MLB teams love their anniversaries. Growing up, I remember watching all the teams throw out there a special anniversary patch or logo like the Rockies celebrating 10 or 20 years, or the Yankees and their 100 seasons. Heck, the 2003 World Series logo was making a big fuss about it being the 100th fall classic. So everyone loves their special round numbers in baseball, and this year the Toronto Blue Jays are no exception. For 2026, the only team left in Canada marked their 50th season in baseball. So let us today take a look back 50 years to that debut season of the great white north's 2nd MLB franchise.
The 1977 season saw more expansion as baseball would return to Seattle, and arrive for the first time in Toronto. Roy Hartsfield was chosen to make his debut as a Major League Manager. The excitement was high for the Blue Jays as they opened the season at home with a strong win over the Chicago White Sox. From there they would tread water but slowly dip more and more under .500 before the wheels would ultimately fall off like many expansion teams in their first season.
When the dust settled on the 1977 regular season, the Blue Jays would stand at a 57-107 record, worst in baseball and 45.5 games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East. It would be almost an entire decade for the Jays to build themselves up to a division winning playoff team. Hartfield would comment that he managed teams in the minor leagues that were much better than his team here, and he would be gone after three seasons of zero improvement.
The season wasn't entirely shocking considering the Blue Jays had just assembled their team. For Canada, their wait for a playoff team would only last a few more years until the Montreal Expos would go on a run in 1981, but it would ultimately be the Blue Jays who would finally bring a title to Canada in 1992 when they would win the first of back-to-back World Series titles.
The main attraction of offense for the expansion Jays was Ron Fairly. He would lead the team with his 19 Home Runs and 24 Doubles. He would be the lone all star from the team.
When healthy, Bob Bailor was a regular in the Blue Jays lineup, the trouble was he never had a regular position to call his own long term. At the plate, however, he was the team leader with 62 Runs, 154 Hits and 15 Stolen Bases.
Doug Ault was the offensive star on opening day, hitting 2 homers including the first in franchise history. For the year he would tie Fairly for the teams top spot of 64 RBI.
Other regulars for the Blue Jays. Howell would finish with the best Batting Average of the bunch with .316.
Off the bench for the expansion Jays. Many either making their big league debut or wrapping up their career.
Bill Singer was one of the few "stars" that the Blue Jays tried to market to their fans early on. That commitment hurt the team before they even played a game. There was a deal in place before the season to send Singer to the Yankees in exchange for a young pitcher named Ron Guidry. Upper management killed the trade and Singer was on the mound for opening day. He would go an anonymous 2-8 in only 12 starts and be out of baseball after '77. That Guidry kid, meanwhile, would win the Cy Young in 1978 and be the ace of two WS champions.
Lemanczyk was the teams top winner, notching 13 Wins, though no Starter on the team would post a winning record. Dave would match those 13 Wins with 16 Losses. He would also lead the team with 252 Innings while leading the AL with 119 Earned Runs Allowed.
The other regular Starters. If you thought Lemanczyk's 16 Losses were egregious, that was only the 3rd highest total. Jesse Jefferson would lose 17, while Jerry Garvin would top them both with 18 Losses. Don't worry, three other pitchers (none from Toronto) would lead the league in '77 with 19 Losses. Garvin would at least lead the team with 127 Strikeouts.
No Blue Jay in 1977 would qualify as Closer for Showdown, but Vuckovich would come the closest with 8 Saves. He'd leave after the season to become a Starter and eventually win a Cy Young.
The bullpen and other such pitchers. Jerry Johnson would be the pitcher of record on opening day after Bill Singer was pulled in the 5th inning, making him the man with the teams first Win.
Whitt was the 34th overall selection during the Expansion Draft and the Jays called him up late in their lost inaugural season. He would be the best known player of the bunch, hanging on with the team through 1989, well after everyone else above had moved on from Toronto.
