Duane Ward Was the Greatest Setup Man in Blue Jays History and a Teammate Players Never Forgot

When Duane Ward passed away last weekend, baseball lost one of the most dominant relievers of his generation and Canadian baseball lost one of its most dedicated ambassadors.

Duane Ward was a good closer, but he was a phenomenal setup man.

There aren’t many modern bullpen rosters that mirror the dominance or structure of the Jays in the late eighties and early nineties. The general manager of the Jays at the time, Pat Gillick, acquired Tom Henke from the Rangers as a free agent compensation pick in 1985, and the following year traded pitcher Doyle Alexander to the Braves to acquire Ward.

Both pitchers had been starters who had toiled within their respective organizations, seeing some time with the major league squads, but never for a sustained period. Neither made the major league roster right away, but whatever adjustments the Jays had them work on in the minors resulted in both establishing themselves at the MLB level in short order.

Ward was selected ninth overall in the 1982 MLB June Amateur Draft by the Braves. With the Jays, between 1988 and 1992, he was the only pitcher in MLB to pitch more than 100 innings in relief in each of those five seasons.

When Ward first arrived in the organization, teammates had already heard about the arm talent that accompanied him from Atlanta. Former Blue Jays infielder Rance Mulliniks recalled that players were eager to see for themselves whether the reports of Ward's "magnificent arm" were true. They were.

His first postseason win came in the epic, 11th-inning Game 4 victory over the Athletics in the 1992 ALCS. The highlights always focus on Roberto Alomar’s home run off A’s closer Dennis Eckersley, but it was Ward who allowed only one hit across the ninth and 10th innings to keep the game tied.

In an interview that sportscaster Mark Hebscher shared on social media, he asked Ward whether, during his years as a setup man, he ever wished he could be the closer. In typical "Ward-o" style, he said, “Never.” He took pride in getting the ball to Henke and providing him with a clean slate to pick up a save. That might mean Ward would pitch one inning, but often more.

That answer would not have surprised Mulliniks. He described Ward as a player who fully embraced whatever role helped the team most. Even after becoming one of baseball's elite relievers, Ward remained committed to learning every aspect of the game. Mulliniks recalled that Ward frequently sought out hitters to better understand how they thought at the plate, believing that knowledge would make him a better pitcher. He wasn't content to rely solely on his remarkable arm. He wanted to understand how to pitch.

He went on to mention some of the setup men who took over for him when he became the closer upon Henke’s departure. Those setup men included Mike Timlin, Mark Eichhorn, Bob MacDonald, and John Cerutti. All of them were effective in the role, but none were as good as Ward.

Ward had the temperament of a Dave Stieb. He was intense, and his “stuff” matched that intensity. If anything, he was the polar opposite of Henke, who was zen-like in his approach. That perfect complement created a one-two punch that was nearly unstoppable.

Mulliniks saw that intensity up close from his position at third base. He remembered Ward as one of the fiercest competitors on the team, but also noted that his intensity was controlled and purposeful. Ward wasn't simply trying to throw every pitch as hard as possible. His competitiveness was channelled in the right direction, which helped transform extraordinary raw talent into sustained excellence.

On the rare occasions Ward ran into trouble, Mulliniks was sometimes sent to the mound by managers Jimmy Williams or Cito Gaston to buy time while another reliever warmed up. It was a task he never particularly enjoyed.

Mulliniks remembered slowly making his way to the mound and joking, “First of all, Ward-o, this isn’t my idea.” Ward usually responded by saying nothing at all. Instead, he would pace impatiently, eager to get back to work. There was one rule, however, that Mulliniks learned quickly: Never step on the dirt of the mound.

“That was his mound,” Mulliniks recalled. If a teammate stepped onto it, Ward would let them know in no uncertain terms that they weren't welcome there. Beneath the humour was a revealing trait. Ward believed that if he had created a mess, he should be the one to get himself out of it. The confidence, pride and accountability that defined those moments were the same qualities that made him one of baseball's most trusted relievers.

Henke shared his memories with reporters this past week, talking a lot about Ward’s pre-game superstitions. These included playing catch with Henke after batting practice, using the exact same urinal at the same time every game day, and always being the first to arrive in the bullpen. Mulliniks also remembered Ward making sure he was the first player off the field after batting practice, often positioning himself toward the dugout to gain an advantage.

What teammates seemed to admire most, however, was Ward's dependability. Even when his arm could have used a day off after several consecutive appearances, Mulliniks said Ward would still take the ball if a manager needed an inning or a crucial out. It was a quality that helped make him one of the game's most durable relievers during his peak seasons.

Everyone remembers Joe Carter’s “Touch ’em all, Joe!” home run to win the 1993 World Series, but it was Ward who was the winning pitcher of record in Game 6 after pitching a scoreless ninth inning. It might have been his most important outing as a Jay, and it best illustrated the type of player and contributor he was: He set up his teammates to succeed, and you can’t ask for more.

When Henke departed following the 1992 season, there was little doubt inside the organization that Ward could take over the ninth inning. Mulliniks, who retired after that season, admitted he was shocked that Toronto allowed Henke to leave, but he was equally confident Ward could handle the pressure of closing games. The Blue Jays knew it too. Whenever Henke needed a day off, Ward had already shown he could thrive in the role. In 1993, he responded with 45 saves, still a franchise single-season record.

Ward finished his career with 121 saves and 452 games pitched, both second in Blue Jays history.

His impact on Canadian baseball extended well beyond his playing days. Mulliniks credited Ward as the driving force behind many of the Blue Jays alumni clinics that travel across Canada teaching young athletes. Ward approached former team president Paul Beeston with the idea and became one of its strongest advocates. He poured the same energy into developing youth baseball that he once devoted to mastering his craft on the mound. Helping grow the game in Canada became one of his greatest passions.

He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020.

Ward passed away in Toronto on July 18, 2026, at the age of 62.

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