Toronto Blue Jays 1980 & Beyond

[canadianman29]

[canadianman29]

August 25
SUSPENSIONS HANDED OUT
The action was hot and heavy at a recent California-New York game in more ways than one. When tempers flared, both benches emptied and a mid melee ensued.
The only thing hurt was a few players pride. Two of the main figures in the brawl were suspended by league officials. The Angels Ron Cey and New Yorks Fernando Rodriguez will each miss 9 games for their roles in the fight.
"We do not condone this kind of behaviour on the field," the league announcement read.
"As such we feel that this punishment fits the actions taken by these two players. We hope that there will not be a repeat of the incident or else the consequences will be even more severe."

[canadianman29]

IN THE NEWS
August 27
Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope has reached the town of Terrace Bay, Ontario. In his trek across Canada, Terry Fox has met hockey stars and actors and even the Prime Minister. But it's a ten year old boy with cancer that impresses him the most. In Terrace Bay, Ontario, Terry meets Greg Scott, who also lost a leg to bone cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy. Recalling his own cancer treatments, the tearful runner tells onlookers that it's people like Greg, dealing with cancer, who are the real heroes.
Greg Scott was a young all-star baseball player who, like Terry, had lost a leg to bone cancer. Greg was from Welland, Ontario, and had met Terry when he ran through Hamilton. Terry frequently inquired about Greg's health, and the boy flew with his family up to Terrace Bay to meet Terry again. He spent several days with Terry.
Despite losing a leg, Greg Scott was able to ride a bicycle, and trailed behind Terry Fox. In his diary, Terry described it like this, "Greg rode his bike behind me for about six miles and it has to be the most inspirational moment I have had! At night we had a beautiful reception in Terrace Bay. I spoke about Greg and couldn't hold back the emotion.
Greg was a good swimmer. Terry wasn't, having swam only twice since he lost his leg. At Jackfish Lake, Greg and Terry jokingly tested the water with their artificial legs, then took them off and went swimming with the whole Marathon of Hope entourage, to the delight of reporters. Terry frequently thought about Greg during the remainder of his run.
The pastoral moment had a sombre conclusion. After the swim, Terry Fox pulled Toronto Star reporter Christie Blatchford aside and quietly told her, "Greg's not as lucky as me. He's got it again. They found a spot of cancer again on his lung."
If running with Greg Scott was the most inspirational moment of the trip, the following day was the most deflating. That night, Terry read an article from New Westminster, B.C. columnist Doug Smith which alleged that Terry drove across part of Quebec instead of running. "I nearly blew up!" Terry wrote in his diary. "Broke my heart! I have a saddened and weakening attitude toward the media and press."
The report claimed that, "He ran only 150 of the 700 miles from Gaspe Peninsula to Montreal. He did the rest by van, his reception in La Belle Province being so poor, and then he ran around Montreal to complete the equivalent mileage." The story was false: Terry insisted on not even missing a foot of the distance. A retraction was printed, but the resentment remained.

August 29
Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope continues to wend it's way across the north of Ontario. We see Terry running on roads traversing forests and blasted through rock. It's the way the young runner is most remembered: alone on the road. Though Terry enjoyed the Canadian Shield scenery as he ran through northwestern Ontario, he was becoming increasingly concerned about the onset of fall and winter. To maximize his pace, there were discussions of Terry's upcoming route through Thunder Bay. Taking a bypass round the city would save 19 kilometers but reduce his visibility to onlookers (and hence his fundraising). In his diary around August 30-31, Terry made calculations which indicated that he expected to complete his marathon at the Pacific on December 8. As he ran through the Nipigon and Sturgeon River region, Terry was sleeping poorly and beginning to feel ill. His diary entry from August 29, 1980, "Today was a difficult day. I didn't sleep last night and was wiped before I started....I feel sick tonight."

[canadianman29]

August 30
Los Angeles Dodgers 3B Ron Cey hit 4 home runs in the 8-7 Dodgers win over the Giants.

[canadianman29]

BLUE JAY NEWS
August 31
Roster Notes: The following players have been called up in the September 1st roster expansion
Batters:
Purchased the contract of SS Alfredo Griffin from Triple A
Purchased the contract of SS Rance Mulliniks from Triple A
Purchased the contract of 2B Garth Iorg from Triple A
Purchased the contract of SS Cal Ripken from Triple A
Pitchers:
Purchased the contract of SP Dave Garrison from Triple A
Purchased the contract of SP Wyatt McGinnis from Triple A

[canadianman29]

IN THE NEWS
September 1st
Nelson Skalbania has purchased the Atlanta Flames of the National Hockey League, and will move the team to Calgary where the Calgary Flames will play their inaugural season in 1980-81.
Saskatchewan and Alberta celebrate their 75th anniversary as provinces, culminating a summer full of celebrations and events.

[canadianman29]

BLUE JAY NEWS
September 1st
Activated CF Jesse Barfield from the disabled list.
Activated 3B Mickey Klutts from the disabled list.
Activated C Ernie Whitt from the disabled list.
Placed SP Brandon Maxwell on the 15-day disabled list.

[canadianman29]

IN THE NEWS
September 2
Canadians everywhere are stunned and heartbroken: Terry Fox's cancer has returned and his Marathon of Hope must end near Thunder Bay, Ontario. Terry has run 5,373 kilometers after 143 days on the road. On the verge of tears, Terry Fox lies on a stretcher and tells reporters he has cancer in his lungs and must go home for more treatment.
This is a map of the route Fox took just over halfway across Canada:
Terry wrote his final Marathon of Hope diary entry August 31, 1980, as he was nearing Thunder Bay, Ontario. "Today was alright. Started late and it was cold for the entire morning. Twelve, eleven. Nothing else happened."
As he approached Thunder Bay, Terry started coughing, and felt a pain in his neck and chest. He kept running. The pain in his chest became so bad he thought he was having a heart attack. Instead of going to a hospital, Terry asked to be taken to his hotel room and have a doctor visit him there. The doctor thought Terry might have a collapsed lung, and took him to the hospital.
X-Rays were taken, and a specialist broke the news that Terry's cancer had returned and spread to his lungs. Terry's parents immediately flew to Thunder Bay to join him. Terry was flown back to Vancouver by private jet, and taken to the Royal Columbian Hospital. It was there that he learned that malignant cells in his knee had metastasized and spread to both lungs.
A tumour the size of a golf ball had formed in his right lung, while his left lung had a tumour that was too large and near his heart to be surgically removed. While he was in the hospital, a national telethon for Terry on CTV raised more than $10 million for cancer research, including two $1 million pledges from the British Columbia, and Ontario governments.
Terry turned down many offers from people who wanted to complete his marathon, including one from the Toronto Maple Leafs. He wanted to get healthy and do it himself.
Terry would later be awarded the Order of Canada, the highest honour given by Canada to civilians. He is the youngest person ever to recieve this honour. Because of Terry's poor health, Governor General Edward Shreyer made a special trip to Port Coquitlam, BC to bestow the honor. Terry recieved several other awards, including The Order of the Dogwood, British Columbia's highest civilian award. The Sword of Hope from the American Cancer Society, The Lou Marsh award for outstanding athletic accomplishment. Canadian of the Year from the editors of the Canadian Press, and he would be the very first to recieve the Terry Fox Gold Medal from Simon Fraser University, created in 1981 to recognize students who show courage in the face of adversity.
Terry underwent chemotherapy and was able to move back in with his parents. In January and February he became ill again, and was given the experimental drug Interferon, without success.
While in hospital Terry recieved a telegram from Isadore Sharp, an executive with Four Seasons hotels, telling him that his Marathon of Hope would live on, with the annual Terry Fox Run to support cancer research, and that it would not stop until Terry's dream of beating cancer was realized. (Note: Today the Terry Fox run takes place in 30 countries around the world in North America (Canada, US, and Cuba), Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa)
A monument was erected in Terry's honour just outside Thunder Bay, over the spot where he was forced to abandon his run.

[canadianman29]

BLUE JAY NEWS
August Recap
Team Record: 77 – 59 (2 GB NYY)
Month Record: 13 - 17
Runs Scored: 121
Runs Allowed: 163

September 4th
Activated SP Jim Acker from the disabled list.
Activated SP Rick Langford from the disabled list.

September 5th
Placed LF Al Woods on the 15-day disabled list.

September 7th
Activated LF Barry Bonnell from the disabled list.

[canadianman29]

[canadianman29]

BLUE JAY NEWS
September 16
Activated SP Brandon Maxwell from the disabled list.

September 18
SS Tim Nordbrook retires.
MR José Batista retires.
LF Sandy Adams retires.

September 20
Activated LF Al Woods from the disabled list.

[canadianman29]

September 21 1980

[canadianman29]

[canadianman29]

[canadianman29]

1980 AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

[canadianman29]

[canadianman29]

1980 TORONTO BLUE JAYS AL CHAMPIONS

[canadianman29]

1980 WORLD SERIES

TORONTO VS SAN DIEGO

[canadianman29]

IN THE NEWS
October 6
The Federal Government of Canada, led by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, has announced it's intention to repatriate the Canadian Constitution unilaterally, seeking full political independance from Britain.

The Quebec Government approved the signing of a 40-year agreement between Hydro-Quebec and the British Newfoundland Corporation, allowing Quebec to buy hydro-electric power across provincial lines from the Churchill Falls hydro-project in Labrador.

[canadianman29]