Most Loved Blue Jay? (All-Time)

[Nexii]

I was watching a YouTube video where the author gives their opinion on each team's most loved player. Not necessarily the best, though it could be.

For many franchises it's obvious. The Jays are one where I feel it's more debatable.

So who do you think is the most loved Blue Jay of all time and why?

[Laika]

Candidates:

• Stieb
• Halladay
• Delgado
• Bautista 
• ... Tony Fernandez? 

Not sure there are any other candidates! 

Personally I think it is Halladay. Best career of all of them. Thoroughly beloved while he was a Blue Jays. Kind of the most transcendent of all four. Slightly tainted by the post Jays stuff... HOF hat debacle and revealed drug use. 

[Nexii]

Personally I feel it's Halladay. I didn't want to be first to reply on my own thread.

Yes, highest WAR as a Jay but it's not just that. It's how he made Jays games exciting for teams that just weren't exciting for his entire career. How he came back from being the worst pitcher in MLB to the best. 

And yea, the drug stuff. Well, I'm more forgiving. He did dumb things on painkillers but let's not forget he crippled himself for us, the fans. Only Halladay had the presence of mind to pitch through the kind of pain he suffered and still be elite. For me, it just adds to the narrative. Hopefully retired players get better help because of his legacy.

The hat thing idk I think it's a nothing burger. He was inducted posthumously so we'll never know how much family played a role vs his own wishes.

[Brownie19]

If you polled people, I suspect Joe Carter gets some votes - Pillar might too.  But for me, it's Doc.

That said, George Springer is absolutely one of my favourite players of all-time.  I love his energy, love the way he plays the game, love how he's a spokesperson for people with speech impediments, loved watching his perform in the playoffs for the Astros and of course now I've loved watching him join my favourite team. 

I think there's a very good chance that if you ask this question in 2035, the answer is going to be Vlad, without any shadow of a doubt.

[Madkenstalin]

Fernandez for me. I do have fond memories of all the first team I used to watch though. McGriff, Lee, Fernandez, Gruber, Bell, Moseby, Key, Cerruti, Borders, Barfield. 

 

[leaffie]

While everyone on the list is easily the best, my all time favourite was John Mcdonald.

he wasnt the most talented, but he always gave it his all, and his home run on fathers day was one of my favourite moments in jays history

[Jays24]

Its between Doc/Delgado for me.  Bautista could also be part of that list if I think about it more since he was a massive part of our best success since 92/93.  

[Masterbather]

2 hours ago, Laika said:

Candidates:

• Stieb
• Halladay
• Delgado
• Bautista 
• ... Tony Fernandez? 

Not sure there are any other candidates! 

Personally I think it is Halladay. Best career of all of them. Thoroughly beloved while he was a Blue Jays. Kind of the most transcendent of all four. Slightly tainted by the post Jays stuff... HOF hat debacle and revealed drug use. 

You mean tainted by his wife who decided for herself to create the hat controversy and run her big mouth about his personal life.

Anyhow, I'll say Joe Carter.

[G-Snarls]

Doc for me

Unfortunately, a second baseman that was amazing and very likeable during his tenure as a player has had himself cancelled or he'd probably be in the top 3

[Laika]

15 minutes ago, G-Snarls said:

Doc for me

Unfortunately, a second baseman that was amazing and very likeable during his tenure as a player has had himself cancelled or he'd probably be in the top 3

What did Aaron Hill do!?

[Governator]

Man this is a tough one, because up until recently Alomar was always my favourite.  As a young teen I'd raise my hands in our little home run derbies with my buddies just like he did on that postseason homerun. 

I just accepted the spit instance as heat of the moment but the sexual allegations that got him fired I guess I have to look elsewhere now.

I love Doc but it's probably Bautista for me now.

[Masterbather]

19 minutes ago, G-Snarls said:

Doc for me

Unfortunately, a second baseman that was amazing and very likeable during his tenure as a player has had himself cancelled or he'd probably be in the top 3

I don't know, I felt among many of us in the city we kind of knew he had a bit of a rep behind the scenes, we didn't really care we just wanted him to be the best second baseman in baseball. But I wouldn't say he was ever loved in the way that guys like Joe Carter and Doc and others were loved as people.

[G-Snarls]

6 minutes ago, Masterbather said:

I don't know, I felt among many of us in the city we kind of knew he had a bit of a rep behind the scenes, we didn't really care we just wanted him to be the best second baseman in baseball. But I wouldn't say he was ever loved in the way that guys like Joe Carter and Doc and others were loved as people.

More as a player than person, that's true

[max silver]

I was a huge fan of the bad boy duo of Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista. I'll go with Bautista as he was a franchise icon due to spending more time with the club, but the MVP season of Donaldson is probably my favorite single player season of all time. 

[Masterbather]

1 minute ago, max silver said:

I was a huge fan of the bad boy duo of Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista. I'll go with Bautista as he was a franchise icon due to spending more time with the club, but the MVP season of Donaldson is probably my favorite single player season of all time. 

[Orgfiller]

8 minutes ago, max silver said:

I was a huge fan of the bad boy duo of Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista. I'll go with Bautista as he was a franchise icon due to spending more time with the club, but the MVP season of Donaldson is probably my favorite single player season of all time. 

Hard to mention Bautista and Donaldson without also bringing up Edwin Encarnacion. Just as capable a hitter as them, and just a wonderfully loveable guy all around. Those 3 guys made up the most formidable heart of the lineup in team history, IMO.

[max silver]

4 minutes ago, Orgfiller said:

Hard to mention Bautista and Donaldson without also bringing up Edwin Encarnacion. Just as capable a hitter as them, and just a wonderfully loveable guy all around. Those 3 guys made up the most formidable heart of the lineup in team history, IMO.

It's a shame we only got to see that group together for a handful of seasons. 

[Masterbather]

5 minutes ago, Orgfiller said:

Hard to mention Bautista and Donaldson without also bringing up Edwin Encarnacion. Just as capable a hitter as them, and just a wonderfully loveable guy all around. Those 3 guys made up the most formidable heart of the lineup in team history, IMO.

2021 Blue Jays: Vlad and Semien in beast mode. Bo, Hernandez and when healthly, Springer. That was nuts. Best lineup we ever had. f*** that season depresses me.

Only one season's worth unfortunately. 

[mphenhef]

First to come to mind for me was Doc...it's so sad we never got to see team success with him around.  Carter was my favourite as a kid I would say.  He's got two iconic moments ending the two World Series victories.

 

It's also hard not to include Delgado or Bautista

[Spanky__99]

Loved Blue Jay for me...

Would be Doc easily not even close, I loved Stieb but he was an *******.

Followed by Barfield in the 80's

And our most recent tenure of EE

[Stangstag]

1 hour ago, max silver said:

It's a shame we only got to see that group together for a handful of seasons. 

They were also only really good for a handful of seasons. Bautista probably had the longest peak of being elite snd it only lasted like 7ish years. All 3 guys started their careers too late.

[Laika]

okay but who is the most underrated Blue Jay of all time? 

hint: it's gregg zaun 

if he was born 30 years later he would be some fWAR OBP framing and defense god catcher 

[max silver]

56 minutes ago, Stangstag said:

They were also only really good for a handful of seasons. Bautista probably had the longest peak of being elite snd it only lasted like 7ish years. All 3 guys started their careers too late.

I think that both of Donaldson and Bautista had similar lengths for their respective peaks, with 6 peak years for each. Donaldson had an injury plagued season that was mixed in with his peak years that brought down the averages a bit over a total of 7 years.

Bautista's peak saw him produce 156 wRC+/33.2 FWAR over 828 games.

Donaldson's peak (including the injury plagued 2018 season) saw him produce 143 wRC+/39.6 FWAR over 949 games.

[Perfect Game]

Doc for me. I was a Jays fan long before he was drafted. I fell in love with the game because of him.

Damn it, it's been 8 years since he died & I still can't type that without crying 😢

[Terminator]

Bautista is probably my favorite.

Honorable mention to Rocket Raimel Tilapia

[glory]

For me personally (started watching baseball in 1991), I'd say Carter and Bautista. One helped shape my love of baseball with the 1992-93 run, and the other brought Blue Jays baseball back from 2 decades of irrelevance. 

The Halladay/Delgado years were tainted by how irrelevant the teams were. I never saw the peak Fernandez or Stieb years, so never built that nostalgia for them. Alomar didn't spend enough time with the Jays. 

[Jonn]

For me Reed Johnson and Frank Catalanotto are guys that come to mind. Just 2 guys that played their role so well.

Obviously guys like Carlos Delgado and Roy Halladay our childhood heroes.

I also really liked Marco Scuarto and Orlando Hudson.

The Encarnacion, Bautista, and Donaldson was a lot of fun. 

[ValiantJaysFan]

Stieb, Carter, Alomar, Fernandez, Halladay, Bautista, Delgado, probably in that order.

[Orgfiller]

6 hours ago, Laika said:

okay but who is the most underrated Blue Jay of all time? 

hint: it's gregg zaun 

if he was born 30 years later he would be some fWAR OBP framing and defense god catcher 

If John Olerud started his career in 2010 he would be Joey Votto lite. Cito was platooning him while he was consistently running OBPs near .400 lol. He probably gets a little more playing time and ends his career above 60 fWAR cruising to a Hall of Fame selection with us!

[John_Havok]

The fact that nodody has mentioned the guy who brought "bush party" back into mainstream lexicon is a travesty.

Monkeys don't get cramps!