Juan Guzman turns 60 today.
Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Guzman was signed by the Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1985. Pat Gillick later traded Mike Sharperson to Los Angeles for Guzman—an easy win for Gillick, who already had plenty of them in his career.
Initially, the Blue Jays believed they were acquiring Jose Offerman, but instead, they landed Juan Guzman. The Jays began using him as a reliever in the minors. Guzman attributed some of his early control issues to pitching only
one or two innings at a time, making it difficult to refine his command—a point he may have been right about.
The Jays called up Guzman to the majors in early June 1991, when their rotation was struggling behind the top three of Stottlemyre, Key, and Wells. Dave Stieb was injured, and Denis Boucher didn’t pan out, eventually being traded to Cleveland (with Glenallen Hill and Mark Whiten) for Tom Candiotti and Turner Ward.
Guzman made his debut on June 7 and remained in the rotation for the rest of the season. He excelled, finishing 10-3 with a 2.99 ERA, 123 strikeouts in 138.2 innings, and 66 walks. He limited hitters to 98 hits and was equally effective against lefties (.201 BA) and righties (.193 BA). Guzman finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting behind Chuck Knoblauch. The Jays lost the ALCS to the Twins in five games, with Guzman earning the team’s only win in game two.
Guzman remained in the starting rotation the following year, despite missing most of August with a strained back muscle. He delivered another strong season, posting a 16-5 record and a 2.64 ERA over 28 starts. He struck out 165 batters in 180.2 innings, allowed 72 walks, and held opponents to a .207 batting average. Guzman was selected to the All-Star team and pitched a scoreless inning.
Most notably, during the first of the Jays’ back-to-back World Series wins, Guzman won both of his ALCS starts against Oakland. In the World Series, he started game three, allowing just two runs over eight innings, though he did not factor into the decision as the Jays won in the bottom of the ninth.
In 1993, the Blue Jays repeated as World Series champions, with Guzman playing a significant role. He finished 14-3 in 33 starts, with a then-career-high 3.99 ERA. He struggled with control, issuing 110 walks in 221 innings, and allowed a .252 batting average—still solid, but not as dominant as his first two seasons. Left-handed hitters fared better against him (.282), compared to righties (.223). Guzman was third in the league in strikeouts and even received a Cy Young vote, trailing teammates Duane Ward and Pat Hentgen, while Jack McDowell took the award. Signs of overuse emerged, as Guzman threw 120 or more pitches in 12 games. Cito Gaston was not known for his caution with young pitchers.
He again won both of his ALCS starts, this time against the White Sox, though Dave Stewart earned Series MVP honors for his pair of victories. Stewart allowed three runs in 12.1 innings, while Guzman gave up three runs in 12 innings. Both yielded eight hits; Stewart walked eight and struck out eight, while Guzman walked nine and struck out nine. In the World Series, Guzman started two games, earning a no-decision in a game one win and taking the loss in game five.
Guzman struggled during the next two lockout/strike-shortened seasons, posting ERAs of 5.68 and 6.32 with a combined 16-25 record. He continued to walk more than one batter every other inning and allowed more than a hit per inning.
However, in 1996, Guzman regained his form, leading the league with a 2.93 ERA and finishing 11-8. He significantly reduced his walks to fewer than one per three innings and improved against left-handed hitters (.224 BA).
In 1997, injuries limited Guzman to 13 starts, during which he posted a 4.95 ERA and a 3-6 record. In 1998, he made 22 starts for the Jays before being traded to Baltimore on July 31 for Nerio Rodriguez and Shannon Carter. The trade yielded little return, and Guzman’s stint with the Orioles was brief before he moved to the Reds on July 31, 1999. He made 12 solid starts for Cincinnati, then signed with the Rays as a free agent in 2000. Unfortunately, after just one start with Tampa Bay, he suffered a career-ending shoulder injury.
Guzman’s 10-year career concluded with a 91-79 record and a 4.08 ERA, averaging 7.5 strikeouts per nine innings. Known for his wildness, he walked too many batters and led the league in wild pitches in both 1993 (26) and 1994 (13). He was slow and deliberate on the mound, struggled to hold runners, and featured a sinking fastball, rising fastball, slider, and curve. Bill Mazeroski once remarked that Guzman had “incredible stuff, and he’s just wild enough for hitters to have that in their minds.”
He was also known for his fabulous Jheri curl.
Happy Birthday, Juan! Wishing you a great day.
Today, Casey Lawrence turns 39
I have a lot of admiration for Casey. Although undrafted, the Jays signed him after the 2010 draft. He steadily worked his way up the minor league ladder. Since the team hadn’t invested much in him, they didn’t limit his innings, allowing him to gain plenty of experience—a good thing, as long as his arm held up.
Lawrence was someone I kept an eye on in the minors, sometimes ranking near the bottom of our top 40 prospect list or on my ‘just missed out’ list. He was never a top prospect, but he persisted.
Still, if you persevere, good things can happen.
Lawrence reached the majors with the Jays in 2017, though his initial stint was challenging. He was placed on waivers and picked up by the Mariners, pitching a few innings for them in 2017 and 2018. The Twins signed and then released him before the 2020 season, and he never made their major league roster.
The Jays brought Lawrence back before the 2021 season, and he pitched 18 innings for them in 2022. Released in July 2023, he was picked up by the Cardinals and threw 27.1 innings for them that year. In 2024, he pitched for the Mariners’ Triple-A team, making 29 starts with an 11-11 record and a 5.95 ERA.
He pitched an inning for the Jays in 2025 (and 15 innings for the Mariners). Last year he pitched in the minors for the Mariners and Phillies.
In total, Casey has pitched 141.2 major league innings with a 6.42 ERA. He’s also logged 1,872.2 minor league innings l.
Happy Birthday, Casey! Hope it’s a great one.
Today, Josh Thole turns 40.
He spent four seasons with the Blue Jays, appearing in 170 games and compiling a .200/.275/.248 batting line.
He arrived from the Mets alongside R.A. Dickey (and Mike Nickeas) in exchange for Wilmer Becerra, John Buck, Travis d’Arnaud, and Noah Syndergaard—a trade unlikely to feature on Alex Anthopoulos’ Hall of Fame resume.
Happy Birthday, Josh!
