronto Blue Jays.
- December 28, 2002: Frank Catalanotto was signed as a Free Agent with the Toronto Blue Jays.
- January 27, 2003: John Ford Griffin was traded by the Oakland Athletics to the Toronto Blue Jays for a player to be named later. The Toronto Blue Jays sent Jason Perry (minors) (June 23, 2003) to the Oakland Athletics to complete the trade.
Summary
The 2003 season was a surprise to both team management and baseball analysts. After a poor April, the team had its most successful month ever in May. The offense was mainly responsible for the stunning turnaround. Delgado took over the major league lead in runs batted in, followed closely by Wells. The middle infield positions remained a gametime decision - Bordick played shortstop and third base, Dave BergDave Berg (baseball)
David Scott Berg is a former Major League Baseball utility player. Originally selected by the Florida Marlins in the 38th round of the 1993 Major League Baseball Draft, Berg last played for the Triple-A Oklahoma RedHawks in the Texas Rangers organization...
second base and third base, Chris Woodward
Chris Woodward
Christopher Michael Woodward is an American professional baseball infielder who is a free agent.-Toronto Blue Jays:...
shortstop and Orlando Hudson
Orlando Hudson
Orlando Thill Hudson is an American professional baseball second baseman with the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball.-Early life and high school career:...
second base. Minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
call-up Howie Clark
Howie Clark
Howard Roddy Clark is a Major League Baseball utility player who is currently a free-agent. Clark made his Major League Baseball debut with the Baltimore Orioles in and has played at the major league level in parts of six seasons with the Orioles, Blue Jays, and Minnesota Twins...
entered the mix as a utility player after Hinske underwent surgery to repair a broken hamate bone
Hamate bone
The hamate bone is a bone in the human hand that may be readily distinguished by its wedge-shaped form, and the hook-like process which projects from its volar surface. It is situated at the medial and lower angle of the carpus, with its base downward, resting on the fourth and fifth metacarpal...
in his right hand, which he had tried to play through for the first six weeks.
Despite their hitting successes, poor pitching continued to plague the team. Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
was spectacular in winning his first Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
, going 22–7, with a 3.25 ERA, but he didn't get much help from his fellow pitchers, although he had a poor start himself. Rookie Aquilino Lopez
Aquilino Lopez
Aquilino López Roa is a starting pitcher for the Kia Tigers of the Korean Baseball Organization...
was a pleasant surprise out of the bullpen. Kelvim Escobar
Kelvim Escobar
Kelvim Jose Escobar Bolivar is a Major League Baseball pitcher, who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed...
and former NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
player Mark Hendrickson
Mark Hendrickson
Mark Allan Hendrickson is an American Major League Baseball pitcher who currently plays for the Baltimore Orioles. Hendrickson is also a retired National Basketball Association power forward who played 114 NBA games before becoming a pitcher full-time. He is one of just 12 athletes to play in both...
were inserted into the rotation with their places in the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
filled by waiver acquisitions Doug Davis and Josh Towers
Josh Towers
Joshua Eric Towers is a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher, who currently plays for the Camden Riversharks in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball...
, who went 8–1 after being called up from Triple-A Syracuse. The closer role was a season-long revolving door, with nobody able to take hold of the reins. Trade speculation had focussed on the acquisitions of pitching at the expense of hitters, but in the end the team simply divested itself of impending free agent Shannon Stewart without getting a pitcher in return. Instead Bobby Kielty
Bobby Kielty
Robert Micheal Kielty is an American professional baseball outfielder for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball.-College :...
, another outfielder with a much lower batting average than Stewart's, was obtained from the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
and later traded in November 2003 to the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
for starter
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
Ted Lilly
Ted Lilly
Theodore Roosevelt "Ted" Lilly III , is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He bats and throws left-handed...
. The top four pitchers for the projected 2004 rotation would include Halladay, Lilly, free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
Miguel Batista
Miguel Batista
Miguel Descartes Batista Jerez is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher. He has played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos, Kansas City Royals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, Washington Nationals, St...
, and the return of Pat Hentgen
Pat Hentgen
Patrick George Hentgen is a former Major League Baseball player. Hentgen was a right-handed starting pitcher in the major leagues and a Cy Young Award winner in...
.
After the spectacular turnaround in May 2003, which helped the team move to just few games behind the wildcard leading Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, team performance slowly returned to reality, as predicted by team management. Carlos Delgado was second in the voting for the American League MVP Award, although the Jays were in third place in their division. The Jays also announced that a new logo, and new uniforms, would be used as of January 1, 2004.
Opening Day starters
- Frank Catalanotto
- Carlos Delgado
- Roy Halladay
- Eric Hinske
- Ken Huckaby
- Orlando Hudson
- Josh Phelps
- Shannon Stewart
- Vernon Wells
- Chris Woodward
Notable transactions
- June 3, 2003: Aaron Hill was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1st round (13th pick) of the 2003 amateur draft. Player signed June 17, 2003.
- June 16, 2003: Scott Service was selected off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
- July 16, 2003: Bobby Kielty was traded by the Minnesota Twins to the Toronto Blue Jays for a player to be named later and Shannon Stewart. The Toronto Blue Jays sent Dave Gassner (December 15, 2003) to the Minnesota Twins to complete the trade.
- August 10, 2003: Scott Service was released by the Toronto Blue Jays.
2003 Draft picks
SourceThe 2003 MLB Draft
2003 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2003 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 3 and 4. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams.Source: -First round selections:...
was held on June 3–4.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College/School | Nationality | Signed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | Aaron Hill | SS | Louisiana State LSU Tigers baseball The LSU baseball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I college baseball.Along with the other LSU athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the West division of the Southeastern Conference... |
 |
2003–06–17 |
| 2 | 50 | Josh Banks Josh Banks Joshua Charles Banks is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He is 6'3" in height and weighs 195 pounds. Banks attended college at Florida International University... |
RHP | Florida International FIU Golden Panthers The FIU Panthers are the athletic teams of Florida International University , a public university located in Miami, Florida. The Panthers compete in NCAA Division I athletics, and are currently members of the Sun Belt Conference... |
|
2003–06–04 |
| 3 | 80 | Shaun Marcum Shaun Marcum Shaun Michael Marcum is an American professional baseball starting pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball.-Early life:... |
RHP | Missouri State Missouri State Bears The Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears are the athletic teams representing Missouri State University. Missouri State athletics date back to 1908. Missouri State is in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, and most teams compete in the Missouri Valley Conference... |
|
2003–06–23 |
| 4 | 110 | Kurt Isenberg | LHP | James Madison James Madison Dukes The James Madison University Dukes is the name given the athletics teams of James Madison University. The name "Dukes" is derived from Samuel Page Duke, the university's second president. JMU is a charter member of the Colonial Athletic Association, which sponsors sports at the NCAA Division I level... |
|
– |
| 5 | 140 | Justin James | RHP | Missouri Missouri Tigers baseball The Missouri Tigers baseball team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I college baseball.-Head coaches:-Year by Year Record:*Through the end of the 2008 season.-Conference Membership History:*1891–1928: No conference... |
|
– |
| 6 | 170 | Christian Snavely | OF | Ohio State Ohio State Buckeyes baseball The Ohio State Buckeyes baseball team are the college baseball team of The Ohio State University. The program, founded in 1881, was the first athletic team in Ohio State history. Bill Davis Stadium in Columbus, Ohio has been the home field of the program since 1997. The team has won a National... |
|
– |
| 7 | 200 | Danny Core Danny Core Daniel Antonio Core is an American professional baseball player. He played two seasons for the Brother Elephants of Chinese Professional Baseball League. On April 2009, he was released by the Elephants due to injury.... |
RHP | Florida Atlantic Florida Atlantic Owls baseball The Florida Atlantic Owls are the college baseball team of Florida Atlantic University which plays its home games at FAU Baseball Stadium.Fielding its first team in 1981, the Florida Atlantic University baseball team has experienced frequent success, shared respect from other baseball teams... |
|
– |
| 8 | 230 | Chad Mulholland | RHP | Missouri State Missouri State Bears The Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears are the athletic teams representing Missouri State University. Missouri State athletics date back to 1908. Missouri State is in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, and most teams compete in the Missouri Valley Conference... |
|
– |
| 9 | 260 | Jamie Vermilyea | RHP | New Mexico University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution... |
|
2003–06–05 |
| 18 | 530 | Ryan Roberts Ryan Roberts Ryan Alan Roberts is a Major League Baseball infielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks. A right-handed batter, Roberts is 5' 11" tall and weighs 190 pounds. He is married to actress Kim Camille. Roberts has over 30 tattoos.-College career:After graduating from L. D... |
3B | Texas Texas Longhorns baseball The Texas Longhorns baseball team represents The University of Texas at Austin and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I.The Texas Longhorns are the winningest program in college baseball history in terms of win percentage with .740 and ranks second all-time in total wins to the... |
|
2003–06–05 |
Roster
| 2003 Toronto Blue Jays | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches (hitting) (third base) (first base) (pitching) (bullpen) |
||||||
Game log
| 2003 Game Log | |
|---|---|
Batting
Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In; Avg. = Batting Average; SB = Stolen Bases| = Indicates team leader |
| Player | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | Avg. | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos Delgado Carlos Delgado Carlos Juan Delgado Hernández is a retired Puerto Rican professional baseball player. With 473 home runs and 1,512 RBI, he holds the all-time home run and RBI records among Puerto Rican players.... |
161 | 570 | 51 | 101 | 42 | 145 | .302 | 0 |
| Orlando Hudson Orlando Hudson Orlando Thill Hudson is an American professional baseball second baseman with the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball.-Early life and high school career:... |
142 | 474 | 54 | 127 | 9 | 57 | .268 | 5 |
| Eric Hinske Eric Hinske Eric Scott Hinske is a Major League Baseball outfielder, first baseman, and third baseman currently an Atlanta Braves organization... |
124 | 449 | 74 | 109 | 12 | 63 | .243 | 12 |
| Vernon Wells | 161 | 678 | 118 | 215 | 33 | 117 | .317 | 4 |
Other batters
| Player | G | AB | H | HR | RBI | Avg. |
|---|
Starting pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|
Other pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|
Relief pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|
Award winners
- Carlos Delgado, 1B, Silver Slugger Award
- Roy HalladayRoy HalladayHarry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
, Pitcher of the MonthPitcher of the MonthThe Pitcher of the Month award is a Major League Baseball award named by each league for each month of the regular season. The National League started recognizing the award in . The American League followed in...
Award, May - Roy HalladayRoy HalladayHarry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
, Pitcher of the MonthPitcher of the MonthThe Pitcher of the Month award is a Major League Baseball award named by each league for each month of the regular season. The National League started recognizing the award in . The American League followed in...
Award, September - Roy Halladay, American League Cy Young AwardCy Young AwardThe Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
- Roy Halladay, The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year AwardThe Sporting News Pitcher of the Year AwardBefore there was a Cy Young Award, there was the Pitcher of the Year Award, established by The Sporting News in 1944, though no awards were given in 1946 or 1947. The award is given annually to the pitcher in each league judged by TSN baseball experts as having had the most outstanding season...
- Vernon Wells, OF, Silver Slugger Award
All-Star Game
2003 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2003 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 74th midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues constituting Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 15, 2003 at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois, the home of the Chicago...
- Carlos Delgado, First Base
- Roy Halladay, Pitcher
- Vernon Wells, Outfield