Blue Jays by the Numbers Online Trivia | Toronto Blue Jays

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In 2003, the number 7 belonged to pitcher Josh Towers, but who was the first person to wear this number on his Blue Jay uniform?

Answer: Roy Hartsfield

In 1977, manager Hartsfield (#7) led the brand new Blue Jays to a 54-107 record, and seventh place in their division. They improved by five wins the next year, but still occupied seventh place. Outfielder Ewing wore #5, first baseman Fairly wore #6 and catcher Ashby was #8 in 1977.
In 2003, right hander Towers had an 8-1 record, from fourteen starts and one save from his only save opportunity. His ERA was 4.48.

2. Catcher, Tom Wilson wore number 9 in 2003, but can you tell me who was the first Blue Jay catcher to wear this number?

Answer: Rick Cerone

Cerone (#9) was the starting catcher in the Jays' first ever game in 1977. He appeared in only 31 games, batting .200 with one home run and ten RBIs. Ashby (#8) caught most of the games that year (124) and had a .210 average. Whitt (#12) was the third catcher in '77, batting .171 in 23 appearances. Milner, who wore the number 3, appeared in two games for the Jays during their second season (1978), batting .444, and then disappeared from view.

In 2003, Tom Wilson batted .258 with 5 HR and 35 RBIs in 96 appearances.

3. Number 10, Vernon Wells, made an appearance in centerfield in the 2003 All Star Game, contributing a double and a RBI to the American League victory. Can you say which, of the following players, did NOT wear #10 during the Blue Jays' first two seasons?

Answer: John Scott

Scott, left fielder and leadoff hitter for the Jays' inaugural game (7th April 1977) wore number 11. Jim Mason, an infielder, was the first Jay to wear #10 but he was traded to Texas in May '77 as part of the deal that brought Roy Howell (#13) to Toronto.

Infielder Rader took over the number after he was purchased by the Jays from San Diego in June '77, until he was released in March of the following year. First baseman Mayberry was acquired in April 1978 from Kansas City, and became the mainstay at first until 1982, and possibly the most memorable #10 until the advent of Wells. (A case could perhaps be made for Pat Borders.) Wells appeared in an amazing 161 games in 2003, batting .317 and clouting 33 HR with 117 RBIs.

4. After earning the 2002 American League Rookie of the Year award, number 11, third baseman Eric Hinske, slumped a bit in his sophomore season due to injuries. Do you know which Blue Jay short stop wore #11 in 1978 and '79?

Answer: Luis Gomez

In his two seasons with the Jays, the light hitting Gomez played over 200 games contributing a combined 43 runs batted in and zero home runs. In the '78 season he had a .976 fielding average in 153 games at short. In 1979 he appeared in only 57 games, split almost evenly amongst second, third and short, making a mere 3 errors. Griffin (#4) took over the starting job from Gomez in 1979, won Rookie of the Year, and was a fixture at short until leaving for Oakland after the '84 season. Torres (#29) was the starter at short in the Jays first ever game in 1977, whilst Iorg played every infield position and the outfield in his career with the Jays (1978, 1980-87). 'Orgy' wore #29 in his rookie year, changing to 16 for the remainder of his career.

Despite missing most of June 2003 with a broken hand, and slumping to a .243 average Hinske still managed 12 HR, 63 RBI and 12 stolen bases.

5. Pitcher Cliff Politte, number 19, spent nearly a month on the disabled list (DL) in 2003, but which player wore #19 in 1977?

Answer: Otto Velez

Otto Velez (#19) was the designated hitter in the starting line up for the opening day game in the snow in 1977. He was with the Jays 1977-82, during which time he also played the outfield and a few games at first base. He hit 72 of his career 78 home runs as a Blue Jay. Outfielder Al Woods (#20) hit a pinch hit home run in that very first game in Exhibition Stadium, in his first major league at bat. Right-handed pitcher Clancy (#18) split 1977 between Toronto and the minors, then played full time for the Jays from 1978-88. Dave 'Tarzan' Lemanczyk led the '77 team with 13 wins, his career high. Politte looked set to be the team's closer in 2003 until he was sidelined with shoulder problems in late June.

By the time he returned rookie Aquilino Lopez (#44) had laid claim to the job.

6. Number 21, pitcher Cory Lidle, spent part of August 2003 on the DL with a groin strain. Twenty-five years earlier, in 1978, that number belonged to a veteran designated hitter (DH) whose nickname was 'The Beeg Mon'. Can you name him?

Answer: Rico Carty

Rico Carty (#21) was already 36 years old when he joined the Jays at the beginning of the 1978 season and had made his ML debut in 1963 with the Braves when they were still in Milwaukee. He would hobble up to the plate looking like he'd never make it to first, then park one over the fence and jog the bases.

In August '78 he was traded to Oakland for DH Willie Horton (#48) and pitcher Phil Huffman (#47). The Jays bought Rico back at the end of that season, and he was the regular DH for the 1979 season. Alberts (#14) made his major league debut for the Jays in September '78 going 2 for 4 as DH in a game against the Brewers (when they were still in the American League). Lidle had a poor 2003, going 12-15 with an ERA of 5.75.

7. Outfielder Bobby Kielty took over #24 from Shannon Stewart when Minnesota and Toronto swapped them for each other at the 2003 All Star break. In 1978-79 that number belonged to a left-handed pitcher who had a combined 15-30 record in his two seasons with the Blue Jays. Who was that southpaw?

Answer: Tom Underwood

Despite the losing record, Tommy Underwood (#24) was one of the Jays leading pitchers in those lean early years, notably in strikeouts, posting 139 in '78 and 127 in '79. Willis (#33 and 23) was a top lefty in the bullpen, with a 7-21 record and 15 saves in his five year career (1977-81), all with Toronto.

His theme tune, played by the organist at the Ex when Willis entered a game was 'Michael, Row the Boat Ashore'. Clancy (#18) and Stieb (#37) (of whom more later on) were both right-handed pitchers. Kielty went 3 for 4 with a homer and 3 runs scored in his first game as a Jay, against the Red Sox in Boston on 17 July 2003. That November, he was traded to Oakland in the deal that brought lefty Ted Lilly to the Jays.

8. In 2003, number 25 was worn by All Star first baseman Carlos Delgado, who had his fans talking about the possibility of a triple crown early on in the season. The first Blue Jay to wear this number was also a first baseman, but do you know which one?

Answer: Doug Ault

Doug Ault (#25) became an instant hero in Toronto by hitting two home runs in their first game on 7th April 1977. He lost the regular job to Mayberry (#10) in 1978, and was gone from the team the following year. Sadly, Ault died in December 2004, aged 54.

His death was ruled a suicide. Hutton (#14) was a Jay for only part of the '78 season and was used mostly in the outfield, though he did play nine games at first base. Upshaw (#26) started in the outfield in 1978, but by 1982 was the Jays' regular first baseman, a job he held until 1987. Delgado had a great 2003 season, but in the end led the league only in RBI, with 145 to Alex Rodriguez' 118.

9. During the 2003 season the number 27 belonged to outfielder Frank Catalanotto. In 1979 this number was worn by a first baseman/DH with a somewhat unusual place of birth. Can you choose the correct player and birthplace?

Answer: Tony Solaita, American Samoa

Solaita (#27), who played for the Jays only in the last season of his career, was born in American Samoa, and died there in 1990 at the early age of 43. He debuted in '68 with the Yankees, and between 1974-79 played for three teams other than Toronto, including part of '79 in Montreal. Lum, who was born in Hawaii, never played for the Blue Jays, or any other American League team during his 15-year career (1967-81), spending most of it with Atlanta.

In '79 he was playing first base and left field for the Braves, wearing #28. Catalanotto batted .299 with 13 HR in 133 games for the Jays in 2003.

10. No quiz about the 2003 Blue Jays would be complete without mentioning number 32, Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay. Over the years, several other right-handers have worn 32 on their uniforms, but can you choose which one of the following did NOT?

Answer: Dave Stieb

Stieb (#37) was one of the bright lights on the Jays pitching staff in the early eighties, all the more so because he was 'home-grown' having come up through their minor league system. His career record with the Blue Jays was 175-134 between 1979 and 1992, with a brief comeback in 1998. (He went 1-3 with the White Sox in '93.) He was the first Blue Jay to pitch a no hitter, a 3-0 win in Detroit on 2nd September 1990 and appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in 2004. Kirkwood (1978), Todd (1979) and Kucek (1980) all wore #32 and had a combined 14-23 record for the Jays, with one save (by Kucek). Only Todd was in Toronto for more than a season, wearing #40 in 1980-81. By way of contrast, Halladay's 2003 record was 22-7!

Sources include: 'Toronto Blue Jays Media Guide 1979'; www.torontobluejays.mlb.com; www.baseball-reference.com; www.baseball-almanac.com and personal observation carried out at Exhibition Stadium between 1977 and 1984.

Source: Author spanishliz

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nightmare before going online.
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Blue Jays by the Numbers Trivia Quiz

I'll tell you who wore the number during the 2003 season. You will tell me who wore it in the early days of the team, or in some cases who did not wear that number.

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