Long time major league shortstop Duane Ward passed away this weekend, as announced by the Blue Jays. Ward passed through Toronto, as the right-hander was among many former Jays in the city at the unveiling of a Joe Carter statue commemorating the 1992-93 World Series championship teams. Ward arrived in Toronto on Friday but did not attend Saturday’s pre-game event.
Selected ninth overall by the Braves in the 1982 draft, Ward made his big roster debut with Atlanta in 1986 but was dealt that July to Doyle Alexander’s Jays. Ward then spent his entire career in Toronto, becoming a staple of the club’s bullpen first as a setup man and later as a closer.
The 1988 season was Ward’s first full year in the majors, and he posted a 3.30 ERA over 64 appearances and 111 2/3 innings. That year he established Ward as the Blue Jays’ main man in front of closer Tom Henke, and the two right-handers became one of the most prominent late-game duos of the era. Henke often played the traditional closer role and Ward pitched more innings as a reliever – from 1988-93, no player in baseball appeared more often than Ward’s 434 games.
Ward’s solid career during this period was recognized by finishing ninth in AL Cy Young voting in 1991, when he posted a 2.77 ERA and a 30.8% strikeout rate over 107 1/3 innings and produced 4.1 fWAR. As Henke battled hip and shoulder issues that season, Ward also recorded 23 saves, more than filling in for the closer.
The Blue Jays won their first World Series title in 1992, with Ward contributing a 1.95 ERA over 101 1/3 innings and Henke a 2.26 ERA over 55 2/3 innings. This was the duo’s last season as teammates, as Henke signed a free agent deal to join the Rangers during the season. Ward was then promoted to the closer’s role full time, and the result was another championship for Toronto in 1993 and another excellent performance from the right-hander.
Over 71 2/3 innings in 1993, Ward posted a 2.13 ERA and a 34.3% strikeout rate, while recording 45 saves. That save led the American League and is still the single-season record for a Blue Jays pitcher. Ward’s performance was recognized with the only All-Star nod of his career, as well as a fifth-place finish in AL Cy Young Award voting.
Unfortunately, Ward’s entire major league career consisted of only 2 2/3 innings for the 1995 Blue Jays. Biceps tendinitis and a torn rotator cuff (and the players’ strike) kept Ward from pitching at all in 1994, and the injury ended his career prematurely. Ward played eight games in the Cuban League in 1996, but that was for his 32-year career.
Ward finished his career with a 3.28 ERA over 462 games and 666 2/3 innings pitched. The tally numbers include 121 saves and 679 strikeouts, the latter translating to a 24.4% strikeout rate. Ward has also been exemplary in keeping the ball in the park, as he has allowed just 32 home runs in his career.
We at MLB Trade Rumors send our condolences to Ward’s family, friends, and fans.
