He certainly did. In his four years with Toronto, the crafty right-hander endeared himself to the Blue Jays fans mostly, of course, because of his success on the mound. But also with the way he carried himself, his modest/laid-back demeanour. It didn’t hurt that Estrada was sort of an ‘Everyman’ on the mound. He didn’t have overpowering stuff, instead relying on a lights-out change up to go with a 87-91mph fastball, which he used to great effectiveness, especially when he was healthy (he also used a curve ball and cutter).
Estrada struggled the last two years in Toronto because of back and hip problems. Still, many Jays fans were sorry to hear that Estrada signed a one-year deal with the Oakland A’s this week, reportedly for $4 million. Estrada said he wanted to finish his career in Toronto, but it just didn’t work out, and he wouldn’t say whether the Jays offered him another contract. (The Jays wouldn’t comment). What he would say was how much he and his family loved playing north of the border.
Thank you, Marco.
Thank you for always being a gamer. Thank you for always taking the ball every fifth day, even if it meant after the game you wouldn’t be able to sit because of how bad your back felt. Thank you for always showing up in the playoffs, and pitching your ass off.
All-time playoff WHIP leaders (min. 30 IP)
1. Affeldt (0.702)
2. Pearson (0.729)
3. Halladay (0.737)
4. Rivera (0.759)
5. Lonborg (0.780)
6. Tanaka (0.800)
7. Jansen (0.818)
8. Koufax (0.825)
9. Mathewson (0.836)
10. Marco Estrada (0.839)— Jonah Birenbaum (@birenball) January 25, 2019
Marco Estrada's playoff appearances for the Blue Jays:
'15 Game 3 ALDS: 6.1 IP, 1 ER, 4 SO
'15 Game 1 ALCS: 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 6 SO
'15 Game 5 ALCS: 7.2 IP, 1 ER, 5 SO
'16 Game 1 ALDS: 8.1 IP, 1 ER, 6 SO
'16 Game 1 ALCS: 8 IP, 2 ER, 6 SO
'16 Game 5 ALCS: 6 IP, 2 ER, 7 SO— Ian Hunter (@BlueJayHunter) January 25, 2019
Thank you for throwing 88mph and having the best hitters in baseball be late on the pitch, all because your previous changeup looked like the exact same pitch. Thank you for giving back to the community and being a good teammate. Thank you for giving the Blue Jays a chance, every time you touched the rubber.
Enjoy the West Coast, and let’s hope Clayton Richard and Matt Shoemaker are half as good as you. We aren’t holding our breath.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsyiYpaAvy0/
Marco Estrada wanted me to pass this on to #Bluejays fans:
"I'm going to miss everything about Toronto. I'm more than grateful for the love and support my family and I received. We will always remember Toronto. Right now it's our second home."— Barry Davis (@BarryDavis_) January 26, 2019
