Former Jay first baseman Willie Upshaw turns 69 today.
Willie Upshaw was a rarity, a successful Rule 5 draft pick. We took him from the Yankees in 1978, who had drafted him in the 5th round in 1975. He quickly moved up through the minor leagues, but the Yankees had Chris Chambliss, who left after 1979 for the Braves. The Yankees cycled through first basemen until Don Mattingly took over in 1983.
Willie spent nine seasons with the Jays, establishing himself in 1983 when he hit .306/.373/.515 with 27
home runs and 104 RBI—his standout year. The following season saw his power slip to 19 home runs and a .278/.345/.464 line, marking the start of a decline in his performance. After 1987, Willie left the Jays and signed as a free agent with Cleveland.
He finished his career with 123 home runs, 528 RBI, and a .262/.335/.419 line. After his playing days, Willie managed the Bridgeport Bluefish, an independent league team, and he was the Giants’ first-base coach for a couple of seasons.
I often thought Upshaw was the start of a good run for the Jays at the position. Upshaw offered steady defence and reliable hitting. After him, Fred McGriff brought strong power, John Olerud contributed with remarkable on-base ability, and Carlos Delgado delivered impressive slugging. There was a little gap, and then came Edwin Encarnacion (at least part-time at first), and now Vladimir Guerrero.
Turning to other Jays birthdays today, Frank Catalanotto turns 52.
Frank was a 10th-round draft pick for the Tigers. He played three seasons with the Tigers before being included in a major trade to the Texas Rangers. In the trade, Frank moved to the Rangers alongside Alan Webb, Francisco Cordero, Bill Haselman, Gabe Kapler, and Justin Thompson, while Juan Gonzalez, Danny Patterson, and Gregg Zaun were sent to the Tigers. After three seasons with the Rangers, Frank signed with the Jays as a free agent.
For us, he platooned with Reed Johnson in the outfield, forming a great pairing. From 2004 to 2007 with the Jays, Frank hit .299/.361/.445 with 29 home runs and 200 RBI, mainly facing right-handed pitchers. Both he and Johnson became fan favourites. After the 2007 season, Frank signed with the Rangers for 2008, then later played for the Brewers and the Mets. He also represented Italy in the World Baseball Classic.
- Chris Carpenter (51) pitched six seasons for the Blue Jays, going 49-50 with a 4.83 ERA in 152 games (135 starts) before blowing out his shoulder. The Jays then wanted to take him off the 40-man roster. Carpenter found a new path with the Cardinals, who were willing to pay him as a major leaguer during his rehab. This move paid off for St. Louis: he won the Cy Young in 2005 and finished 2nd and 3rd in subsequent voting. Carpenter’s last major league appearance was in 2012, when he made three regular-season starts and pitched twice in the playoffs, taking losses in both games. He closed his career with a 144-94 record and a 3.76 ERA. Carpenter later gave a lovely eulogy for Roy Halladay at his funeral.
- Bob MacDonald (61) was a lefty reliever for the Jays in 1991 and 1992. In 1991, he pitched 45 games with a 2.85 ERA. He earned a World Series ring in 1992, then signed with the Astros and later played for the Mariners, White Sox, Yankees, and Mets. Over 197 major league games, he posted a 4.34 ERA.
- Pat Lennon (58) was a first-round draft pick by the Mariners in 1986. He played for our Triple-A team in 1998 and 1999 and spent parts of six major league seasons, though he totalled only 189 at-bats. I wanted to see Pat get a real chance in the majors. In the minors, he hit .291/.374/.480 with 187 home runs, including a standout season in Calgary, where he posted .329/.400/.531 for the Cannons while I had season tickets. Unfortunately, with Ken Griffey and Jay Buhner occupying the Mariners’ outfield, Pat’s opportunities were limited. Timing kept him from a bigger role.
