
Pitcher Jim Clancy, a longtime Blue Jay and 1982 all-star, dead at 69
The Blue Jays confirmed Clancy's death in a social media post Monday. A cause of death was not given.
Clancy was selected by the Blue Jays sixth overall in the 1976 MLB expansion draft and made his big-league debut on July 26, 1977, against the Texas Rangers at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium. He surrendered five earned runs over two innings in a 14-0 loss.
After going 4-9 in Toronto's expansion year, Clancy played his first full season in 1978, posting a respectable 10-12 record on a team that finished last in the American League East at 59-102.
Clancy, along with star pitcher Dave Stieb, provided the bedrock for the Blue Jays' starting rotation as the team became increasingly competitive. He was Toronto's opening-day starter in 1981 and 1984.
He had a 16-14 record with a 3.71 earned-run average and 139 strikeouts in his 1982 all-star season as the Blue Jays finished out of last place in the AL East for the first time with a 78-84 record.
He went 9-6 with a 3.78 ERA in 1985 as the Jays won the division for the first time before falling in seven games to the Kansas City Royals in the AL Championship Series.
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Clancy signed with the Houston Astros after a disappointing 1988 season in Toronto, where he had an 11-13 record and 4.49 ERA as the Blue Jays failed to return to the playoffs for a third straight season.
He played his final campaign coming out of the bullpen with the 1991 Atlanta Braves. He earned his first-ever post-season victory in the third game of the World Series as Atlanta defeated the Minnesota Twins 5-4 in twelve innings.
Clancy finished the series with a 1-0 record with a 4.15 ERA, but the Twins won the series in seven games.
Over his career, Clancy had a 140-167 record with a 4.23 ERA and 1,422 strikeouts.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2025.
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Toronto Sun
3 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
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Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account As the No. 1 prospect for the Toronto Blue Jays, he's been figuring out what it takes to be a professional athlete while playing shortstop for the team's High-A affiliate, the Vancouver Canadians. As a 19-year-old living more than 5,000 kilometres away from his parents' home in Valrico, Fla., he's been figuring out how to take care of himself. 'There was a little bit of an adjustment period, learning how to do things on my own,' Nimmala said with a smile. Cooking was one hurdle the teen had to overcome. In recent months, he's learned how to make a few staples, including fried rice. A more intangible hurdle has been learning how to stay locked in on the day-to-day amid a whirlwind of speculation and excitement about his future. Staying focused isn't easy, Nimmala said. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's definitely hard. It's definitely something that you have to consistently make an effort for,' he said. 'You could definitely get lost in what people are saying, stats, all that stuff. And for an athlete, for a baseball player, those aren't the best things to be looking at. 'The better I can stay focused on what I can do in the present, the better I'll be on the field as well.' Few Canadians players feel the glare of the spotlight the way Nimmala has this season. At No. 46 on the MLB's list of the 100 top prospects, it's not only the shortstop's performance on the field that has grabbed headlines, but his story. 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3 hours ago
- National Post
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