07/19/26 12:59:00
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07/19 12:35 CDT Duane Ward, former Blue Jays pitcher and World Series champion,
dies at 62
Duane Ward, former Blue Jays pitcher and World Series champion, dies at 62
By IAN HARRISON
Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) --- Duane Ward, a two-time World Series champion and one of the
most accomplished relievers in Toronto Blue Jays history, has died of natural
causes, the team announced Sunday. He was 62.
The team said Ward arrived in Toronto on Friday with several former teammates
from the 1992 and 1993 championship teams but was absent from Saturday's
pregame ceremony celebrating those victories with a statue unveiling.
More than two dozen players, coaches and executives from those teams took part
in the event inside and outside the Rogers Centre.
"Duane will always be a cherished part of the Blue Jays family, and we will be
forever grateful for his contributions to our organization and to baseball in
Canada," the team said in a statement.
Before their game Sunday against the Chicago White Sox, the Blue Jays paid
tribute to Ward with a scoreboard montage and a brief moment of silence.
They declined further comment on the circumstances of Ward's death.
Ward appeared in 452 games for Toronto between 1986 and 1995. His 121 career
saves are the most in franchise history.
Ward earned his lone All-Star appearance in 1993, going on to lead the American
League with 45 saves. That total remains the Blue Jays' single-season record.
Ward was the winning pitcher in the Game 6 of the 1993 World Series against
Philadelphia, which was decided by Joe Carter's series-winning home run.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
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