Today marks the 58th birthday of Ed Sprague, former third baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Sprague spent eight seasons with the Blue Jays, from 1991 until his trade to the Oakland Athletics on July 31, 1998. In return, the Jays acquired Scott Rivette, who ultimately never reached the major leagues.
During his time in Toronto, Sprague posted a .245 batting average, a .315 on-base percentage, and a .419 slugging percentage, tallying 113 home runs and 418 RBIs over 888 games.
While Sprague may not have
been a superstar, he, like his predecessor Kelly Gruber, delivered one standout season that exceeded his usual performance. However, Gruber was known for his stronger defensive skills.
Sprague’s breakout year came in 1996, when he set career highs in runs (88), hits (146), home runs (36), RBIs (101), walks (60), and slugging percentage (.496). It stands among the best single seasons by a Blue Jays third baseman—a true outlier in his career. Notably, this was also during a period when Roger Clemens’ “trainer” was around the team.
Ed later admitted to using steroids, as well as amphetamines—a common practice among players at the time to combat the fatigue of baseball’s long season. Energy drinks like Red Bull weren’t available then, and amphetamines were not banned in baseball until 2006.
One of Sprague’s most unforgettable moments came in Game 2 of the 1992 World Series, when he launched a dramatic, go-ahead two-run homer in the ninth inning off Atlanta closer Jeff Reardon. For a year, it stood as the biggest home run in Blue Jays history until Joe Carter’s iconic walk-off in 1993. Without Sprague’s clutch hit, Toronto might have fallen behind two games to none—a daunting deficit to overcome.
Beyond his standout 1996 campaign, Sprague’s career was solid but unspectacular. He made the National League All-Star team in 1999 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, batting .267/.352/.465 with 22 home runs. He later played for San Diego, Boston, returned to San Diego, and finished his career in Seattle.
Over 11 major league seasons, Sprague hit 152 home runs and compiled a .247/.318/.419 career slash line.
Sprague’s father, also named Ed, was a major league pitcher for eight seasons. His wife, Kristen Babb-Sprague, is an Olympic gold medalist in synchronized swimming.
In recent years, Ed Sprague Jr. has served as the Director of Player Development for the Oakland Athletics. He was at the celebration for the World Series winning teams last week.
Happy birthday, Ed!
