RIP Duane Ward

[unassuming]

The Former Jay, One of the best relievers of his time , faitly brief career passes at 62.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duane_https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duane_Ward

 

[DesRicardo]

RIP

Blue Jays’ icon Ward passes away at 62

Longtime Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Duane Ward has passed away at the age of 62. The Blue Jays announced Ward’s passing on Sunday morning, calling him “one of the most accomplished and beloved relivers in franchise history.”

www.tsn.ca

Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) on X

Statement from the Toronto Blue Jays:

x.com

 

[K Douglas]

He was in town for the celebration of the 92 and 93 wins. ESPN is reporting he died of natural causes at 62. WTF.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id...er-blue-jays-1990s-championship-teams-dies-62

Ward was the anchor of our bullpen for those teams. As you know the bullpen is so key to winning in the post season. RIP Duane

 

[unassuming]

He was in town for the celebration of the 92 and 93 wins. ESPN is reporting he died of natural causes at 62. WTF.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id...er-blue-jays-1990s-championship-teams-dies-62

Ward was the anchor of our bullpen for those teams. As you know the bullpen is so key to winning in the post season. RIP Duane

He was here? I didn’t see him in the cars coming onto the field.

 

[Twister]

One of the best at 62 you wonder what happened

 

[Insidious Von]

DW pitched the heaviest curveball I have ever seen. He was a human wood chipper. It was also why he blew out his shoulder, after delivering his signature pitch for 10 years he retired in 1995.

If his curveball was a song...

 

[K Douglas]

He was here? I didn’t see him in the cars coming onto the field.

He flew in on Friday but didn't make it to Saturday's celebration. Maybe he died in his sleep?

 

[billsmafia]

Weird coincidence.

 

[tml]

RIP Ward-O...........Henke + Ward= money in the bank.

 

[maurice93]

DW pitched the heaviest curveball I have ever seen. He was a human wood chipper. It was also why he blew out his shoulder, after delivering his signature pitch for 10 years he retired in 1995.

If his curveball was a song...

The issue was also that he pitched an average of 113 innings out of the pen over a 5 year period. A crazy workload that you would never see today from a reliever.
He was used much more then Henke - Henke was protected a bit more work wise as the closer.

 

[Toronto Passions]

Many people used to say that Gaston overused him. He was a workhorse with a resilient arm and it's hard not to keep going to him when he was so effective.

I posted here years ago about how Ward is my favorite Blue Jay piitcher of all time. Next to our two years of Roger Clemens and the career of Dave Stieb. After the game yesterday, Sportsnet played, and I was watching the 93 Carter home run game… And they were mentioning Ward was being gunned at 94 miles an hour and I thought to myself, if that was todays standards that would've easily been upper 90s. I wish they monitored spin rate in his time… He threw a heavy ball that you really couldn't do anything with. Contact was going nowhere. Definitely RIP. This guy was great.

Philip

 

[unassuming]

No wonder Henke was riding in the car alone, Ward would have been with him.
Where was Mike Timlin?

 

[Owlnight]

Sad to hear of his passing especially at such as young age. Thanks for memories. RIP

 

[maurice93]

Many people used to say that Gaston overused him. He was a workhorse with a resilient arm and it's hard not to keep going to him when he was so effective.

In terms of "in-season" effectiveness the workload did not appear to have hurt him so I can see why he was worked excessively by Cito.

But his career effectively ended at the age of 29. In terms of career longevity that workload between 1988 and 1992 may have well did him in, especially with his breaking stuff. And that is the workload impact I am referring to.

- Ward pitched 127 innings out of the pen in 1990.
- No reliever after 1990 has pitched more than 113 innings in a season (See link below). He averaged that amount over a 5 year period between 1988 and 1992.

Most Relief Innings Pitched In A Season By Reliever Since 1990 | StatMuse

 

[mburner]

In terms of "in-season" effectiveness the workload did not appear to have hurt him so I can see why he was worked excessively by Cito.

But his career effectively ended at the age of 29. In terms of career longevity that workload between 1988 and 1992 may have well did him in, especially with his breaking stuff. And that is the workload impact I am referring to.

- Ward pitched 127 innings out of the pen in 1990.
- No reliever after 1990 has pitched more than 113 innings in a season (See link below). He averaged that amount over a 5 year period between 1988 and 1992.

Most Relief Innings Pitched In A Season By Reliever Since 1990 | StatMuse

Interesting. Just to show how the role the reliever changed by the late 90s, look at Rivera"s stats. That 107.2 innings in 96 was when he was used primarily as a set-up man. Once he became the closer the following season he reached 80 innings only once and worked mainly in the 70s throughout the heart of career, with those innings totaling 10 more, more or less, than his number appearances. In other words, he was a one-inning wonder.

 

[mburner]

And Philip, if you're reading, check your messages.

 

[Regents]

Great pitcher, seemed like a nice guy too.

 

[glamphotographer]

RIP. One of the best relief pitchers for the Jays.

 

[Toronto Passions]

In terms of "in-season" effectiveness the workload did not appear to have hurt him so I can see why he was worked excessively by Cito.

But his career effectively ended at the age of 29. In terms of career longevity that workload between 1988 and 1992 may have well did him in, especially with his breaking stuff. And that is the workload impact I am referring to.

- Ward pitched 127 innings out of the pen in 1990.
- No reliever after 1990 has pitched more than 113 innings in a season (See link below). He averaged that amount over a 5 year period between 1988 and 1992.

Most Relief Innings Pitched In A Season By Reliever Since 1990 | StatMuse

His arm mechanics were also very weird. There was no loose whip type of thing going on. Ward had full extension and his arm was literally twisted behind him, which gives you a power arm torque, and I understand that, but extremely unnatural. He was also very stiff and probably squeezed the ball very tight, which would explain his tight spin rotation and "heavy ball."

How does that expression go? Cruisin for a bruisin?

Philip

 

[reaper29]

Many people used to say that Gaston overused him. He was a workhorse with a resilient arm and it's hard not to keep going to him when he was so effective.

I posted here years ago about how Ward is my favorite Blue Jay piitcher of all time. Next to our two years of Roger Clemens and the career of Dave Stieb. After the game yesterday, Sportsnet played, and I was watching the 93 Carter home run game… And they were mentioning Ward was being gunned at 94 miles an hour and I thought to myself, if that was todays standards that would've easily been upper 90s. I wish they monitored spin rate in his time… He threw a heavy ball that you really couldn't do anything with. Contact was going nowhere. Definitely RIP. This guy was great.

Philip

Imagine how good Stieb would have been if he was on good Jays teams for his career? He would have ended up in the HOF!