1996 Toronto Blue Jays season
Blue Jays finish fourth with third straight losing season.
The 1996 Toronto Blue Jays season was the 20th in franchise history. The team finished fourth in the American League East with a 74–88 record, marking their third consecutive losing season.
Quick Facts
- Season
- 1996
- League
- American League
- Division
- East
- Ballpark
- SkyDome
- City
- Toronto
- Record
- 74–88 (.457)
- Divisional place
- 4th
- Owners
- Interbrew; Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
Facts from the source article.
Regular season
A new tradition began in 1996 when the Blue Jays wore red uniforms for the first time. These uniforms were used only on Canada Day and displayed "Canada" on the back of the jerseys instead of a player's name. Pat Hentgen, who would later win the Cy Young Award, started the Canada Day game against the Baltimore Orioles.
The final series of the season against the American League East champion Baltimore Orioles was marked by controversy. On Friday, September 27, 1996, former Blue Jay Roberto Alomar spat at umpire John Hirschbeck in one of baseball's most infamous incidents. In the Sunday game, Brady Anderson hit his 50th home run of the season off Pat Hentgen, breaking Frank Robinson's team record for most home runs in a season.
The 1996 season also represented the end of an era for the Blue Jays. The team redesigned its logo and uniforms the following year and made major changes to its roster.
More in Toronto Blue Jays Seasons
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