How Long Have you been a Jays fan?

[mellowgold]

It was only worth it in the sense that everything the Blue Jays did prior to 1992 was "worth it since it was part of a series of events that led to two championships."

 

McGriff and Fernandez were outrageously productive players. Carter doesn't compare to the other three players in the trade.

 

Carter gets s*** on a lot on this board, and while he's definitely overrated by media and casual-types, dude was a fairly productive player for us, and even out-WARed Alomar their first year here.

 

Here's the WAR for the first three seasons following the trade, for each of the four players involved:

 

Carter: 4.6 ('91), 2.9 ('92) and 2.0 ('93). Avg = 3.2

Alomar: 4.3 ('91), 6.1 ('92) and 5.7 ('93). Avg = 5.4

Fernandez: 2.5 ('91), 1.5 ('92) and 3.1 ('93). Avg = 2.4

McGriff: 3.6 ('91), 5.5 ('92) and 4.5 ('93). Avg = 4.5

[Olerud363]

by the way --- the event I refer to is Cito Benching Olerud for Brumfield against a righty...

 

for year Cito benched Olerud for horrible players against lefties... this was dumb... but at least followed some kind of platoon logic.

 

But in 96 and 97 he benched Olerud for righties once and a while, Brumfield, and Carter sometimes (when Carter had to play 1st or DH). It was very strange. Olerud was a 5-8 WAR player in his prime, when he played every day and wasn't given awful coaching.

 

Thus the curse of Brumfield. Paul Beeston was partially responsible for this... so I am not sure if the curse will get lifted or not this year, since Beeston is still here.

[Olerud363]

Carter gets s*** on a lot on this board, and while he's definitely overrated by media and casual-types, dude was a fairly productive player for us, and even out-WARed Alomar their first year here.

 

Here's the WAR for the first three seasons following the trade, for each of the four players involved:

 

Carter: 4.6 ('91), 2.9 ('92) and 2.0 ('93). Avg = 3.2

Alomar: 4.3 ('91), 6.1 ('92) and 5.7 ('93). Avg = 5.4

Fernandez: 2.5 ('91), 1.5 ('92) and 3.1 ('93). Avg = 2.4

McGriff: 3.6 ('91), 5.5 ('92) and 4.5 ('93). Avg = 4.5

 

Carter gets s*** on because he is the central figure in the collapse of 94-97. Jays played carter in 99% of the games those years... they signed Carter to an extension for 97. He had negative WAR those years.

 

Meanwhile -- they let Molitor go, they let White go, they let Alomar go, they traded Olerud,

 

they occasionally sat Olerud and Green agains righties so awful players (Carter, Brumfield, burnt out Ruben Sierra) so awful players could play.

[mellowgold]

Carter gets s*** on because he is the central figure in the collapse of 94-97. Jays played carter in 99% of the games those years... they signed Carter to an extension for 97. He had negative WAR those years.

 

Meanwhile -- they let Molitor go, they let White go, they let Alomar go, they traded Olerud,

 

they occasionally sat Olerud and Green agains righties so awful players (Carter, Brumfield, burnt out Ruben Sierra) so awful players could play.

 

I totally understand. Carter was absolute hot grabage after '93. Just saying, for the three years he was here when the Jays were actually winning, he was a fairly important contributor. I think this sometimes gets overlooked because of just how awful he became later.

[Olerud363]

Do you guys ever see DirectTV commercials?? I am guessing not in Rogers Land. The premise is some famous guy gets Direct TV, then a wimpy version of him get cable.

 

There is one with Tom Brady where Tom Brady get Direct TV, and "Bad Comedien" Tom Brady gets cable, check them out on YouTube or something. They should do one with Joe Carter

 

I'm early 90s Joe Carter, and I have Direct TV -- Touch em all Joe! Oh yeah... that moment looks great in High Def on the MLB classics channel.

 

I'm mid 90s Joe Carter, and I have cable -- cables out right now so I'm watching some VHS of the 96 season, here we are playing the tigers, trying to get 70 wins.. oooohhh that was in the dirt, I swung anyway... Is that Olerud on the bench?? Or Green?? I don't know, they look the same on VHS.

[GD]

yes we've seen those commercials

[dineke]

Olerud was benched for Joe Carter? wtf

[Mac Outlaw]

Carter gets s*** on because he is the central figure in the collapse of 94-97. Jays played carter in 99% of the games those years... they signed Carter to an extension for 97. He had negative WAR those years.

 

Meanwhile -- they let Molitor go, they let White go, they let Alomar go, they traded Olerud,

 

they occasionally sat Olerud and Green agains righties so awful players (Carter, Brumfield, burnt out Ruben Sierra) so awful players could play.

 

Joe Carter was instrumental in those World Series. Whatever happened later wasn't his fault. He was definitely bad though, but so was everyone else.

[CHRIS]

I was 10 and 11 when the Jays won back to back championships. The Alomar homerun off Eckersley in the ALCS is still the greatest baseball memory I have.

 

I remember this quite well as we were having Thanksgiving dinner at the time. Scarfed down my food so quickly so I could run back into the family room to watch.

[CHRIS]

I was in first two years of university when they won in 92/93. Great times.

 

I was last year of high school, then first year university. The second win at university was insane.

[Mac Outlaw]

I remember this quite well as we were having Thanksgiving dinner at the time. Scarfed down my food so quickly so I could run back into the family room to watch.

 

That Alomar home run turned everything around. Without that, they might not have won either championship.

[ValiantJaysFan]

[CrackerJack]

That Alomar home run turned everything around. Without that, they might not have won either championship.

 

yeah, Alomar's was the most important home run in Blue Jays history for sure.

 

the Jays already had Mitch Williams (and the Phillies) on the ropes in game 6 (and in the series) with or without Joe's blast.

[blurnandez]

I became conscious of the Jays during their pennant battles with Detroit and Boston the late '80s, but started to really become a young diehard around around the 1989 season. I remember the first piece of clothing I ever bought myself was a sweet 1989 AL East Champions t-shirt.

 

The Jays blowing the AL East lead to Boston in 1990 was my first experience with sports heartbreak, and an early baseball memory that really stuck with me. That, along with the 1991 ALCS drubbing to the Twins, prepared me for many more years of sports heartbreak. But those made the WS years that much sweeter.

[37stieb]

I was 10 and 11 when the Jays won back to back championships. The Alomar homerun off Eckersley in the ALCS is still the greatest baseball memory I have.

 

I remember Alomar doing the chop during the WS when he was crossing home plate?

[37stieb]

Carter gets s*** on a lot on this board, and while he's definitely overrated by media and casual-types, dude was a fairly productive player for us, and even out-WARed Alomar their first year here.

 

Here's the WAR for the first three seasons following the trade, for each of the four players involved:

 

Carter: 4.6 ('91), 2.9 ('92) and 2.0 ('93). Avg = 3.2

Alomar: 4.3 ('91), 6.1 ('92) and 5.7 ('93). Avg = 5.4

Fernandez: 2.5 ('91), 1.5 ('92) and 3.1 ('93). Avg = 2.4

McGriff: 3.6 ('91), 5.5 ('92) and 4.5 ('93). Avg = 4.5

 

Also a 30/30 guy. Tough to find guys like that anymore.

[Deadpool]

I only started watching the Jays last year after the Raptors got eliminated from the playoffs. Needed something to satisfy my Toronto sports craving. Used to be one of those "baseball is boring" guys, but decided to give it a shot. Took a little time and research for me to really get into it, but this board has helped a lot with understanding advanced stats, what to look for while watching a game, and just made it a more enjoyable experience.

 

Yeah... a lot less exciting than most of your stories but there it is.

 

I'll take one new baseball fan who is learning to love the game over a dozen who are cheering just because they're winning...

[Atothe]

I totally understand. Carter was absolute hot grabage after '93. Just saying, for the three years he was here when the Jays were actually winning, he was a fairly important contributor. I think this sometimes gets overlooked because of just how awful he became later.

 

So he's Kevin pillar except instead of good base running and defense he gives you homers

[jayswin11]

how long have you been a jays fan?

 

Are you a newbie getting a exciting taste of meaningful september ball for the first time, or a jaded, old veteran who has seen many highs and more lows over the years? I suspect many of you weren't around or interested in ball when the jays had their halcyon years, from 1985-1994 when they were more solid than not, but i thought this would be a neat way to determine the fan demographics of our board.

 

For me, i'm a grizzled, old fan. I started really loving the jays in 1984 (i was in grade 7) when they had such an exciting, young team...led by my favourites moseby, barfield and bell. I am still a huge fan of those guys.

 

Anyway, enough about me...

 

 

1985 alcs

[204Jays]

2015 Trade Deadline.

[King]

2015 Trade Deadline.

 

Are you from the peg?

[Spanky99]

A long time.

[wmoz11]

Probably 1992 or 1993 (6 and 7 years old). I have two very distinct memories of the Jays from those days: the 15-14 game against the Phillies in the WS and my dad waking me up after Joe Carter hit the home run and letting me come downstairs to watch the celebration.

 

Not sure how I became a Jays fan growing up in Pennsylvania, but it happened.

 

Over the years and especially without any ability to stream games I had to follow from afar. Probably been really big fan again since 2009 or so when I was able to actually watch games.

[ElNik2013]

Since July 28 2015

[polar bear]

I guess 1981-82 I switched my allegiance from the Expos to the Jays,when Bell,Moseby and Barfield

first got together.

[harvey16]

My first season really following the Jays was in 1990. I remember that huge collapse against Boston. Was heartbreaking as an 8 year old. Went to my first live game in June of 1991. Jays lost 3-1 to Seattle. Jays only run came off a HR from Kelly Gruber! Fondly remember watching both WS in 92 and 93. I remember being so mad in game 4 in 93 when the Phills took a huge lead that I shut the TV and went to bed only to find out the next morning from my Dad that they won 15-14! Good times!

[Powers]

I remember watching the playoffs in 1985 and I remember the 1987. But I didn't regularly watch the jays until 1989 been a fan since. My first game I went to was in 1990 and all I remember of that game was they scored 3 runs in the 7th to come back to win.

[saskjayfan]

Al Oliver was my favourite baseball player when I first started watching, but I think it was because he wore the number 0...when I actually started really paying attention ernie whitt was my favourite Jay...

[EMK19]

1989 is my first recollection of watching the Blue Jays, but it wasn't until 1991 where I started to follow the Jays seriously. My first game at Skydome was for what turned out to be Jimmy Key's final regular season game as a Blue Jay, I believe we beat the Red Sox that day and won the division a few days later.

[FrozenRopes]

1986 for me. I was 10 years old.