Buffalo Bills

Many fans hope that replacement J.P Losman can lead the Bills to the playoffs in the 2005-2006 season. Rank: Tied for 3rd in the American League East, 6.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles. In the offseason, the Bills released quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who was then signed by the Dallas Cowboys. Winning Percentage: .500. Though they would lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the final game of the season, costing them a playoff berth, the late season surge gave the team a positive direction to approach 2005. Losses: 33. This, along with the emergence of Willis McGahee taking over the starting running back role from the injured Travis Henry, and emergence of Lee Evans to give the Bills a second deep threat, sparked the Bills to go 7-2 in their next nine games. This string of victories allowed the Bills to be in the hunt for a final AFC wildcard playoff spot. Wins: 33.

The team finally managed to turn things around with a victory at home against the also winless Miami Dolphins. Losses: 10. Additionally, each loss was heartbreakingly close. Wins: 16. The Bills started the 2004 season 0-4, with Bledsoe and his offense struggling in their run-first offense, averaging only 13 points per game. (instead of retiring numbers, the Blue Jays instead honour their players and personnel of the organisation with a spot on the Level of Excellence, a series of banners featuring player names that can be seen in the 500-level outfield decks of the Rogers Centre). And indeed, Bledsoe did continue to struggle in 2004. However, the club has been pleasantly surprised with the performance of rookie callup Aaron Hill so far.

Losman, to be used if Bledsoe continued to struggle in 2004. The Jays were hit when third-baseman Corey Koskie broke his finger, taking him out of the lineup for 6-8 weeks. The Bills also drafted another quarterback, J.P. So far in the regular season, the Jays have been able to translate their success in spring training into a excellent start-- the team led the AL East from early to mid-April and as of mid June, they are holding steadily around .500. Gregg Williams was fired as head coach after the 2003 season and replaced with Mike Mularkey. The Blue Jays finished spring training with a 16-10 record. In one game, however, the Bills' fans gained a small measure of satisfaction when the defense sacked Rob Johnson multilpe times in his relief effort for Washington. Owner Ted Rogers also promised a payroll increase to $210 million over the next 3 years, which will allow them to have a team payroll of $80 million per year.

After beating eventual champions New England 31-0 in the first game, and crushing the Jaguars in their second game, the Bills stumbled through the rest of the season, finishing 6-10. Most importantly, the old AstroTurf surface was replaced by the more natural-looking FieldTurf. Another Patriot castoff, safety Lawyer Milloy, joined the Bills days before the 2003 season began and gave the team an immediate boost on defense. By the start of the season Rogers had upgraded the stadium with a new "Jumbotron" videoboard and added other state-of-the-art video screens around the stadium. However, in a tough division with all other teams finishing 9-7, they were still in last place. On February 2, 2005, several days after finalising the purchase of SkyDome, Rogers Communications renamed the stadium the Rogers Centre, much to the chagrin of the general public. Bledsoe revived the Bills for the 2002 season, leading them to an 8-8 record, setting 10 team passing records in the process. Toronto is hoping Hillenbrand and Corey Koskie can team up to fill the power void created after Delgado left.

After the season they traded for quarterback Drew Bledsoe, deemed expendable by the Patriots after Tom Brady led them to a Super Bowl victory. One month after Koskie was inked, the Jays traded pitching prospect Adam Peterson to the Arizona Diamondbacks for the services of third/first-baseman Shea Hillenbrand. The Bills even lost a much-hyped mid-season matchup with "Bills West" (the Flutie-led Chargers). Koskie alone wouldn't be enough to replace Delgado. Buffalo finished 3-13. The signing signals that third baseman Eric Hinske will either move across the diamond to fill the hole at first base left by Delgado, or will leave the team. Rob Johnson went down in mid-season with an injury and Alex Van Pelt took over. Just days after superstar Carlos Delgado became a free agent after the club refused arbitration, the Jays announced the signing of Manitoban third baseman Corey Koskie, formerly of the Minnesota Twins.

Titans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams took over as head coach for the 2001 season, which proved to be the worst in recent memory for the Bills. Rogers Communications, the owner of the Jays, purchased SkyDome from Sportco International in November 2004 for approximately $25 million Cdn (US$21.24 million), just a fraction of the construction cost. Smith would be quickly replaced by rookie Travis Henry. A few days after Christmas, the Jays also mourned the loss of former first baseman Doug Ault, who hit two home runs in the team's inaugural game; he was 54. Both Flutie and Smith were dominant in their final game as Bills, in a rout of the Seahawks. Mattick had also served as the Vice President of Baseball Operations for the Jays. Antowain Smith also left as a free agent for the New England Patriots, where he was the starting running back on their two Super Bowl championship teams. More losses to the Jays family came in the offseason, Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame member Bobby Mattick, the manager from 1980 to 1981 and perhaps the best baseball man in the organisation, suffered a stroke and passed away at the age of 89.

Doug Flutie left the Bills with a .677 winning percentage in 31 starts. However, the Jays' annus horribilis continued after the game, when it was announced that former pitcher and current TV broadcaster John Cerutti died suddenly of natural causes at the age of 44. Flutie controversy, general manager John Butler departed for the San Diego Chargers - and took Flutie and Wiley with him. One day later, the Blue Jays finished the 2004 campaign with a 3-2 loss against the New York Yankees in front of an announced crowd of 49,948. Antowain Smith, Eric Moulds and Marcellus Wiley respectively had long since eclipsed them on the depth chart. After a dismal 8-8 season, and the team still caught up in the Johnson vs. On October 2, 2004, the Toronto Blue Jays announced the dismissals of pitching coach Gil Patterson and first-base coach Joe Breeden, effective at the end of the season. The final ties to the Bills' Super Bowl years were cut in 2000 when Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed and Bruce Smith were all cut. Rookie pitchers David Bush, Gustavo Chacin and Jason Frasor have also shown promise for the club's future.

Others believe it wouldn't be an issue, had Johnson not taken sack in the endzone early on, allowing Tennessee to get 2 points, and good field position, which they used to score a touchdown. Alexis Rios has been regarded among the MLB Rookie of the Year Award candidates; however, his chance of winning the award may have been limited by playing time and the performance of Bobby Crosby of the Oakland Athletics. The Titans ended up advancing to the Super Bowl. Adams hit his first major league homerun in his second game, in which Gross also earned his own first major league grand slam. Many Bills fans still think that the lateral was actually a forward pass, and the touchdown should not have counted. Nevertheless, prospects Russ Adams, Gabe Gross, and Alexis Rios provided excitement for the fans. The Bills scored a field goal with 16 seconds left to give them a 16-15 lead, but the Music City Miracle, a lateral from Frank Wycheck to Kevin Dyson that led to a Tennessee touchdown on the ensuing kickoff lost the game for Buffalo. Cheek had to take more time off later to remove a brain tumor, and by the end of the season, Cheek only called the home games.

Flutie's popularity continued into the 1999 season, with the Bills finishing 11-5, two games behind the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC East standings. However, Johnson was given the starting job in the first playoff game against the Tennessee Titans (the former Houston Oilers) in Nashville. The Jays' trying year also affected long-time radio announcer Tom Cheek, who had to break his streak of calling all 4,306 regular season games since the franchise started playing 1977 in bereavement of his father. They faltered in their first playoff game against the Dolphins, though the game's poor officiating was one of many poorly called games which caused instant replay to be brought back in 1999. With the team struggling in last place and mired in a five-game losing streak, manager Carlos Tosca was fired on August 8, 2004 and was replaced by first-base coach John Gibbons through the end of the season. After Johnson and the Bills stumbled to begin the season, Flutie came in and led the Bills to a playoff spot and 10-6 record. The once highly-regarded slugger Josh Phelps was limited to playing against lefthanded pitching and was traded to the Cleveland Indians for first baseman Eric Crozier. Despite many Bills fans wanting Flutie to get the starting job, Phillips named Johnson to the position. The highly-tauted Quiroz was promoted from the minors near the end of the season.

This started one of the biggest controversies in the NFL at the time. Cash continued to struggle from an offensive standpoint and would be moved in the offseason. The Bills, under new coach Wade Phillips signed two quarterbacks for the 1998 season, Rob Johnson and former Canadian Football League star Doug Flutie. Myers was injured in a collision at home plate early in the season and was out for the season; Estalella was called up, but quickly became injured as well; and Zaun landed the regular catching responsiblility for the rest of the season. Coach Marv Levy retired after the season. Five different catchers were used: Greg Myers, Bobby Estalella, Kevin Cash, Gregg Zaun, and rookie Guillermo Quiroz. Kelly's loss was felt in 1997, with the Bills stumbling to 6-10. The offense was no better due to the injuries of Wells, Delgado, Catalanotto and others.

Thurman Thomas gave way to new running back Antowain Smith. Most starting pitchers do not pitch further than the sixth inning; the thus overused bullpen contributed to frequent relinquishing of early scoring leads. Jim Kelly retired after the season, signalling an end to the most successful era in Bills history. Rookies and minor league callups David Bush, Jason Frasor, Josh Towers and others filled the void in the rotation and the bullpen; however, inconsistent performances were evident. They still made the playoffs, but as a wild card - and the first victim of the cinderella Jacksonville Jaguars. Although the additions of starting pitchers Ted Lilly and Miguel Batista and reliever Justin Speier were relatively successful, veteran Pat Hentgen faltered throughout the season and retired on July 24. In 1996 the Bills saw their commanding lead in the AFC East race disappear to a surging New England Patriots team. Much of that is due to the injuries of All-Stars Carlos Delgado, Vernon Wells and Roy Halladay among others.

They would not get a chance to get back to the Super Bowl - the Pittsburgh Steelers beat Buffalo in the divisional playoff and ended up being the AFC's representative there. They started the season 0-8 at Skydome and never started a lengthy winning streak. In 1995 Buffalo, with free agent linebacker Bryce Paup anchoring the defense, again made the playoffs with a 10-6 record, and defeated Miami in the wild card round. The 2004 season was a disappointing year for the Blue Jays right from the beginning. The 1993 Bills also proved to be the first of twelve different teams to lose the Super Bowl, with no NFL team doing so twice since then. The Jays also announced that a new logo and new uniforms would be used as of January 1, 2004. The outcome of Buffalo's 1994 season has proven to mark the start of what has become known as the "Super Bowl Runner-up Jinx:" Beginning with the 1993 Bills, no Super Bowl loser has since reached the conference championship game the following year in either the AFC or the NFC, and only one has advanced that far in the postseason in either of the next two seasons after losing a Super Bowl (the Steelers, who lost to Denver in the 1997 AFC Championship Game two years after having lost Super Bowl XXX to Dallas); furthermore, only one Super Bowl loser since the 1989 Denver Broncos (who lost the game the year before the first of Buffalo's four defeats) has won a Super Bowl in any season since losing one (the New England Patriots, who lost the game in 1996 but won it in 2001, 2003 and 2004) and starting with the 1998 Atlanta Falcons, five out of six Super Bowl losers have finished with losing records the season after. Roy Halladay won the 2003 American League Cy Young Award and Carlos Delgado was second in voting for the American League MVP although the Jays were in third place in divisional standing.

The team stumbled down the stretch and finished 7-9, fourth in the division and out of the playoffs. After the spectacular turnaround in May 2003, which helped the team trail just few games behind the wildcard occupant Boston Red Sox, team performance slowly retained normalcy as predicted by team management. The Bills would not get a chance to make it five straight in 1994. The top four pitchers of the rotation then included Halladay, Lilly, Miguel Batista from free agency signing, and Pat Hentgen. A Thurman Thomas fumble returned for a touchdown by James Washington put Dallas in the lead, however, and the Bills were stunned again, 30-13. Instead Bobby Kielty, another outfielder with a much lower batting average than Stewart's, was obtained from the Minnesota Twins and later traded in November 2003 to the Oakland Athletics for starter Ted Lilly. The Bills became the only team ever to play in four straight Super Bowls, and looked ready to finally win one when they led at halftime. Trade speculation had focussed on the acquisitions of pitching at the expense of hitters, but in the end the team simply divested itself of impending free agent Shannon Stewart without getting a pitcher in return.

They won the AFC East championship with a 12-4 record, and again won playoff games against the Los Angeles Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs, setting up a rematch with the Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVIII on January 30, 1994 . Kelvim Escobar and former NBA player Mark Hendrickson were inserted into the rotation with their places in the bullpen filled by waivers Doug Davis and Josh Towers. They looked to rectify the situation in the 1993 season, but the same result happened. Only two of the starting pitchers on opening day - Halladay and Cory Lidle - have pitched well, despite the offseason signing of veteran starter Tanyon Sturtze (assignied to the bullpen in May), Doug Creek and Jeff Tam. By now the Bills had become laughingstocks, poster children for failure in the eyes of many. Despite their hitting successes, poor pitching continues to plague the team. Lett held the ball out long enough for Tasker, who had made up a considerable distance to get to Lett, to knock it out of his hand. Minor league call-up Howie Clark entered the mix at third after Hinske underwent surgery on his right hand, which had been broken and went unnoticed for several months.

One of the sole bright spots for the Bills was Steve Tasker's rundown and strip of Leon Lett after Lett had returned a fumble inside the Bills five and was on his way to scoring. The middle infield positions remains a gametime decision - Bordick plays short and third, Dave Berg second and third, Chris Woodward short and Orlando Hudson second, with no promising prospect or proven players to start regularly. Buffalo committed 9 turnovers en route to a 52-17 thrashing. Delgado took over the major league lead in runs batted in, followed closely by Wells. Super Bowl XXVII, played against the Dallas Cowboys, turned out to be a mismatch. The stunning turnaround was achieved mainly by hitting. They then handily defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional playoff and upset the archrival Dolphins in the AFC Championship to advance to their third straight Super Bowl. After a poor April, the team had its most successful month ever in May.

Undaunted, the Bills scored touchdowns on several consecutive possessions to tie the game and force overtime. Steve Christie kicked the game-winning field goal in the extra session to cap the biggest comeback in NFL history, 41-38. The 2003 season has been a surprise to both team management and sport analysts. Backup quarterback Frank Reich started their wild card playoff game against the Houston Oilers, and they were down 35-3 by the third quarter. Promising young players were assigned to key roles, including starting third baseman Eric Hinske and 23-year old center fielder Vernon Wells who had his first 100 RBI season. The Bills lost the 1992 AFC East title to the Miami Dolphins and Jim Kelly was injured in the final game of the regular season. Ricciardi was credited for dumping Raul Mondesi in mid-season to the New York Yankees to free up his salary, which in turn was used for the off-season signing of Mike Bordick, Frank Catalanotto and Tanyon Sturtze. The Redskins opened up a 24-0 halftime lead and never looked back, handing the Bills a 37-24 loss (an embarrassing moment occurred as the teams were leaving the field at the end of the first half when Bills center Adam Lingner angrily ordered a cameraman to "Get that f***in' camera out of my face;" the comment was picked up by a nearby microphone and everyone watching or listening to the game on television or radio would have had an opportunity to hear it). The hitters were led once again by Carlos Delgado.

The Bills looked to avenge their heartbreaking Super Bowl loss a year earlier by playing the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XXVI, but it was not to be. Roy Halladay was the team's top pitcher, finishing the season with a 19-7 record and a 2.93 ERA. The Bills steamrolled through the 1991 regular season as well, finishing 13-3 again and with Thurman Thomas winning the Offensive Player of the Year award. They also had an easy time with the Kansas City Chiefs in their first playoff game and beat the Denver Broncos in a defensive struggle in the AFC Championship. They went 58-51 under Tosca to finish the season 78-84. Norwood's miss set the stage for future failures by the Bills in the early 1990s. He was replaced by third base coach Carlos Tosca. It went wide to the right, and the Giants emerged victorious; however, some criticized Levy for not calling one more offensive play in an effort to make the field goal try shorter. Buck Martinez was fired about a third of the way through the season, with a 20-33 record.

The game featured many lead changes, and with the score 20-19 in favor of New York with eight seconds left, Bills kicker Scott Norwood attempted a 47-yard field goal. The Blue Jays started the 2002 season with slow progress in performance. The Bills were overwhelming favorites to beat the New York Giants, but the defensive plan laid out by coach Bill Parcells and defensive coordinator Bill Belichick kept Buffalo in check (and without the ball) throughout the game. During the off-season, the team traded or let go several regular players, including Alex S. Gonzalez, Paul Quantrill and closer Billy Koch. The team finished 13-3 and blew out the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Raiders in the playoffs on their way to Super Bowl XXV. Ricciardi, a former assistant to Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane, is known as one of the more sabermetrically aware GMs in the game. In 1990 the Bills switched to a no-huddle offense and it started one of the most successful runs in NFL history. Ricciardi was named general manager and was expected to make the lineup younger and faster, to take advantage of the artificial turf at SkyDome.

1989 was a relative disappointment, with a 9-7 record and a first-round playoff loss to the Cleveland Browns. J.P. After having an easy time with the Houston Oilers in the divisional playoff, they lost the AFC championship to the Cincinnati Bengals. After the 2001 season ended, the Blue Jays let go general manager Gord Ash, who had taken over from Pat Gillick following the 1994 season. In 1988, the rookie season of running back Thurman Thomas, the Bills went 12-4 and finished atop the AFC East for the first of four consecutive seasons. Delgado led the team again with 39 home runs and 102 RBI. In addition to new coach Marv Levy, a receiving game featuring Andre Reed and a defense led by first-overall draft pick Bruce Smith, the Bills started marching back to the top. The Blue Jays were back under .500 for 2001, finishing at 80-82, with mediocre pitching and hitting.

After the USFL's demise, Jim Kelly joined the Bills for the 1986 season, and immediately proved to be worth the wait. Buck Martinez, a former catcher for the Blue Jays, took over as manager before the 2001 season. In 1984 and 1985 the Bills went 2-14. maintaining 20% interest and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce relinquishing its 10% share. Knox left his coaching position to take a job with the Seattle Seahawks, and new coach Kay Stephenson proved to be less than stellar. purchased 80% of the baseball club with the Labatt Brewing Company Ltd. In the famous 1983 draft the Bills selected quarterback Jim Kelly as their replacement to an aging Joe Ferguson, but Kelly decided to play in the upstart United States Football League instead. On September 1, 2000, Rogers Communications Inc.

The following year — the strike-shortened season of 1982 — the Bills slipped to a 4-5 final record. Carlos Delgado had a stellar year, hitting .344 with 41 home runs, 57 doubles, 137 RBI, 123 walks and 115 runs. The team's players and fans alike adopted the informal slogan "We're Talkin' Proud" during this period. 2000 proved to be a similar season, as the Jays had an 83-79 record, well out of the wild card race. They lost in the second round to the eventual AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals. The offensive picked up somewhat in 1999, but the pitching suffered without Clemens, as the Blue Jays finished 84-78. The following season they lost their title to the Dolphins, but won their first NFL playoff game (over the New York Jets). Johnson was replaced with Jim Fregosi, who managed the Phillies when they lost to the Blue Jays in the 1993 World Series.

They beat the archrival Miami Dolphins for the first time in 11 years in their season opener, en route to winning their first AFC East title. They also fired Tim Johnson, after Johnson lied about several things (including killing people in the Vietnam war, to motivate Pat Hentgen). 1980 marked another breakthrough for the Bills. Before the 1999 season, the Blue Jays traded Roger Clemens to the Yankees for starting pitcher David Wells, second baseman Homer Bush and relief pitcher Graeme Lloyd. Chuck Knox was hired as head coach and he would end up leading the Bills back to the top. The pitching was strong, again led by Clemens (20-6, 2.65 ERA, 271 strikeouts), but the hitting was mediocre, and the Blue Jays finished 88-74, in third place, 26 games behind the New York Yankees, who posted one of the greatest records in baseball history. After the 1977 season Simpson was traded to the San Francisco 49ers (his legal troubles were still years down the road). Gaston was replaced with Tim Johnson, a relative unknown.

After a mediocre 1975 season the Bills had internal troubles in 1976 as the team dropped to the bottom of the AFC East, where they stayed for the rest of the 1970s. Before the start of the 1998 season, the Blue Jays acquired closer Randy Myers and slugger José Canseco. They made the NFL playoffs for the first time in 1974, but lost in the first round to the eventual champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Cito Gaston, the manager, was fired at the end of the year. 1973 was a season of change: Joe Ferguson became their new quarterback, they moved into a new stadium, Simpson recorded a 2000-yard season and was voted NFL MVP, and the team had its first winning record since 1966. This was not enough to lead the Blue Jays to the postseason, however, as they ended the year 76-86. Lou Saban, who had coached the Bills' AFL championship teams, was rehired in 1972. Clemens had one of the best pitching seasons of the 1990s as he won the pitcher's Triple Crown, leading the American League with 21 wins (against 7 losses), a 2.05 ERA and 292 strikeouts.

In 1971, not only did the Bills finish in sole possession of the NFL's worst overall record at 1-13, but they also scored the fewest points (184) in the league that year while allowing the most (394); no NFL team has since done all three of those things in the same season in a non-strike year. The Blue Jays started 1997 with high hopes, as they signed former Boston Red Sox ace Roger Clemens to a $24,750,000 contract. The Bills became part of the NFL when the latter absorbed the AFL in a merger in 1970. Ed Sprague had a career year, hitting 36 home runs and driving in 101 runs. Simpson, who would become the face of the franchise through the 1970s. 3.22 ERA). Before the 1969 season, the Bills drafted running back O.J. 1996 was another mediocre year for the Blue Jays, highlighted by Pat Hentgen's Cy Young Award (20-10.

Tragedy struck the Bills in when Bob Kalsu, an offensive lineman, quit the team after his 1968 rookie season to serve in the Vietnam War, where he was killed in action in 1970. Gonzalez, Carlos Delgado and Shawn Green, did show a lot of promise for the future. In addition to their defensive prowess, the Bills had offensive muscle as well, in stars such as fullback Cookie Gilchrist, quarterbacks Jack Kemp and Daryle Lamonica, and receivers Elbert Dubenion and Ernie Warlick. Three young players, Alex S. The Bills won AFL championships in both 1964 and 1965, were one of only three teams to appear in an AFL championship game for three consecutive years, and the only AFL team to play in the post-season for four straight years, 1963 through 1966. 1995 was an even worse season for the Blue Jays, as they finished 56-88 in another strike-shortened season. The only player ever inducted to the "pro football" hall of fame, without ever playing in the NFL, was a member of the 1964 Bills; guard Billy Shaw. Carter, Molitor and Olerud enjoyed good years at the plate, but the pitching fell off. Juan Guzmán slumped considerably from his first three years (40-11, 3.28 ERA), finishing 1994 at 12-11 with a 5.68 ERA.

Three were eventually named to the American Football League's All-Time Team, six to the second team, and sixteen are in the American Football League Hall of Fame. It was their first losing season since 1982. Eight members of the 1964 squad were on that year's AFL Eastern Division All-Star Team. Expectations were high for the Blue Jays for the 1994 season, following back-to-back championships, but they slumped to a 55-60 record before the players' strike. In 1964, the Bills defense allowed only four touchdowns rushing all season, and started a string that would extend into the 1965 season: seventeen straight games without allowing an opponent to score a rushing touchdown. In the regular season, three Blue Jays, Olerud, Molitor and Alomar finished 1-2-3 for the AL batting crown. They were the first American Football League team to win 13 games in a season. In the bottom of the 9th inning, in SkyDome, Joe Carter hit a one-out, three-run "walkoff" home run to clinch the series, off Phillies closer Mitch Williams.

The same defense registered fifty quarterback sacks, a team record that stands today, even though it was established in a 14-game season. Game 6 saw the Blue Jays lead 5-1, but give up 5 runs in the 7th inning to trail 6-5. The 1964 Bills allowed their opponents only 300 rushing attempts and held them to 913 yards rushing during the regular season; a pro football record, just over 65 yards per game. The Jays beat the Chicago White Sox 4 games to 2 in the ALCS, and then the Philadelphia Phillies, 4 games to 2, for their second straight World Series victory. The final featured several exciting games, including game 4, in which the Blue Jays came back from a 14-9 deficit to win 15-14 and take a 3-1 lead in the series. The 1964 Buffalo Bills squad was one of the great teams in professional football history. The Blue Jays cruised to a 95-67 record, 7 games ahead of the New York Yankees, winning their third straight division title. With a linebacking corps of Harry Jacobs, Mike Stratton and John Tracey; and defensive line stalwarts like Tom Day, Tom Sestak, Jim Dunaway and Ron McDole. In August, the Jays acquired former nemesis Rickey Henderson from the Athletics.

In the AFL, a predominantly offensive league, the Buffalo Bills were a great defensive team. The Blue Jays had seven all-stars, hitters Devon White, Roberto Alomar, Paul Molitor, Joe Carter and John Olerud, starter Pat Hentgen and closer Duane Ward. After a public contest, the team adopted the same name as the former All-America Football Conference team in Buffalo. After the 1992 season, the Blue Jays let Dave Winfield and Tom Henke go, but acquired Paul Molitor from the Brewers and Dave Stewart from the Athletics. The Bufalo Bills were a founding member of the American Football League in 1960. However, Morris pitched well in the regular season, becoming the Blue Jays' first 20-game winner, with a record of 21-6 and an ERA of 4.04. The Buffalo Bills are a Buffalo, New York-based National Football League team which plays its home games in the suburb of Orchard Park. Oddly, Morris was acquired in large part for his reputation as a clutch postseason pitcher, but he went 0-3 in the playoffs.

Drew Bledsoe. The Blue Jays became the first team outside of the United States to win the World Series. Scott Norwood K. The Braves would again come within one run in the bottom of the 11th, but reliever Mike Timlin retired Otis Nixon for the final out. Ruben Brown LG. The game was decided in the 11th inning, when Dave Winfield doubled, driving in 2 runs. Ernie Warlick. Toronto was one strike away from winning in the bottom of the 9th inning, 2-1, but Jeff Blauser singled in the tying run off Blue Jays' closer Tom Henke.

Ted Washington DT. Game 6, with the Blue Jays leading 3 games to 2, was a very close game. John Tracey. The pivotal game in this series turned out to be game 2, in which reserve player Ed Sprague hit a 9th-inning 2-run home run off Jeff Reardon to give the Blue Jays a 5-4 lead, which would hold up. Thurman Thomas RB. The Blue Jays faced the Atlanta Braves in the World Series. Steve Tasker WR-Special Teams. The Blue Jays rallied back from a 6-1 defict, scoring 4 runs off reliever Dennis Eckersley on their way to an 11-inning, 7-6 win, to lead the series 3 games to 1.

Bruce Smith DE. The pivotal game of the series was game 4. Andre Reed WR. They met the Oakland Athletics in the ALCS, winning 4 games to 2. Frank Reich QB. The regular season went well, as the Jays finished 4 games in front of the Milwaukee Brewers, with a record of 96-66. Reggie McKenzie OL. After the 1991 season had ended, the Blue Jays acquired pitcher Jack Morris, who had led the Twins by pitching a 10-inning complete game shutout in Game 7 of the previous World Series.

Ron McDole. Toronto became the first club ever to draw over 4,000,000 fans in one season. Paul Maguire P. Once again, they fell short in the postseason, losing to the Minnesota Twins, who were on their way to their second World Series victory in five years. Daryle Lamonica QB. This would prove to be an excellent trade, as the Blue Jays again won the division. Doug Flutie QB. During the offseason, the Blue Jays made one of the two biggest trades in franchise history, sending shortstop Tony Fernandez and first baseman Fred McGriff to the San Diego Padres for outfielder Joe Carter and second baseman Roberto Alomar.

Phil Hansen DE. Dave Stieb pitched his first and only no-hitter, beating the Cleveland Indians 3-0. Cookie Gilchrist. In 1990, the Blue Jays again had a strong season, but as in 1988, ended up 2 games behind the Boston Red Sox. Booker Edgerson. In the divisional series, Rickey Henderson led the Oakland Athletics to a 4-1 series win. Jim Dunaway. The club had a 12-24 record at the time of the firing, but recorded a 77-49 record under their new manager to win the American League East by 2 games.

Tom Day. Early in the season, in May, management fired Jimy Williams and replaced him with hitting instructor Cito Gaston. Shane Conlan. 1989, which saw the opening of the Jays' new retractable-roofed home, SkyDome, also marked the start of an extremely successful five-year period for Toronto. Wray Carlton. Dave Stieb had back-to-back starts in which he lost a no-hitter with 2 out in the 9th inning; one was a potential perfect game. Larry Centers FB. The season was highlighted by Fred McGriff's American League leading 34 home runs.

Butch Byrd. In 1988, Toronto again finished 2 games behind, this time trailing the Boston Red Sox. Cornelius Bennett LB. George Bell was named MVP of the American League. Don Beebe WR. The Blue Jays finished with a 96-66 record, second best in the major leagues, but to no avail. The 12th Man (Fans). 1987 saw the Blue Jays lose a thrilling division race to the Detroit Tigers by 2 games, after being swept in the final series by the Tigers.

(Founder). The Blue Jays could not duplicate their success in 1986, despite an excellent season from right fielder Jesse Barfield, who hit 40 home runs. Wilson Jr. However, Kansas City won three consecutive games to win the series 4-3, on their way to their first World Series championship. Ralph C. The Blue Jays faced the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship series, and took a 3 games to 1 lead. Marv Levy (Head Coach). They finished 99-62, two games in front of the New York Yankees.

Patrick J. McGroder (Vice President). Their mid-season acquisition of relief pitcher Tom Henke also proved to be important. Eddie Abramowski (Trainer). The Blue Jays featured strong pitching and a balanced offense. Darryl Talley. 1985 was Toronto's first championship of any sort. Mike Stratton. The Blue Jays' progression continued in 1984, finishing with the same 89-73 record, but this time in second place behind another World Series champion, the Detroit Tigers.

Fred Smerlas. In 1983, the Blue Jays compiled their first winning record, 89-73, finishing in fourth place, 9 games behind the eventual World Series winners, the Baltimore Orioles. Simpson. Their pitching staff was led by starters Dave Stieb, Jim Clancy and Luis Leal, and the outfield featured a young Lloyd Moseby and Jesse Barfield. J. Toronto's first solid season came in 1982 as they finished 78-84. O. 1981 was the strike season, and the Blue Jays improved their winning percentage but still finished in last place in the American League East in both halves of the season.

Billy Shaw. 1980 saw Bobby Mattick take over the role of manager from Roy Hartsfield, the Blue Jays' original manager. Tom Sestak. 1979 was highlighted by shortstop Alfredo Griffin being named co-Rookie of the Year in the American League. George Saimes. The Blue Jays fared poorly in both 1978 and 1979, losing over 100 games in each of those seasons. Jack Kemp. They won 9-5, led by Doug Ault's two home runs.

Jim Kelly. The Blue Jays played their first game ever on April 7, 1977 against the Chicago White Sox. Bob Kalsu (1945 - 1970, one of only two pro football players to die in the Vietnam War). The franchise was originally owned by Labatt Breweries, Imperial Trust and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. Robert James. The Toronto Blue Jays came into existence in 1976 after a vote by the American League owners. Kent Hull. They are the only remaining Canadian-based team in the Major Leagues after the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington, D.C. to become the Washington Nationals after the 2004 season.

Joe Ferguson. They are in the Eastern Division of the American League. Elbert Dubenion. The Toronto Blue Jays are a Major League Baseball team based in Toronto, Ontario, notable for being the first team from outside the United States to win the World Series. Joe Delamielleure. Pulaski Blue Jays. 12 - Jim Kelly. Dunedin Blue Jays
Lansing Lugnuts
Auburn Doubledays.

Losman QB. New Hampshire Fisher Cats. J.P. Syracuse SkyChiefs. Mike Williams OT. American League
. Troy Vincent CB/FS. Pitching Strikeouts: 292 Roger Clemens (1997).

Takeo Spikes LB. Pitching Wins: 22 Roy Halladay (2003). Aaron Schobel DE. Hitting Streak: 28 games Shawn Green (1999). Eric Moulds WR. Stolen Bases: 60 Dave Collins (1984). Lawyer Milloy S. Triples: 17 Tony Fernandez (1990).

Willis McGahee RB. Doubles: 57 Carlos Delgado (2000). Terrence McGee CB. Runs: 134 Shawn Green (1999). Travis Henry RB. Hits: 215 Vernon Wells (2003). London Fletcher LB. Batting Average: .363 John Olerud (1993).

Lee Evans WR. Runs Batted In: 145 Carlos Delgado (2003). Nate Clements CB. Home Runs: 47 George Bell (1987). Sam Adams DT. 42 (Jackie Robinson) (retired throughout baseball). Rozelle Award winner Van Miller. 14 Mickey Brantley (hitting).

McCann Award winner Larry Felser. 12 Ernie Whitt (bench/first base). James Lofton. 52 Bruce Walton (bullpen). Simpson. 38 Brad Arnsberg (pitching). J. 55 Brian Butterfield (third base).

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