Today In Dave Stieb History
@davestiebtoday
Detailing the history of Dave Stieb, legendary #BlueJays pitcher and Hall of Famer (Canadian Baseball HoF 2005; San Jose Sports HoF 2023)
Yikes. Yeah. By now I want SDP to win something, some day. That fanbase’s waited an eternity. He was persona non grata in Toronto for a half-dozen years, but Gruber WAS in town couple weeks ago for the ‘92-‘93 reunion (far right in the statue photo, between Leiter and poor Duane Ward in the other).
2/3: Quite the surprise at my newsstand this morning. Within, @wilnerness.bsky.social, @gregorchisholm.bsky.social and Rosie DiManno each provide top 50 lists. Seventy-five Jays got at least one vote. We’ll be unveiling our own 50 Greatest list on about September 2nd.📊 Oh, Jays? Time to #Retire37.
August 1, 2026 (1/3) - 🚨 In today’s paper, Dave Stieb tops a Toronto Star poll as the Greatest #BlueJays player of All-Time. He finishes 1-1-2 on three lists. Let the debates over “refreshing” down-ballot picks begin! Get to yer newsstand for a BIG weekend read from the Star.
July 22, 2026 - 🚨 Happy 69th Birthday to Dave Stieb! 🚨 We hope Sir Dave is enjoying a wonderful breakfast on his big day. Yes, Dave knew what all @torontobluejays.bsky.social fans knew: *nothing* beat late night/early morning Golden Griddle 'cakes!
⚾ Fun facts about @torontobluejays.bsky.social Duane Ward: Did you remember Duane got the save in Game 4 of the '93 World Series (the 15-14 game)? And his 2nd appearance with the Jays, in '86, was as an opener? 1st Jays save? Apr 9 '88, 3 IP in a 10-0 win. ⚾
July 20, 2026 - 📽️ Our "Celebration of A Baseball Life" for @BlueJays legend, Duane Ward. 🙏🏼 Duane left us on Saturday, and here are various clips with Dave Stieb, Duane's @cdnbaseballhof.bsky.social speech (with @thehazelmae.bsky.social as host), and more. (Cc: @wilnerness.bsky.social) 📽️
2/2: Within, ol’ Basket Catch Rick Bosetti recalls an early Stieb-Jim Rice at-bat as an indication the Jays had struck oil with their outfielder-turned-pitcher. “I’m going: Holy s—, who is this guy?” The @wilnerness.bsky.social Blue Jays “by the decade” series runs this summer in The Toronto Star.
June 16, 2026 (1/2) - Kids, ALWAYS check the sports section before you recycle the paper. Oops! A month ago today, this Dave Stieb #BlueJays piece by Mike Wilner adorned The Star’s sports page: a fond recollection of the first Jays superstar’s wildly unusual origin story.
3/3: It isn’t the first time new thinking’s favoured Stieb’s case. In 2024, @mikepetriello.bsky.social crafted a seven-year rolling WAR idea that shot Stieb into a group with 80% induction likelihood. But as the BBWAA looks hard at current candidates, who reckons with earlier overlooked ones?
2/3: Meantime, as historians raged over the 2026 Era Committee ballot, @joeposnanski.com (with an assist from @tangotiger.com) introduced a “Dominance Index.” Clever notion. It rewards elite seasons (top 10 bWAR) and Wins Above Average (with below average seasons zeroed out). @jayjaffe.bsky.social
May 23, 2026:🧵Big new chart. Lot to absorb. Bookmark it.📊 Dave Stieb’s May 22, 1991 injury derailed his Hall Of Fame track. He got 1.4% of the BBWAA vote. Peak and prime lost out to counting stats. (He’s neither the first nor last there.) Now, modern voters seek new paths to electing starters.
March 11, 2026 - Play a little What If? with us. Where would the peak Dave Stieb of Bobby Cox’s 1982-85 #BlueJays tenure slot into that iconic ‘90s Atlanta Braves rotation? We’re saying two-hole, after the brilliant Greg Maddux, a tick above Tom Glavine. John Smoltz’s your number-four.
May 9, 2026 [redux] -🚨Bobby Cox is a Toronto Blue Jays legend. This is our tribute video to a Hall of Famer, a World Series champion and a four-time Manager of the Year. 🎥 RIP Coxie. #BlueJays
RIP Bobby Cox (1941-2026) The best manager in Toronto #BlueJays history. All-time @baseballhall.org legend. Dave Stieb’s favourite, too. RIP, Coxie. You were one of a kind. Our deepest condolences to his family and friends.
⚾ #StiebNation, we've made a donation to crohnsandcolitis.ca canada on behalf of @wilnerness.bsky.social and his Uncle who recently left us, and would encourage you to do the same. (FYIEB, Duane Ward was their Honourary Spokesperson in 1994, and we remember his TV adverts for this back in the day.)
2/2: Stieb had his most successful season (only his 2nd full one, but also shortened by a players' strike) - 1st winning season & lowest ERA by a Jays pitcher - but his agent is failing to get a long-term contract with GM Pat Gillick. Hence, the rumour goes wild...and nowhere.
December 14, 1981 (1/2) - 🚨 Philadelphia attempts to trade *SIX* of their players to the #BlueJays for Dave Stieb. (I.e.b., you know you've made it when.) 💪🏼 Why? How? Read on... 🧵 🚨
2/2: Stieb is five days into his tenure in Chicago; Maldonado two into his. They played together in Toronto in '91-92 and Candy is the victim of the most exhilarating Stieb career strikeout: out number two in the 9th on September 2, 1990. The crowd explodes! Read and watch. 👇🏽
December 11, 1981 - 🚨 Dave Stieb and his agent are looking for more than an arbitration biut with the #BlueJays. And why not? He just had the 1st winning season by a pitcher (and a 10th place MVP vote). But it won't go well and be another thorn in the relationship. 🚨
2/3: Okay, "The Pope" is what they called the Phillies' GM, Paul Owens, presumably because he was the architect of Philadelphia's first World Series win, in 1980, for the franchise. The Phillies were the franchise throughout the 1980s who chased Stieb the most, and...
2/2: We thank the Blue Jays for their usual service in promoting their greatest players. Carlos Delgado's inclusion was accomplished with exactly zero effort by the front office and its alumni dept. (The less said about Dave Stieb the better. As usual!) TABLE: eligible batters
December 7, 2025 (1/2) - Just a friendly reminder of what's at stake - in our familiar chart form - at 7:30 p.m. EST, as the @baseballhall.org's Era Committee announces its 2026 vote results. No matter what, there'll be tears 'n' jeers. That's how it works. TABLE: eligible pitchers
2/2: Stieb's first-ever injury that kept him out for two-thirds of the 1991 season had quite the ripple effect. The #BlueJays unload prospects for Tom Candiotti, it gives Juan Guzman his MLB shot, but Stieb not a sure thing for early 1992 leads to the signing of you-know-who.
December 5, 1991 (1/2) - 🚨 "Dave Stieb could be back on the pitching mound in 3 months." Dr. Arthur White trims the ruptured disk in Stieb’s back, from that freak collision on May 22. Optimism abounds. Read on... 🧵 🚨
3/3: ...that emanated from Stieb's camp which slipped into public view. Lemanczyk said he could help Stieb and gave him an out if he wasn't going to use him. Stieb didn't, and moved onto agent, Bob LaMonte, who clinched a deal in 1983. And then Comte and Lemanczyk came for Stieb.
2/3: Stieb had been hamstrung with an ineffective agent, Steve Comte, from his MLB debut in 1979 to 1982. *Lots* of bad will from auto-renewals, failed arbitration cases, and no progress on contract extensions (as well as 4 losing seasons), contributed to much of the vitriol...
December 3, 1983 (1/3) - 🚨 Victory! The first of the two agents suing Dave Stieb (🤯?) in the winter of 1983 gets their lawsuit dismissed. And it's former #BlueJays teammate turned agent, Dave Lemanczyk. WTF? Read on... 🧵 🚨