As he prepares to enter Canada’s baseball shrine, it seems oddly fitting that Lloyd Moseby might be somewhat overshadowed. But while the marquee inductee this weekend will certainly be Pedro Martinez, Moseby’s career should not be overlooked.
For many younger Jays fans, Moseby’s reputation is carried more by his ongoing relationship with the team, who often finds himself at alumni or community events. Some may recall his brief presence on the team’s coaching staff. Others who are old enough might only remember the tail end of his time with the Blue Jays, as his skills began to diminish.
All of this does a disservice to Moseby, who in addition to his enviable stat lines, was one of the most exciting and aesthetically pleasing players to ever ply his trade on this side of the border.
Moseby was a vital piece of the Blue Jays teams that emerged from expansion era mediocrity into a model franchise. Although, bad timing being what it is, Moseby’s peak performances came in the 1983 and 1984 seasons, just before many Canadians outside of Southern Ontario took notice of what was then Canada’s other team.
In his five-year peak (1983-1987), Moseby averaged an .811 OPS, an OPS+ of 117, with 101 homers and 174 home runs. For his full career, he is the Blue Jays’ all-time leader in stolen bases, and sits eighth in home runs.
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Moseby is often remembered alongside George Bell and Jesse Barfield as part of a legendary outfield, though without the credentials of Bell’s MVP award or Barfield’s Gold Gloves and home run title, it’s possible to lose sight of how he was every bit their equal.
What’s more, Moseby offered a balance of power and speed that was at that point quite rare. A tall (6’3”) and athletic player, Moseby’s physique and game is one that would not look out of place in the modern game of baseball.
In fact, Moseby’s game was remarkably ahead of its time. He was a patient hitter, who retired as the Jays’ all-time leader in walks. (Only Carlos Delgado and José Bautista would subsequently pass him.)
Moseby also wasn’t afraid to take a big swing, and sits second all-time in strikeouts amongst Blue Jays. Moseby’s left-handed swing was a beautiful vision of controlled violence, including enough of an uppercut to make today’s launch angle crowd swoon.
Moseby was also a very good centre-fielder, a fact that is perhaps lost because of the Gold Glove skills of his immediate replacement, Devon White. At a time when pitching and defence were key elements to the rise of the Jays’ fortunes, Moseby took on the unenviable task of patrolling the largest area of ground in Exhibition Stadium, tracking down fly balls on a pool-table-felt-over-concrete outfield surface that in the hottest months could turn bouncing rawhide into an erratic super ball.
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Maybe more than any other Blue Jays in memory, Moseby played the game with a cool swagger. He played with plenty of hustle, complemented with exceptional skill and joy for the game. To a young fans eyes, he also looked cool, as one of the last players to still wear their ball cap under their batting helmet. Not many could pull off that look now, but seeing old pictures and video of Moseby, you almost wish that someone could try to pull it off with equal aplomb.
And as one of the coolest players to ever play in Toronto, it’s fitting that Moseby was given the best and most apt nickname in Blue Jays history: The Shaker. Moseby made things happen on the baseball field, and was never a boring player to watch. Hitting at the top of the lineup for the 1985 and 1987 Blue Jays – two of the franchise’s best rosters ever assembled – Moseby was an essential piece of the team’s success.
If you were to make the argument for who might be the Blue Jays’ greatest centerfielder, Moseby might slip behind White, who had the good fortune of playing for the best teams at the right time. Vernon Wells’ peak seasons were as good as any, and you’d have a hard time arguing against him.
But from the point of view of who you’d want to watch for 162 imaginary games with a perfect fantasy roster, there’s no centerfielder that I would want to watch more than Moseby.
Given his contributions to the Blue Jays, it is surprising that it took this long for Moseby to be recognized. Regardless, this is fine moment to recognize one of the true and underappreciated greats in Blue Jays history.
