The Best of Times on the Worst of Teams

They were bad.

No, like really terrible.

They were, in fact, dreadful.

Place the word “historically” in front of those adjectives and you still don’t come close to capturing the futility of the 1988 Medicine Hat Blue Jays.

In The Cards: 1993 Medicine Hat Blue Jays

With so much excitement surrounding the Toronto Blue Jays after their first World Series victory in 1992, you would think their affiliates would enjoy similar attention.

Unfortunately, the Medicine Hat Blue Jays still struggled at the turnstiles, despite a massive improvement in the standings compared to their cellar-dwelling 1992 campaign.

We take a look at some of the players who suited up for the 1993 edition of the Baby Jays in our latest In The Cards feature.

In The Cards: 1991 Medicine Hat Blue Jays

We’re not sure why, but banana yellow seemed to be a go-to colour for baseball cards in 1991.

Not only was it the hue for the MLB Fleer set, but it was also featured in the ProCards minor league set.

We sort through the Medicine Hat Blue Jays set and some of the stories of the players from that squad.

In the Cards: 1994 Medicine Hat Blue Jays

When you leaf through old minor-league baseball cards, it’s common to wonder, “Who are these guys?”

If you’re looking through rookie-level sets, that feeling is often even more pronounced. “No really, who ARE these guys!?”

That’s what makes this 1994 In The Cards edition of the Medicine Hat Blue Jays special – it’s got true star power.

In The Cards: 1990 Medicine Hat Blue Jays

The Gas City plays host for this edition of In The Cards. The 1990 Medicine Hat Blue Jays are in the spotlight for this one.

Unfortunately, the rookie-level affiliate had a rough go of it that season, finishing a dismal 20-47 in the Pioneer League under manager Garth Iorg, who was a long-time utility infielder with the Toronto Blue Jays during his playing days. The Baby Jays had some talent in the lineup though, and a number of players on the roster ended up playing Major League Baseball (MLB).

In The Cards: 2002 Medicine Hat Blue Jays

Welcome to a new archival series we’re introducing called In The Cards. The idea is simple: while images of most baseball cards can be found online, there are some gaps, especially when it comes to the minor-league cardboard cutouts.

To assist in this matter, and with an eye on Alberta-based teams and players, we will periodically be adding galleries of baseball cards to our website. We hope you enjoy!

First up to the plate, the 2002 Medicine Hat Blue Jays.

Making Waves

After starting his professional coaching career in Medicine Hat in 1996, Bruce Walton quickly rose through the ranks of the Toronto Blue Jays organization, serving as minor league pitching instructor, bullpen coach and pitching coach with the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise.

A stint with the Iowa Cubs followed his departure from Toronto in 2013 and the Calgarian now finds himself working as a pitching coach in the Miami Marlins minor league system.

We caught up with Walton and picked his brain about Marlins prospects, coaching techniques, and the legendary Derek Jeter.

The Pioneers: Medicine Hat A’s

When the Pioneer League looked at expansion in 1975, they began looking at Medicine Hat.

It wouldn’t happen until 1977, but the love affair ended up lasting 25 years.

In the second of our three-part series, we look back at the Medicine Hat A’s and Blue Jays with a man familiar with sports in the city: Bob Ridley.

The Pioneers: Lethbridge Expos

Southern Alberta’s love affair with baseball hit a fever pitch in the 1970’s.

After years of our own circuits and big league players barnstorming through, relationships were built to bring affiliated baseball to the masses.

In the first of our three-part look at the Pioneer League’s days in Alberta, we profile the lead-up to the first game at home for the Lethbridge Expos.

Alberta’s NL Dugout Connections

There was a time when if you wanted to play Major League Baseball (MLB), you were likely to make a minor-league stop in Canada first.

Either as visitors or members of the home squad, countless players in the Pioneer League or the Pacific Coast League (PCL) would find their way to Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Calgary or Edmonton.

In our second of a two-part series, we explore the coaches and managers from the National League (NL) who played in Alberta before finding their way in the majors.