Post by #1 Jays Fan on Mar 20, 2008 20:58:06 GMT -5
TORONTO -- Only three players to have ever suited up for the Toronto Blue Jays can be found in the Baseball Hall of Fame, and all of them are wearing another team's cap on their plaque.
Should he find his way to Cooperstown down the road, Roberto Alomar hopes to change that.
"That's my goal," he said Thursday on a conference call announcing his addition to the Blue Jays' Level of Excellence.
"I always say that my best years -- even though I had some great years with other teams -- nothing can top those two World Series. If one day I get inducted to the Hall of Fame, I would love (it) to be with a Toronto Blue Jays hat."
Alomar's name and No. 12 will be added to the Level of Excellence prior to the Blue Jays' home opener April 4 against the Boston Red Sox. He'll join George Bell, Dave Stieb, Joe Carter, Cito Gaston, Tony Fernandez, Pat Gillick and Tom Cheek in receiving the club's highest honour.
The 12-time all-star spent five of his 17 big-league seasons in Toronto, playing pivotal roles in leading the Blue Jays to World Series titles in 1992 and '93.
From 1991-95, he collected 832 hits, scored 451 runs, belted 55 homers added 342 RBIs and 206 stolen bases while winning five of his 10 career Gold Gloves, a record for second basemen.
"I took a lot of pride playing the game of baseball and I did my best when I played for the Toronto Blue Jays," said Alomar. "To me it's an honour, I feel real excited and I can't wait so I can enjoy that day with the fans in Toronto."
Alomar retired in the spring of 2005 when health and vision problems hampered his attempts to play for Tampa Bay. He had been hoping to complete his chase of 3,000 career hits but realized his body would not allow it.
Instead, he finished his career with 2,724 hits in 2,379 games for San Diego, Toronto, Baltimore, Cleveland, the Mets, White Sox and Arizona.
"It was tough, I would have loved to get to 3,000 hits but I knew at the time I stepped out from the game it was time for me to step out," he said. "I couldn't play the way I always wanted to play, the level of playing went down so I decided to let the young guys go and play. But I'm real proud of what I did. ...
"It was a tough decision. I think that was one of the saddest days of my life, to leave the game of baseball."
Paul Molitor (Milwaukee cap), Dave Winfield (San Diego cap) and Phil Niekro (Atlanta cap) are the only former Blue Jays inducted to the Hall.
Should he find his way to Cooperstown down the road, Roberto Alomar hopes to change that.
"That's my goal," he said Thursday on a conference call announcing his addition to the Blue Jays' Level of Excellence.
"I always say that my best years -- even though I had some great years with other teams -- nothing can top those two World Series. If one day I get inducted to the Hall of Fame, I would love (it) to be with a Toronto Blue Jays hat."
Alomar's name and No. 12 will be added to the Level of Excellence prior to the Blue Jays' home opener April 4 against the Boston Red Sox. He'll join George Bell, Dave Stieb, Joe Carter, Cito Gaston, Tony Fernandez, Pat Gillick and Tom Cheek in receiving the club's highest honour.
The 12-time all-star spent five of his 17 big-league seasons in Toronto, playing pivotal roles in leading the Blue Jays to World Series titles in 1992 and '93.
From 1991-95, he collected 832 hits, scored 451 runs, belted 55 homers added 342 RBIs and 206 stolen bases while winning five of his 10 career Gold Gloves, a record for second basemen.
"I took a lot of pride playing the game of baseball and I did my best when I played for the Toronto Blue Jays," said Alomar. "To me it's an honour, I feel real excited and I can't wait so I can enjoy that day with the fans in Toronto."
Alomar retired in the spring of 2005 when health and vision problems hampered his attempts to play for Tampa Bay. He had been hoping to complete his chase of 3,000 career hits but realized his body would not allow it.
Instead, he finished his career with 2,724 hits in 2,379 games for San Diego, Toronto, Baltimore, Cleveland, the Mets, White Sox and Arizona.
"It was tough, I would have loved to get to 3,000 hits but I knew at the time I stepped out from the game it was time for me to step out," he said. "I couldn't play the way I always wanted to play, the level of playing went down so I decided to let the young guys go and play. But I'm real proud of what I did. ...
"It was a tough decision. I think that was one of the saddest days of my life, to leave the game of baseball."
Paul Molitor (Milwaukee cap), Dave Winfield (San Diego cap) and Phil Niekro (Atlanta cap) are the only former Blue Jays inducted to the Hall.
