Your Guide To The 1993 Toronto Blue Jays: The Bullpen

Duane Ward

For years and years, it was: Starter goes 7, Ward pitches 8th, Henke 9th, game over!

That changed for the 1993 season, as Tom Henke was off to Texas. It had all started there for The Terminator in 1982.

Ward had his share of saves since joining the Jays in 1986. For those who've forgotten, Toronto got him in a trade for Doyle Alexander in July of that season.

Ward had saved 15 games in '88, 15 more the next year. 11 in 1990. Then he upped it to 23 the next before sliding back to 12 in 1992. But the Jays felt he was ready. The Jays were right.

And at 29 years old, Ward was in his pitching prime. Not only did he save 45 games that year (which was enough to tie Jeff Montgomery of the Royals for  league lead), but he set a Jays franchise single-season record. He also had an ERA of 2.13 and K'd 97 batters in 71 2/3 innings. His 71 games pitched topped the Jays staff and was 3rd in the American League that year.

The big negative was the 7 wild pitches he tossed that year, tops of anyone in the Jays bullpen that year.

I sort of missed the old Ward. It seemed that he would only come into the game in the 9th. But when that happened, it sure did work! Duane did not blow a save in the 39 games where he entered in the 9th inning.

He did blow the lead 6 times. 2 resulted in wins, 4 in losses. He was not charged with the loss on June 25th against the Brewers. In that game, he came on to pitch in the bottom of the 8th, with the Jays ahead 5-4. He couldn't hold on and Jays eventually lost 6-5. But it was Danny Cox who was charged with the loss.

Danny Cox

Speaking of Danny, he was a new arrival in the off-season. He had once been a pretty good starter, but had some injuries in '89 and '90. He had slowly recovered from the injuries in those seasons.

But the Jays were asking a lot out of him. Perhaps the Jays feared that Mike Timlin was a one-hit wonder from 1991, and Mark Eichhorn wasn't quite the pitcher he was from his last tour of duty with the Jays. Cox was a much-needed man in the 'pen in 1993.

And did he ever give the Jays a much needed boost. A veteran at 33, Cox pretty much could do it all: long outings, short outing, mop-up after the starter got shelled, be the set-up guy, close if Ward couldn't...

Yeah, you name it, Cox did it that year.

Okay, other than 84 K's in only 83.2 innings, he didn't have any stats that jump out after you. But let's look closer.

So he saved 13 games and got 2 saves. He won 7, but he lost 6. His ERA was 3.12. Okay, not that great.

But he also got 10 holds. And how's this for a stat? I looked through his game logs and noted that, 27 times he got the Jays, "into the 8th inning or later." See, there were many times, especially early in the season, when the Jays starters were shelled or had to leave early. The bullpen phone was ringin' and Cox was answerin'!

Cox did blow 4 saves. 1 of those games he won (April 13 vs. Seattle), two he lost. The other game, July 22nd, the Jays won after Cox left (8-7 vs. Texas).

Mark Eichhorn

Now here was a guy I really liked!

Eichhorn was a sidearmer. And with his finishing move, he almost jumped at the batter. He was a lot of fun to watch. He also had quite a history with the Jays. I'll try to be brief.

He has pitched 7 games as a starter, way back in 1982. Then he was back in the minors for the next 3 years. The Jays became a team to contend with during this time.

Eichhorn, though, you had to wonder if he was ever going to pitch again back then. See, he hurt his shoulder and had to change his overhand motion to a sidearm motion. But did it ever worked.

Invited to spring training as a non-roster player by the Jays in '86, all he did was win 14 games, save 10, and post an ERA of 1.72. He almost won the ERA title, but fell 5 innings short.

Just to prove it was no fluke, he won 10 more games the next year. He remained effective, but not as spectacular over the course of the 4 years (although he did post an ERA of 1.98 ERA in 1991). He bounced around, going to Atlanta and California, and finally back to the Jays in 1992.

Bit of an unpopular trade, though! The Jays gave up Greg Myers, who I liked. Plus, going to the Angels was Rob Ducey, a Canadian and another of my favourites.

But Eichhorn, like Cox, was needed more than those two.

He went 2-0 with a high ERA (4.35) the rest of the way after the July 30th trade. The Jays and I liked what we saw, however.

So in 1993, Eichhorn was now 32 years old. And he was back for a full season for Toronto.

Eichhorn was 3-1, his lone loss coming August 23rd vs. Cleveland. He also sported a ERA of 2.72 ERA. He didn't get any saves, but did finish 16 games. And he recorded 6 holds.

Funny thing with Eichhorn: he did give up more hits (76) than innings pitched (72.2)

But his control was so good (2.7 BB/9) that it more than made up for that.

Eichhorn pitched as many games as Mike Timlin (54) and 10 more than Cox. As for his innings pitched, only Cox pitched more.

But Eichhorn was more of a righty-specialist on the Jays of 1993. Right-handed batters hit just .224 against him. Left-handers had much better luck: .326

But that's not to say he wasn't as important as anyone else out of the 'pen. From May 1st to September 5th, he spotted a 1.81 ERA, a span of 39 games and 49 2/3 innings.

And he did have some long outing. Yours truely always felt he could have pitched more. In any event, he tossed 3 or more innings 3 times (April 23, May 7 and May 19) and 2 to 2 2/3 innings 11 other times.

But you really had to see Mark pitch. That sidearm, I just loved seeing it! Although not overpowering, it was really difficult to pitch no matter what pitch he threw.

Mike Timlin

Mike Timlin was overpowering, but not always could he master his control.

He had been a big surprise on the Jays in 1991, as mentioned earlier. Winning 11 games, saving 3, and even getting 3 more. But he had struggled in 1992. Yes, I know, he did get the save in the clinching game in Atlanta in 1992.

But in 1993, it honestly looked like he was on his way out of Toronto, and maybe baseball. But like Eichhorn, he worked his way through it. Like Eichhorn, he was there in 54 games. Like Eichhorn, he was a right-hander. Unlike Eichhorn's problems of 1983-1985, Timlin's problems of 1992 and '93 never saw him down in the minors for too long. Always back when the Jays needed him. The Jays fears turn to joy when it mattered.

So what do we make of the hard-throwing righty of '93, who was only 27 years old? Okay, 4-2, a save, 27 games finished. Looks good!

But a 4.69 ERA, 63 hits against and 27 walks in only 55 2/3 innings? Ouch! Not to mention opponents hit .284 off him that year!

But he did register 9 holds, 8 of them coming after April.

Okay, let's look at 1st half and 2nd half.

His ERA was 5.54 in the first half (35 games). But it was a pretty-good 2.95 in the second half (19 games).

And he was back up from the minors on August 30th. He would be around in the fall! The Jays would really need him then!

Overall, he also fanned 49 batters. He pitched "just the 8th inning" 9 times. He had only one outing (July 10 vs. Texas).

As far as blown saves, he blew 3. 1 resulted in a win for Mike (July 25, again against Texas), 1 a loss (April 25 vs. KC) and one later won by the Jays (Aug 6 vs. Milwaukee).

It was the wildness that could just sometimes derail him. 4 times he walked 3 batters. Mercifully speaking, he hit just 1 batter (Alan Trammell of the Tigers, September 14, 1993). And he also threw just 1 wild pitch.

Tony Castillo

Tony appeared in 3 games less than Eichhorn and Timlin (51). He pitched 5 innings less than Timlin (50.2).

But he was the Jays lefty specialist that season (Although Al Leiter, the Jays other lefty that season, pitched less than 2 innings 11 times).

Like Eichhorn, there had been a previous stay in blue. Tony pitched in 1988 and '89 for Toronto. He didn't seem that impressive and didn't pitch much. So he was off to Atlanta in an August trade in '89. Then it was off to the New York Mets in another August trade, this time in 1991.

I really didn't know what to expect from him. But if you look at what happened in the spring of 1993, it was obvious the Jays were out of luck and looking too Castillo for answers to their pitching woes. They needed a lefty. Leiter was going to be one!

David Wells had shown up to the spring overweight, and frustrated that he was not going to be part of the starting rotation. So the Jays released him.

Bob MacDonald, a lefty that I liked for some reason, was purchased by the Tigers that spring. Here was Castillo's chance.

Now, I really didn't know what to expect from Tony, a native of Venezuela. He was 30 years old in 1993. It had been 10 years since the Jays first signed him. Castillo had not pitched at all in the bigs in 1992. His appearance, (small, and not with any overpowering stuff) made it seem unlikely that he'd be around Toronto at the end of this season. Or maybe even the middle of the season with his track record.

It  looked like he might not even make the team as he was optioned to the Jays AAA team, the Syracuse Cheifs on March 29th.

And even when he was called up on April 15th, after the Jays released Ken Dayley, it looked like a brief stay. No way is this guy going to be here very long. Let's see him last!

Yet, by the end of the season, he was still in Toronto. And although he was never appreciated, his effectiveness cannot be overlooked.

So, as mentioned earlier, he pitched in 51 games, posted a more-than-respectable ERA of 3.38, won 3 games and finished 10. And he would end the season with 13 holds, tops on the Jays. Seems so unlikely.

He did not record a save, but blew one. That would be August 23rd vs. Cleveland. The Jays went on to lose the game, 9-8. Castillo was not the losing pitcher.

He was the losing pitcher on September 7th and 9th (Oakland, both times), and although his primary job was to hold lefties in check, he did toss 2 or more innings, 7 times.

Okay, how about what about what he was here for? You know, lefties?

Lefties hit just .213 against him. But how about righties?

Actually, they hit only .256!

The one big complaint I have is pitching in the second half. In the first half of the 1993 season, Tony Castillo produced an ERA of 2.22. In the second, it ballooned up to 4.84.

But the guy could pitch, I tell you. Like Eichhorn, he had something you had to see: This big sweeping curveball!

It honestly looked like it would hit the batter if he was left-handed. And then it would drop off the table for a strike. The batter would not swing. And although he fanned only 28 batters, it was rather amusing to see the pitch come in, and the lefty would not swing. And despite what I told you earlier about him nearly hitting the batter, Castillo hit none in 1993.

Probably my favourite moment of the 1993 regular season for Castillo was on July 29th. Facing the Tiger's Kirk Gibson (who always seemed to kill the Jays) in the top of the 7th, the score was notted 4-4. Now with two outs, Tony started with a called strike. The count went to 2-2, and then Gibby took a called strike 3. After a 1-2-3 8th inning from Tony, the Jays untied it with 3 runs in the bottom of the frame. Tony got the win!

It's safe to say the little lefty won me over right there!

Woody Williams

Woody was a rookie in 1993, and didn't ever begin the year in the bigs. But the Jays called him up on May 14th. They must have really needed him.

He pitched 2/3 of an inning on that day and gave up 2 earned runs. But he was credited with a hold. And he would get 3 more before the year was over.

Actually, before the month was over he was back in the minors. Jack Morris came of the DL on May 21st and there was no room for Woody.

Two days later, Todd Stottlemyre hurt his shoulder. Woody was back.

By the time July rolled aroud, Williams was still around. And he had a respectable ERA of 3.18 after his first July appearance (8th). But I forgot about June, didn't I?

In that month, Williams won 3 games in a 4 game stretch. Those would be the only games he won that year.

His June and July appearances consisted of mainly 7th and 8 inning assignments. And although his ERA was 5.40 in during this time, he was pitching in key situations. And he wasn't losing games, so he must have been giving up meaningless runs.

And the Jays' brass must have liked what they say, for he pitched 9 times in August. It was a tough month on the newcomer. Toronto may have been guilty of overuse of someone new.

He posted an ERA of 7.27 that month, blew a save (Aug 6th vs. The Brew Crew) and lost the game (blowing another save in the process) on August 27th vs. Seattle.

So it was back to the minors for Williams on August 30, this time to Dunedin (A). This killed any chance of him being on the postseason roster.

But Woody was back 5 days later. However, he would pitch just two more times, September 26th and October 1st.

Overall, Williams got into 30 games, finished 9 and had an ERA of 4.38. In 37 innings pitched, he surrended 40 hits and 22 walks. Batters hit .274 against him.

His longest outing was his second game with Toronto (May 15th vs. NY), 3.2 IP. There, he did not allow a run. He had 8 games of 2 to 2 2/3 innings pitched. 10 times he pitched 1 to 1 2/3 innings. 10 other outings were 1/3 to 2/3 innings. He also failed to retire the only batter he faced (Greg Vaughn) on June 25th vs. Milwaukee.

But the Jays must have liked what they saw in him. And Woody, had a long career ahead of him, eventually turning himself into a pretty good starting pitcher.

But if I was with the Jays of '93, I would have just pitched Woody in day games!

Woody's ERA was 3.21 in day games.


References

Bingley, Phil, et al. Another World: the Toronto Stars Tribute To The’ 93 Blue Jays. Toronto Star for Doubleday Canada, 1993. Print.

Dan Diamond and Associates and Toronto Blue Jays Club. Toronto Blue Jays Official Guide 1987, 1993, 1994. Print.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 07 Oct. 2013.