Blue Jays: Seven players who have earned a statue at the Rogers Centre

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 14: Jose Bautista #19 of the Toronto Blue Jays flips his bat up in the air after he hits a three-run home run in the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers in game five of the American League Division Series at Rogers Centre on October 14, 2015 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 14: Jose Bautista #19 of the Toronto Blue Jays flips his bat up in the air after he hits a three-run home run in the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers in game five of the American League Division Series at Rogers Centre on October 14, 2015 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – CIRCA 1990: Tony Fernandez #1 of the Toronto Blue Jays bats during an Major League Baseball game circa 1990 at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario. Fernandez played for the Blue Jays from 1983-90, 93, 1998-99 and 2001. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

Tony Fernández

Signed by the Blue Jays in 1979, infielder Tony Fernández made his MLB debut in 1983 and spent parts of 12 seasons with the Jays. Over this time, Fernández authored a .297/.353/.412 slash line with 291 doubles, 613 RBI, 172 stolen bases, and a .765 OPS through 5335 at-bats.

Similar to Stieb, you will find Fernández’s name scattered throughout the Blue Jays record books, as the switch hitter is at the top of the record books in terms of games played (1450), hits (1583), and triples (72), while also ranking fifth in terms of runs scored (704) and third in plate appearances (5900).

From 1986 to 1989, Fernández won a Gold Glove each season and also made three All-Star appearances while patrolling shortstop for the Blue Jays.

Related Story. Jays legend Tony Fernandez’s Jersey should be retired. light

The organization ended up trading him and Fred McGriff to the San Diego Padres prior to the 1991 campaign in exchange for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter, a move that ended up helping the Jays win the 1992 World Series. While Fernández was not around for the first World Series win, he returned to the Blue Jays for the 1993 season in a trade with the New York Mets and would win a ring with the club this time around, sporting a .333/.423/.381 slash line in the World Series vs. the Phillies.

While the Jays legend passed away in early 2020, his legacy should forever live on in the form of a statue at the Rogers Centre.