- There are some rough looking cards in this part of my set. I'll need to get a card lot or something to replace some of these.
- This was Sam Ewing's last major league season. After the season he went to Japan for the 1979 season.
- Sam Ewing had some good years in AAA but except for the 1977 season he didn't have much success in the majors.
- 1978 Stats:
- Toronto Blue Jays: .179, 2 HR, 9 RBI in 40 games.
- Syracuse Chiefs (AAA): .233, 1 HR, 5 RBI in 8 games
- 1978 Highlights:
- May 15 - Singled in two runs as a pinch hitter during a 9-run Toronto outburst in the 7th inning. Toronto beat the California Angels 10-6.
- July 1 - Pinch hit for Luis Gomez and hit a 2-run home run in Toronto's 9-3 win over the Cleveland Indians
- Alan Ashby had one of his better offensive years in 1978. He split time with Rick Cerone behind the plate. Cerone had slightly better defensive stats and Ashby had better offensive stats.
- After the 1978 season Ashby was traded to the Houston Astros for Joe Cannon, Pete Hernandez, and Mark Lemongello. Alan went on to have a nice run as a platoon catcher with the Astros from 1979-1989.
- 1978 Stats: .261, 9 HR, 29 RBI in 81 games
- 1978 Highlights:
- July 31 - Hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th inning to tie the game. Otto Velez homered in the 14th inning to finally win the game for Toronto. Ashby had two hits and two RBI in the 7-6 Blue Jay win over the Detroit Tigers.
- Aug 20 - Had four hits and two RBI in Toronto's 6-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins.
- That Brut ad in Yankee Stadium just screams "1970s".
- Mike Willis was mostly a middle and late inning reliever for the Blue Jays in 1978. Toronto used three different guys to close out games -- Willis, Victor Cruz, and Tom Murphy.
- Willis made two starts in September against the New York Yankees because he was a lefty. Mike was 1-1 in the two starts.
- Mike recalls his career in this article.
- 1978 Stats: 3-7, 7 saves, 4.56 ERA in 44 games (2 starts)
- 1978 Highlights:
- May 16 - Allowed one unearned run in 2 1/3 innings and got the win as Toronto beat the California Angels 5-4.
- Aug 23 - Earned the save by pitching 2 2/3 shutout innings in Toronto's 5-4 win over the Detroit Tigers
- Sept 20 - Allowed six hits and one run in a complete game 8-1 win over the Yankees. Mike \struck out Reggie Jackson three times. It was the third (and last) loss for Ron Guidry, who went 25-3.
- Doug Ault was mostly a pinch hitter in 1978. He played in 54 games, but started only 28.
- 1977 Stats: .240, 3 HR, 7 RBI in 54 games
- 1977 Highlights
- April 22 - Went 2 for 3 with a solo home run in Toronto's 4-2 win over the Chicago White Sox.
- Aug 26 - Tripled and scored to help the Blue Jays beat the Minnesota Twins 4-3.
- Before the 1978 season Pete Vuckovich was traded (with John Scott) to the St. Louis Cardinals for Tom Underwood and Victor Cruz
- Pete spent the first two months of the season in the bullpen and moved into the starting rotation in June. Vuckovich was 1-4 as a reliever and went 11-8 as a starter.
- 1978 Stats: 12-12, 1 save, 2.54 ERA in 45 games (23 starts)
- 1978 Highlights:
- June 3 - Pitched a complete game and earned the win in his first start of the season as the Cardinals beat the Houston Astros 2-1.
- Aug 8 - Pitched a 4-hit shutout against the Philadelphia Phillies.
- Bob Bailor had career highs in most of the offensive categories in 1978. Bob spent most of his time in right field but he also played the other OF positions as well as third base and shortstop.
- Bob has quite the chaw in his mouth. I remember how my grandmother would have a lot to say about players who had chew in their mouths (although she smoked a couple of packs of Marlboros a day).
- Bailor was selected as Toronto's outstanding player in 1978 for the second straight year.
- 1978 Stats: .264, 1 HR, 52 RBI in 154 games
- 1978 Highlights:
- April 27 - Had three hits and scored two runs in Toronto's 8-7 win over the Kansas City Royals.
- May 23 - Went 3 for 5 with a run scored as the Blue Jays beat the Boston Red Sox 2-1.
- July 6 - Scored a run, knocked in a run, and had three hits to help the Blue Jays beat Jim Palmer and the Baltimore Orioles 2-0.
- Jesse Jefferson was the fourth starter for the Blue Jays, but he led the team in several categories (innings pitched, complete games, shutouts, and ). Jefferson took the loss in seven of his last eight starts to finish the season 7-16.
- Jefferson died at the age of 62 of prostate cancer on September 8, 2011.
- 1978 Stats: 7-16, 4.38 ERA in 31 games (30 starts)
- 1978 Highlights:
- Apr 23 - Shut out the Chicago White Sox on three hits for his first victory of the season.
- June 2 - Went the distance and earned the win in Toronto's 3-1 victory over the Texas Rangers.
- Aug 9 - Pitched a shutout for his last victory of the season as the Blue Jays beat the White Sox 8-0.
- Alvis Woods started the 1978 season with the Toronto Blue Jays. After going 2 for 17 (.113) in six games Woods was sent to AAA in mid April. Alvis played well for Syracuse and was brought back up in late July. Woods was the starting left fielder for most of the last 2 1/2 months of the 1978 season.
- 1978 Stats:
- Toronto Blue Jays: .241, 3 HR, 25 RBI in 62 games
- Syracuse Chiefs (AAA): .310, 11 HR, 49 RBI in 81 games
- 1978 Highlights:
- Aug 8: Went 3 for 4 and scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 9th inning of Toronto's 5-4 win over the Kansas City Royals.
- Aug 25: Had a home run and two doubles and knocked in four runs as the Blue Jays beat the Minnesota Twins 7-3.
- In 1978 Tom Murphy was used as a closer and as a setup man. This was Murphy's last full season in the majors.
- 1978 Stats: 6-9, 7 saves, 3.93 ERA in 50 games
- 1978 Highlights:
- April 26 - Picked up the win by pitching two scoreless innings of relief. The Blue Jays scored two runs in the 9th inning to come back and beat the Kansas City Royals 3-1.
- Aug 21 - Earned the win in Toronto's 8-6 victory over the Texas Rangers. Murphy pitched 4 2/3 shutout innings.
- Ron Fairly played for the California Angels in 1978. In December 1977 Fairly was traded from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Angels for Butch Alberts and Pat Kelly.
- Fairly still had a little bit of power, but he slipped to .217 as a part time first baseman and DH in his final season in the majors. Ron retired during spring training before the 1979 season. The Angels had acquired Rod Carew to play first base and owner Gene Autry offered Ron a three-year contract to broadcast games for the Angels.
- 1978 Stats: .217, 10 HR, 40 RBI in 91 games.
- 1978 Highlights:
- May 9 - Went 3 for 4 with 3 RBI in California's 7-5 win over the Detroit Tigers.
- June 20 - Had three hits, three RBI, and scored two runs as the Angels beat the Minnesota Twins 10-5.
- June 29 - Knocked in all three California runs in a 3-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
- Otto Velez didn't get as much playing time in 1978 as he did in 1977. The Blue Jays were trying out some younger players and the DH spot was taken when Toronto acquired Rico Carty. Otto played more as the season went on, splitting time between left field and right field.
- 1978 Stats: .266, 9 HR, 38 RBI in 91 games
- 1978 Highlights:
- Dave Lemanczyk had a big reversal of fortune in 1978. After winning 13 games for the expansion Toronto Blue Jays in 1977, Lemanczyk won only four games in 1978 and had his ERA jump by two runs.
- Dave was the opening day starter for the Blue Jays on April 5, but he started out 0-7 with an 8.62 ERA in his first seven starts.
- Lemanczyk missed a start due to a twisted ankle on August 10. He made his next start on August 15 and then didn't pitch for three weeks (perhaps a stint on the disabled list).
- 1978 Stats: 4-14, 6.26 ERA in 29 games (20 starts)
- 1978 Highlights:
