That would be Manny Lee, and starting pitcher Jimmy Key, plus closer Tom Henke.
Tom Henke hadn't been with the Toronto Blue Jays to start the 1985 season. But the team, looking to fill the closer role when Bill Caudill lost back-to-back games in early August of that year, inserted Henke. All Tom did was save six of seven opportunities not long after. The closer role was his, and he never relinquished it until his departure to Texas in 1993. Henke ended up with 13 saves in 1985, second on the club to Caudill's 14 (Jim Acker also had 10). Bill may have lost the spot to Henke, but he still pitched well that season. The Jays just couldn't depend on him the way they'd hoped to. And when the postseason rolled around, Caudill did not make any appearances, but Henke sure did!
Jimmy Key was the Blue Jays closer for a time in 1984. That year, he tied Roy Lee Jackson for club lead in saves with 10. But in 1985, he was inserted into the five-man rotation. And until his departure after the 1992 season, he never came out of it. Key was 14-6 in 1985.
Manny Lee was the Jays' utility infielder in 1985. He played 38 games at second, 8 at short, and five at third. But with the departure of Tony Fernandez after 1990, he was the Toronto Blue Jays regular shortstop in 1991 and 1992.
Lee got into only game one of the 1985 ALCS vs. Kansas. The Jays were ahead 6-0 in the bottom of the eighth and batting for the last time in the game. Damaso Garcia had singled for Toronto's second hit of the inning. Lee came in to run and stayed their in the top of the ninth. Henke came in and actually lost the shutout. Toronto still won 6-1.
In game two, it was Jimmy Key's turn to pitch, but Kansas knocked him out early. Jimmy lasted just 3 1/3 innings and gave up seven hits. The Jays rallied from behind 5-4 in the bottom of the tenth to win the the game 6-5. And The Terminator got the win!
The teams split the next two games and Toronto was up three games to one. What could stop them from advancing to the Fall Classic? Henke pitched a fine 2 1/3 innings in the game for another win (Although Dave Stieb deserved it with his fine 2-hitter over 6 2/3 innings pitched).
Key started game five in Kansas as Toronto looked for the dagger. Early on, he struggled, as the Royals scored a run in the bottom of the first and second. The Jays had started the game with George Bell getting to second on a two-out double in the top of the first. Toronto could not get him home. This proved to be an all-too-common sight for Toronto this, and the next two, games.
Key settled down. Although Kansas got plenty of men on against him, Jimmy stopped them from scoring. When he ran into difficulty in the bottom of the sixth, Jim Acker came in and shutout the Royals for the rest of the game. But Toronto could not scored and lost, 2-0.
None of the three men, Key, Henke or Lee got into the final two games. Toronto lost them 5-3 and 6-2. It was so heartbreaking for Toronto to be so close. But by 1992, the Jays made it to the World Series. However, let's face it, if your a Jays fan, this one was going to sting for a while...
A long while...ALRIGHT...THAT'S ENOUGH!
But along came that magical year of 1992 for Toronto, as they were back in the postseason vs. the very team that beat them in the 1989 ALCS, Oakland. The lost the first game, then won the next three! Could it be? Well, they lost game five in Oakland, despite Lee getting two hits.
But the Jays smacked the A's around in game six back at home! Henke had a good ALCS with three saves, plus he got the final out in Toronto's series-clinching 9-2 route of Oakland in game six.
Key pitched just three shutout innings (In relief, and it was Jimmy's only ALCS appearance) in game five, as he had been 8-15 at one point in the regular season and the forgotten man on the rotation. Lee hit .278 and knocked in three.
But what about the World Series? It was off to Atlanta to take on the Braves.
Tom Glavine beat Toronto 3-1 in game one.
In game two, it was 2-0 with two down in the top of the fifth when Pat Borders walked. Lee stepped up and singled off John Smoltz. When pitcher David Cone singled, it was 2-1. Toronto tied it when Devon White singled. Eventually, they took a 5-4 lead on a dramatic pinch-hit home run by Ed Sprague (Derek Bell had batted for Lee and walked before that). Henke did the job despite a few shaky moments in the bottom of the ninth.
Toronto won game three, 3-2. Lee failed to get a hit.
Jimmy Key pitched a gem of the game in game four, as Toronto won 3-1. Henke had a 1-2-3 ninth. The only bad part was Lee again went 0-3.
In game five, the Blue Jays had a chance to clinch at home, but Jack Morris was routed 7-2. Toronto used up five pitchers to try and stop the Braves, but Henke was not going to be used. By the time the game ended, only Duane Ward and Tom were left in the Jays bullpen.
Lee actually reached base against John Smoltz in the bottom of the seventh. He coaxed the fourth walk of the game from John, and that led to his departure, despite a 7-2 lead. Lee also was the last out of the game for the Blue Jays as he popped out to first.
In game six, which was back in Atlanta, Toronto was again trying to clinch. Lee singled in the top of the sixth, Toronto protected a slim 2-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth, as Henke entered, looking for his third save of the Fall Classic. Wouldn't that look nice next to three saves that year in the ALCS?
But with two on and two out, Otis Nixon slapped a single to left on an 0-2 pitch. Henke had been just one out away from winning. The tying run scored on the hit. Henke got out of the inning without further damage. Pat Tabler, the Toronto Blue Jays colour man now, batted for Lee in the top of the tenth with a man on and two outs. But Pat could do was line out to the pitcher. And with one in the bottom of the frame, it was Dave Justice at the dish. Dave was a lefty and had taken Morris out of the park in game five, so Jimmy Key came in. Jimmy got him and Sid Bream (Another lefty) out to end it.
The Jays scored twice in the top of the eleventh, but guess what? Atlanta stormed back. They scored a run on a single, error (By Alfredo Griffin, who'd come on to play short, the position normally occupied by Lee), sac bunt and grounder. Key was one out away from the win, but the tying run was ninety feet away. Otis Nixon was again at the dish. Otis was a switch-hitter.
In a bizarre move, Cito Gaston came to the mound, and took Jimmy out of the game! Mike Timlin, a righty, came in and retired Nixon as Otis tried to bunt for some reason. So Timlin got the save, but the win was Key's, his second of 1992. Ah...It had been seven years since the heartbreak of '85. But I guess it had been worth it.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 22 August 2015.
Retrosheet. Web. 22 August 2015. <www.retrosheet.org>
Youtube. Web. 22 August 2015 <;https://www.youtube.com/>
Tom Henke hadn't been with the Toronto Blue Jays to start the 1985 season. But the team, looking to fill the closer role when Bill Caudill lost back-to-back games in early August of that year, inserted Henke. All Tom did was save six of seven opportunities not long after. The closer role was his, and he never relinquished it until his departure to Texas in 1993. Henke ended up with 13 saves in 1985, second on the club to Caudill's 14 (Jim Acker also had 10). Bill may have lost the spot to Henke, but he still pitched well that season. The Jays just couldn't depend on him the way they'd hoped to. And when the postseason rolled around, Caudill did not make any appearances, but Henke sure did!
Jimmy Key was the Blue Jays closer for a time in 1984. That year, he tied Roy Lee Jackson for club lead in saves with 10. But in 1985, he was inserted into the five-man rotation. And until his departure after the 1992 season, he never came out of it. Key was 14-6 in 1985.
Manny Lee was the Jays' utility infielder in 1985. He played 38 games at second, 8 at short, and five at third. But with the departure of Tony Fernandez after 1990, he was the Toronto Blue Jays regular shortstop in 1991 and 1992.
Lee got into only game one of the 1985 ALCS vs. Kansas. The Jays were ahead 6-0 in the bottom of the eighth and batting for the last time in the game. Damaso Garcia had singled for Toronto's second hit of the inning. Lee came in to run and stayed their in the top of the ninth. Henke came in and actually lost the shutout. Toronto still won 6-1.
In game two, it was Jimmy Key's turn to pitch, but Kansas knocked him out early. Jimmy lasted just 3 1/3 innings and gave up seven hits. The Jays rallied from behind 5-4 in the bottom of the tenth to win the the game 6-5. And The Terminator got the win!
The teams split the next two games and Toronto was up three games to one. What could stop them from advancing to the Fall Classic? Henke pitched a fine 2 1/3 innings in the game for another win (Although Dave Stieb deserved it with his fine 2-hitter over 6 2/3 innings pitched).
Key started game five in Kansas as Toronto looked for the dagger. Early on, he struggled, as the Royals scored a run in the bottom of the first and second. The Jays had started the game with George Bell getting to second on a two-out double in the top of the first. Toronto could not get him home. This proved to be an all-too-common sight for Toronto this, and the next two, games.
Key settled down. Although Kansas got plenty of men on against him, Jimmy stopped them from scoring. When he ran into difficulty in the bottom of the sixth, Jim Acker came in and shutout the Royals for the rest of the game. But Toronto could not scored and lost, 2-0.
None of the three men, Key, Henke or Lee got into the final two games. Toronto lost them 5-3 and 6-2. It was so heartbreaking for Toronto to be so close. But by 1992, the Jays made it to the World Series. However, let's face it, if your a Jays fan, this one was going to sting for a while...
A long while...ALRIGHT...THAT'S ENOUGH!
But along came that magical year of 1992 for Toronto, as they were back in the postseason vs. the very team that beat them in the 1989 ALCS, Oakland. The lost the first game, then won the next three! Could it be? Well, they lost game five in Oakland, despite Lee getting two hits.
But the Jays smacked the A's around in game six back at home! Henke had a good ALCS with three saves, plus he got the final out in Toronto's series-clinching 9-2 route of Oakland in game six.
Key pitched just three shutout innings (In relief, and it was Jimmy's only ALCS appearance) in game five, as he had been 8-15 at one point in the regular season and the forgotten man on the rotation. Lee hit .278 and knocked in three.
But what about the World Series? It was off to Atlanta to take on the Braves.
Tom Glavine beat Toronto 3-1 in game one.
In game two, it was 2-0 with two down in the top of the fifth when Pat Borders walked. Lee stepped up and singled off John Smoltz. When pitcher David Cone singled, it was 2-1. Toronto tied it when Devon White singled. Eventually, they took a 5-4 lead on a dramatic pinch-hit home run by Ed Sprague (Derek Bell had batted for Lee and walked before that). Henke did the job despite a few shaky moments in the bottom of the ninth.
Toronto won game three, 3-2. Lee failed to get a hit.
Jimmy Key pitched a gem of the game in game four, as Toronto won 3-1. Henke had a 1-2-3 ninth. The only bad part was Lee again went 0-3.
In game five, the Blue Jays had a chance to clinch at home, but Jack Morris was routed 7-2. Toronto used up five pitchers to try and stop the Braves, but Henke was not going to be used. By the time the game ended, only Duane Ward and Tom were left in the Jays bullpen.
Lee actually reached base against John Smoltz in the bottom of the seventh. He coaxed the fourth walk of the game from John, and that led to his departure, despite a 7-2 lead. Lee also was the last out of the game for the Blue Jays as he popped out to first.
In game six, which was back in Atlanta, Toronto was again trying to clinch. Lee singled in the top of the sixth, Toronto protected a slim 2-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth, as Henke entered, looking for his third save of the Fall Classic. Wouldn't that look nice next to three saves that year in the ALCS?
But with two on and two out, Otis Nixon slapped a single to left on an 0-2 pitch. Henke had been just one out away from winning. The tying run scored on the hit. Henke got out of the inning without further damage. Pat Tabler, the Toronto Blue Jays colour man now, batted for Lee in the top of the tenth with a man on and two outs. But Pat could do was line out to the pitcher. And with one in the bottom of the frame, it was Dave Justice at the dish. Dave was a lefty and had taken Morris out of the park in game five, so Jimmy Key came in. Jimmy got him and Sid Bream (Another lefty) out to end it.
The Jays scored twice in the top of the eleventh, but guess what? Atlanta stormed back. They scored a run on a single, error (By Alfredo Griffin, who'd come on to play short, the position normally occupied by Lee), sac bunt and grounder. Key was one out away from the win, but the tying run was ninety feet away. Otis Nixon was again at the dish. Otis was a switch-hitter.
In a bizarre move, Cito Gaston came to the mound, and took Jimmy out of the game! Mike Timlin, a righty, came in and retired Nixon as Otis tried to bunt for some reason. So Timlin got the save, but the win was Key's, his second of 1992. Ah...It had been seven years since the heartbreak of '85. But I guess it had been worth it.
References
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 22 August 2015.
Retrosheet. Web. 22 August 2015. <www.retrosheet.org>
Youtube. Web. 22 August 2015 <;https://www.youtube.com/>
