What: Toronto Blue Jays, World Series Champions
When: 1992 and 1993
Starring: Devon White, Roberto Alomar, Paul Molitor, Joe Carter and John Olerud as WAMCO
Reason for the throwback: Once again, the Toronto Blue Jays have failed to qualify for “The Second Season” in Major League Baseball, finishing in third place in the always competitive American League East and missing out on a Wild Card entry by a handful of games.
As much as there are positives about this season – quality years from Melky Cabrera, Dionner Navarro, Joey Bats and Edwin, plus strong showings on the bump from Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez and a couple bullpen arms – the end result is the same as it has been for every season since Joe Carter delivered a second straight World Series win by going yard off Mitch Williams in 1993… no playoffs.
This time of year can’t help but make you nostalgic for those two magical years where everything was coming up Blue Jays.
The ’92 Divisional Series against Oakland… Alomar blasting a ninth-inning bomb off Dennis Eckersley and giving him the Tomahawk chop salute as he left the batter’s box… a Game 6 blowout at the Skydome to advance to the World Series for the first time in club history… The Triple Play in Game 3… Duane Ward and Jimmy Key picking up two wins each… Mike Timlin fielding Otis Nixon’s bunt attempt and tossing the ball to Carter for the out.
The back-and-forth with the White Sox in ’93, the series playing out in three two-game winning streaks… Juan Guzman beating Jack McDowell, twice… and then a terrific World Series with the Phillies… the come-from-behind 15-14 win in Game 4 to go up 3-1… losing in Philadelphia to bring things back to Toronto for Game 6… “Touch’em all, Joe!”…
It’s been a long time since there was energy like that coursing through the Rogers Centre at this time of year – they Jays haven’t even been in the mix this late in the season in what feels like an eternity.
So as another seasons without a trip to the playoffs is set to finish, here’s to the glory days of back-to-back World Series Championships!
