TORONTO -- The gold curtain pulled back to reveal the eight living members of the Blue Jays’ new Hall of Excellence, each of them a franchise icon.
From left to right stood George Bell, Dave Stieb, Joe Carter, Cito Gaston, Carlos Delgado, Jose Bautista, Paul Beeston and Pat Gillick. In the Hall behind them, lockers stood for the late Roy Halladay, Tony Fernandez and Tom Cheek. These 11 men have shaped the Toronto Blue Jays into the organization we know today, and Saturday afternoon in Toronto, they’ll be joined by the great Buck Martinez.
Located on the 100 Level of Rogers Centre, tucked in the right-field corner, the Hall of Excellence is now open to fans, the next step in the Blue Jays’ encouraging efforts to preserve their history and tell those stories while moving this organization forward.
This is what some of the Hall’s members and Blue Jays representatives had to say:
Joe Carter (1991-97):
“What we have left are our memories. It’s great to come back here, talk about baseball and see everybody. When we had the statue unveiling [in July], we lost our great closer, Duane Ward. Our time is very limited. You take advantage of that when you can see these guys like City Gaston and Pat Gillick, then Buck Martinez going into the Hall of Excellence. This is something you don’t take for granted. Tomorrow is never promised for us. To see these guys and be associated with these guys … it’s a great way to cap a lifetime of baseball.”
Dave Stieb (1979-92, ‘98):
“This is awesome. Everybody here had such great talent. You’ve got to go out there, give it all and succeed to be here. This is an honor. It’s great that they’ve recognized that and we get our little day in the sun again.”
Jose Bautista (2008-17):
“It’s good to have reminders, right? The little Easter eggs here and there to remind you of the history and what’s happened here with the brand that’s been built over decades. Then, what it means to play Blue Jays baseball. That takes shape over time with the personalities, the style of play and the historical moments. I’m glad to be a part of this and add my little grain of sand to that. This is going to continue to happen. We’re seeing it live with the guys playing today, like Vladdy and others. I’m very happy for the organization, very happy for the fans.”
Carlos Delgado (1993-04):
“This is fantastic. It is so important to remember the history of our franchise. They talk about us as a ‘new’ franchise, but it’s 50 years. There are a lot of great players who have played on this field and [Exhibition Stadium]. Having an opportunity to show people where the Blue Jays come from, it gives the city and the fans an opportunity to identify with the franchise. They did a great job. This is a beautiful space.”
President and CEO Mark Shapiro:
“Thirty years ago, the Blue Jays established the Level of Excellence to recognize individuals whose contributions helped define this organization. Today, we are building on that legacy. The Hall of Excellence creates a permanent home for the stories, achievement and memories of the players and leaders who helped build this franchise and shape Blue Jays history … The individuals represented here established the foundation of this organization and we are proud to ensure that their stories will continue to be told for years to come.”
Manager John Schneider:
“It’s a really cool way to remind people of the history of the organization. It’s cool to see names and numbers up on the stadium, but you can’t really feel them or touch them. Being physically closer to it, the example you go to is obviously Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. It’s here, it’s displayed for people to see and to learn more about the [players]. I think this is great, and the statue of Joe Carter is great. Whenever fans or players can get closer to that, I think it’s really good.”
The Hall is rich with memorabilia, too, including stunning display cases for the club’s Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winners. Some of the artifacts are obvious, like bats and gloves, but then there are some gems, like Delgado’s notebook where he took intricate notes on pitchers, or the cigar boxes in Beeston’s display, perfectly capturing the one-of-a-kind character.
This space will now be open to fans at all times, and as the Blue Jays continue to expand this Hall and what it holds, fans will have a voice in voting for who is inducted next.