“The Toronto Blue Jays are deeply saddened by the passing of Tony Fernandez today, one of our club’s most celebrated and respected players. Enshrined forever in Blue Jays history on the Level of Excellence, Tony left an equally indelible mark in the hearts of a generation of Blue Jays fans during his 12 unforgettable seasons with the team. His impact on the baseball community in Toronto and across Canada is immeasurable. Our deepest condolences are with the Fernandez family during this time.”

Tony Fernandez remains the club's career leader in games (1,450), hits (1,583), and triples (72). Signed by the Blue Jays in 1979, the Dominican shortstop had four stints with the club totalling 12 seasons, including as a member of the 1993 World Series Championship team, where he led the team with nine RBI and batted .333 in the six World Series games. Tony was also a five-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner at shortstop. His name was elevated to the Blue Jays Level of Excellence for his tremendous achievements on Sept. 23, 2001.