Casey Janssen turns 45 today. He has always been one of my favourites, and a favourite among readers of this site. Long before I joined, the site even interviewedhim back in 2008.
Janssen was selected in the fourth round of the 2003 draft out of the University of California, during the J.P. Ricciardi era. That year, the Jays picked David Purcey in the first round, with Zach Jackson, Curtis Thigpen, and Adam Lind all chosen ahead of Casey.
Janssen made his Blue Jays debut at the end of April 2006, stepping
in after A.J. Burnett landed on the DL due to complications from his 2003 Tommy John surgery. Casey started off strong, going 3-2 with a 3.12 ERA in six May starts, but struggled as the season progressed, ultimately finishing 6-10 with a 5.07 ERA.
In 2007, a string of pitching injuries shifted Janssen to the bullpen, where he became the setup man for closer Jeremy Accardo. He finished the year with 24 holds, 6 saves, and a 2.35 ERA in 70 appearances. While he only struck out 39 batters in 72.2 innings, he excelled at keeping the ball on the ground and consistently got the job done.
Casey missed all of 2008 and the early part of 2009 due to a torn labrum. The Jays tried him as a starter upon his return, but after five rough outings and a 6.23 ERA, he transitioned back to the bullpen for good, where he remained a key contributor for the next five seasons.
Between 2010 and 2014, Casey appeared in 279 games, recording a 2.99 ERA and 83 saves. He served as the team’s closer from 2012 to 2014 and currently ranks fifth on the franchise’s all-time saves list and fifth in games pitched by a Blue Jays pitcher.
You might recall that he battled a bout of food poisoning over the All-Star break, which likely contributed to a difficult second half. After a solid start to the season, he posted a 5.70 ERA following the break.
Following the 2014 season, Janssen signed with the Nationals, but struggled in 2015, leading the team to decline his option for 2016. He was briefly with the Padres and Red Sox organizations, but never made it back to the majors. In 2017, he continued his career in the Mexican League.
I’m not exactly sure why Janssen became such a favourite here, but he was undeniably effective. I always enjoyed his distinctive follow-through, especially the pronounced bend in his lead leg that brought him so low to the ground. It also helped that he seemed like a genuinely good guy.
Marcus Semien turns 36 today.
In 2021, Marcus played all 162 games for the Blue Jays, slashing .265/.334/.538 with 45 home runs and 15 steals. He earned both the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards for second base and finished third in MVP voting.
The Jays finished that season 91-71, which was only good enough for fourth place in the AL East.
Afterward, Semien signed a seven-year, $175 million contract with the Rangers. Before this season, the Rangers traded him to the Mets. He’s not having a great season there.
Over his 14-year career, Marcus has hit .251/.319/.429 with 267 home runs and a 49.9 bWAR.
Happy Birthday, Marcus.
On this day in 2019 (seven years ago), Cavan Biggio hit for the cycle—just the third Blue Jay to do so, joining Jeff Frye and Kelly Gruber.
His game unfolded like this:
– Strikeout in the first
– Two-run homer in the third
– Single in the sixth
– Double in the eighth
– Two-run triple in the ninth, part of a four-run inning that secured the win
He also stole two bases, scored three runs, and drove in four.
The game took place in Baltimore. I noted in the recap that the announced attendance was 9,280, but estimated that about 9,000 were disguised as empty seats. The Jays won 8-5.
