Who throws out the Blue Jays playoff opener first pitch?

After watching the shenanigans that have been the Toronto Blue Jays clinching celebration, and the hangover that came to follow, I have been reading a ton of fun ideas for who throws out the first pitch of the Jays postseason home opener.  This discussion got me pumped up thinking of the possibilities.  Of course, there are the typical celebrities and politicians, but lets focus on the players for this article.  Who would be the best to have ever worn the Blue and White that would get the fans buzzing for the opener?

Join in our conversation on Twitter @JaysJournal and in the comments below.  Lets us hear your vote in the polls and with the hashtags for our votes.  Lets get to the fun ideas!

Non-Player Mention

Nov 20, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin (left) shakes hands with general manager Alex Anthopoulos after Martin was introduced at a press conference at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Alex Anthopoulos

I could not start this article without suggesting the idea that our fearless leader Alex Anthopoulos should throw out the first pitch.  I can only imagine the crowd volume as he steps out onto the field to get a cheer from all the grateful Blue Jay fans. Anthopoulos deserves pat on the back from 50,000 for assembling this juggernaut.  This would be a great way for the fans to show the appreciation to the front office for bringing playoff baseball back to Toronto.

Not only did he bring in known winners like Russell Martin and Josh Donaldson but he brought us the trade deadline theatrics that netted Tulo, Price, and Revere.  This boost to the team at the trade deadline lite a fire that has only grown as the season came to a close.  This momentum created by the front office translated into some of the best chemistry I have ever seen in a baseball club.  As things now progress into the postseason, who better to keep the flame burning then the man who assembled the team?

#AA1Pitch

Image courtesy of The Globe and Mail

Paul Beeston

Not only has Beeston been at the helm as team president for this season’s post season run, but he has been at the front for nearly every Blue Jays postseason.  Beeston was named the Jays president in 1989 and continued to be the boss until 1997.  He then came back in 2008 to the team he loved to rebuild the team to its past glory.  With the help of his right-hand man Alex Anthopoulos they turned over every stone trying to figure out the secrets of building an unstoppable team.  This year it looks like they hit the nail squarely on the head and have a fearsome collection of talent.

Prior to the season, Beeston announced that he will be retiring at the end of the year.  Now that the Jays have a successor in place it looks like Beeston can have a sense of accomplishment and ride off into the sunset.  The Jays have made the playoffs finally, and he has played a huge part in that.  I think it would be a great gesture to have Beeston throw out the first pitch… but I would much rather see him throw out the first pitch in our soon-to-be-coming World Series games (I am not feeling confident at all…).

#Beest1Pitch

Next: Ignite it all

Paul Molitor

Who better to get things going then the Ignitor himself.  Our Designated Hero has a chance to be managing the Twins in the playoffs as I write this article, but assuming Molitor is free (and willing!) I would love to see him involved in the festivities in some way.  Maybe even give a pregame special guest manager pep talk to spark the locker room.  The Hall of Famer has been beloved in Toronto since he signed with the Jays prior to the 1993 season.  He would become part of the Jays core that would lead us to our second World Series in as many seasons.

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As part of the dominant WAMCO lineup, Molitor led by example on the field.  He was known for being a very smart player with a give-it-110% attitude and the talent to back it all up.  Molly only played 3 seasons with the Jays and was an All-Star in 2 of those seasons.  At the age of 36 in 1993 he would bat .332 with 22 home runs, 111 RBIs, and even stole 22 bases.  Molitor would finish 2nd in the MVP voting that year with only fellow Hall of Famer Frank Thomas beating him.

Molitor is now the Twins manager as I mentioned earlier and has been a roaming coach since 2004 were he was the Mariners hitting coach.  As of today, the Twins are sitting 1.0 game behind the Astros for the 2nd Wild Card spot and regardless of the talent on the Twins, Molitor has been the one showing them how to play the game right.  The Twins have surprised the baseball world this season as many “smart baseball people” predicted that they would finish dead last in the AL Central.  At the moment the Twins have an impressive 83-76 record, which is pretty good for a first year manager, but we know he won’t settle for anything less then the best.  So much for finishing dead last, and Molitor’s Twins are knocking on the door to the post season.

#Molitor1Pitch

Next: Hall of Fame worthy

Roberto Alomar

Alomar is currently the only Blue Jays player to have their number retired by the organization and is the only Hall of Famer to be wearing a Jays Cap on their plaque in the Hall of Fame.  The fans love Robbie and would enjoy watching their hero throw out the first pitch.  Alomar came to Toronto in the trade that shaped the Blue Jays winning core.  Alomar was traded from the San Diego Padres to the Blue Jays one December 5th, 1990.  He was accompanied by teammate Joe Carter in the trade that sent long time Blue Jays Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez to the Padres.  Known for being a true performer in the field and with the bat, Alomar would go onto have an amazing career in which he batted .300 after playing 17 MLB seasons.  He would win 10 Gold Glove awards, 4 silver slugger awards, an ALCS MVP in 1992, and was a 12 time All-Star.

Alomar has been very close with the Blue Jays organization in many ways.  He has been a special adviser to the team, I have read he has assisted as a guest coach, and he continues to be a part of the community as he puts on multiple baseball camps.  Whenever the Blue Jays needed a hit it seemed like Alomar was up. Having him get the game started could be just as big of a hit as the ’92 ALCS homer.

#Alomar1Pitch

Next: Lets walk it off

Cito Gaston

Cito lead the Blue Jays into the post sesason 4 times and would manage 2 World Series Championship teams in 1992 and 1993.  He managed one of only 7 teams to ever capture back to back World Series wins.

As the on field general of the Blue Jays brain trust partnered with Pat Gillick and Paul Beeston, they assembled an incredible group of talent.  Cito has been with the Blue Jays his entire managing career which started as the hitting coach in 1982.  He would eventually work with manger Bobby Cox who would elect him to become his successor after he went to the Braves.  With Cito at the helm, the Blue Jays enjoyed their growing dynasty in the late 1980’s.

Gaston led the Jays into the post season after getting the manager job in 1989.  Once he took over the Jays went on a tear and went 77-49 for the remainder of the season.  They would lose to the Oakland A’s in the ALCS but Gaston had proved himself and would remain the Jays coach for years to come.  In 1997, Cito would finish his first final season as the Blue Jays manager and finished with a 683–636 record.

Once Paul Beeston returned to be president of the Blue Jays in 2008 he would fire John Gibbons, who is oddly the Jays current manager, to rehire his friend Cito as the manager.  The team in 2008 would pull a drastic reversal from their 35-39 start to the season and go onto have a 51-37 record to finish the season.  Cito would manage the Jays again until the end of the 2010 season.  His final overall record as the Jays manager would be 894-837.  There is something magic about Cito that brings out the best in players and he has been a huge contributor to the Blue Jays organization.  We would love to have some of that magic on our side as our Blue Jays storm into the post season.

Hey Cito, do any pitchers have a chance against this line up? – “I don’t think so” as he shakes his head no.

#Cito1Pitch

Next: The Doc is in!

Roy Halladay

Arguably the best pitcher to ever wear a Toronto Blue Jays uniform and probably one of the best pitchers of his time should be a no brainer to throw out the first pitch.  The Doc is one of the best Blue Jays of all time and never got a chance to pitch postseason ball for the Jays.  He ranked at the top of my article the other day which looked at “Top 5 Blue Jays to never play in the post season as a Jay”.

Halladay has been a class act all around and makes Blue Jay fans very proud.  Even when the team was having down seasons, the stadium was at its fullest when Doc was on the mound.  The 2003 Cy Young winner for the Blue Jays was dominant every time he came out onto the field.  He was known for having an insane work ethic and was always the first guy at the ballpark.  Halladay pitched an incredible 49 complete games in his Jays career and was clearly the staff work horse.  With Doc leading the way every season the Jays always had a fighting chance at making the playoffs but somehow the teams would always fall short.

After the 2009 season, management was forced to trade Halladay after they discussed with him that they were going to enter a rebuilding period.  Those discussions led to a trade to the Phillies where Doc finally got his time to shine in the post season.  He would go onto pitch the 2nd no-hitter in postseason history for the Phillies in 2010.  The first no-hitter since 1956, Don Larsen‘s World Series Perfect game.  Halladay shined with the Phillies and was still one of the best pitchers in baseball.  In the coming years he should be an easy pick on the Hall of Fame ballots as he was a dominant pitcher of his era.  Halladay would sign a 1-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays to announce his retirement from the game he loved.  Now that his career has went full circle, I find it only fitting that the Blue Jays greatest pitcher should suit up for one more pitch to kick this post season into high gear.

#Doc1Pitch

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