Post by #1 Jays Fan on Apr 5, 2008 12:12:13 GMT -5
TORONTO -- The Toronto Blue Jays added second baseman Roberto Alomar to their Level of Excellence before Friday's home opener and then pulled off a surprise by bestowing the same honour on former team president Paul Beeston.
Fans chanted "Robbie, Robbie," with a passion rarely seen at the Rogers Centre and after Alomar thanked fans in a brief speech, current team president Paul Godfrey said the Beeston was being honoured over his objections.
"This an honour I will cherish but recognize that I don't deserve," Beeston, a native of Welland, Ont., told fans. "I was just along for the ride."
The club's first employee who oversaw its growth from an expansion club to World Series champion, Beeston said all the credit belonged to men like Pat Gillick, the coaches and the players.
Alomar's No. 12 and Beeston join George Bell, Dave Stieb, Joe Carter, Cito Gaston, Tony Fernandez, Gillick and Tom Cheek in receiving the club's highest honour.
"When I put the uniform on I was proud to wear the Toronto Blue Jays uniform," Alomar told the screaming crowd. "When I was a little kid all I wanted to do was play baseball and today, to see my name on the Level of Excellence is another dream come true."
Alomar's addition to the Level of Excellence had been previously announced.
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.
His ninth-inning homer off Oakland's Dennis Eckersley in Game Four of the 1992 ALCS is one of the biggest hits in team history and helped send them to their first championship.
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.
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.
Fans chanted "Robbie, Robbie," with a passion rarely seen at the Rogers Centre and after Alomar thanked fans in a brief speech, current team president Paul Godfrey said the Beeston was being honoured over his objections.
"This an honour I will cherish but recognize that I don't deserve," Beeston, a native of Welland, Ont., told fans. "I was just along for the ride."
The club's first employee who oversaw its growth from an expansion club to World Series champion, Beeston said all the credit belonged to men like Pat Gillick, the coaches and the players.
Alomar's No. 12 and Beeston join George Bell, Dave Stieb, Joe Carter, Cito Gaston, Tony Fernandez, Gillick and Tom Cheek in receiving the club's highest honour.
"When I put the uniform on I was proud to wear the Toronto Blue Jays uniform," Alomar told the screaming crowd. "When I was a little kid all I wanted to do was play baseball and today, to see my name on the Level of Excellence is another dream come true."
Alomar's addition to the Level of Excellence had been previously announced.
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.
His ninth-inning homer off Oakland's Dennis Eckersley in Game Four of the 1992 ALCS is one of the biggest hits in team history and helped send them to their first championship.
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.
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.
