RiP Tony Fernandez - Thanks for the great plays

The_Departed

For those that don't know, and this isn't relegated to just Blue Jay fans, but ALL baseball fans, Tony passed yesterday, Sunday the 16th at the tender age of 57.....that sucks. He was a dynamic and fun SS to watch back in the day. Great hands, decent/respectable bat and with a WAR of 45.3, he was integral to any team he played for(7 teams, 8 if you count the short stint he did in Japan). 4 Gold Gloves winner, 5 All-Star appearances, and helped the Jays win it all in '93. RiP T, we'll miss you.

doubledragon

Very sad news. He was a lot of fun to watch play.

JoeBanzai

R.I.P.

JRR300

very sad indeed. I remember him making great plays against against the Phils in the 93 WS, and coming up with some very timely hits as well. From what I saw, a very slick fielder great at turning the DP; a little underrated in my mind.

Tabe

My lasting memory of Tony Fernandez is an unfortunate one, albeit one that benefited me as a fan.

In 1987, after a slow start (11-19 after 30 games), the Detroit Tigers got hot. By late in the season, Toronto and Detroit were close in the AL East standings. In game 153, on a potential double play, Bill Madlock* slid in and took out Fernandez, flipping him into the air. Fernandez landed awkwardly, his right forearm hitting a wooden 2x4 plank under the playing surface, breaking his arm. He would miss most of game 153 and then all of the last 9 games of the year. Toronto would win game 153 and the next two to go up 3.5 games in the standings over Detroit. Then, missing Fernandez, who his .322, won a Gold Glove and finished 8th in the MVP race during what was his best season, Toronto would lose 7 straight, including a 1-0 shutout to Detroit in game 162, to lose the division on the last day of the season.

As a Tigers fan, I was obviously thrilled that Detroit ended up winning the division. Although Madlock's slide would be a little sketchy by the standards of today, it was not much out of line for 1987. The real culprit here is the wooden planks buried in the field. They are clearly visible in the video (linked below) and I can't really fathom how they were allowed to be so visible and dangerous.

RIP Tony, you were a heckuva player.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8tEZi-bHtU

P.S. Regarding 1987, everyone mentions the trade for Doyle Alexander as winning the division for Detroit. He certainly helped - 9-0 with 1.53 ERA in 11 starts, during which Detroit went 11-0 and never trailed. However, perhaps even more important, was the acquisition of Bill Madlock. Madlock had been released by the LA Dodgers after hitting .180 and appeared to be washed up. Detroit signed him and Madlock made a huge impact, hitting nearly .300 with 14 homers in just 87 games. Without his bat, Alexander's pitching later wouldn't have mattered. Madlock was made a free agent after the season by Detroit and then retired.

The_Departed

Never saw that clip before, but toggle from 0:25 - 0:27 and that's way beyond sketchy. Wasn't even near the bag and can clearly see his movement away from it and angling towards Tony to put both forearms clearly in position to swipe his legs out from under him. Maddy's BS slide may not have been the direct cause of Tony's injury, but if he'd actually intended on hitting that bag, I think it's unlikely Tony would've broken his arm. The man was way to agile for that to happen. Sure, it's 33 years ago, but that's still dirty. Oh well, show those angels how to play Short T!

thisistheshow

RIP

RAPTORSRULE04

Great player and man. Visited lots of schools around the Toronto area and interacted with the kids.

countdouglas

Joey Votto, who grew up in Canada and also obviously a Blue Jay fan, honored Fernandez with a message on his cap.