Jimmy Key

Lore & Background

Key attended S. R. Butler High School in Huntsville, Alabama, and Clemson University. He was selected by the Blue Jays in the third round of the 1982 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut on April 6, 1984, and moved into the starting rotation in 1985. Key led the majors with a 2.76 ERA in 1987 and finished second in Cy Young voting. He won the 1992 World Series with Toronto and the 1996 World Series with the Yankees. He signed with the Yankees as a free agent on December 10, 1992, and with the Orioles on December 10, 1996. He retired after the 1998 season due to injuries.

In Their Own Story

The lights of the SkyDome hummed overhead as Jimmy Key stepped onto the mound, the familiar rhythm of the crowd fading into a focused silence. He wiped his glove with practiced ease, eyes locked on the catcher's mitt. With a deceptive windup that seemed to defy time, he released the ball—a curveball that broke sharply away from the batter. The crack of the bat was distant; instead, the sound was the heavy thud of leather against leather as the catcher secured another strikeout, sealing another victory for the Blue Jays.

Reader's Guide

Key was a control pitcher with a good strikeout-to-walk ratio. His fastball was not speedy but could be spotted on both corners. He had a fine backdoor slider and a good pickoff move. He tended to give up home runs but held opponents' on-base percentage low. He was injury-prone and had bone chips removed by James Andrews in 1988, but never underwent Tommy John surgery.

Did You Know?

• Key led the majors with a 2.76 ERA in 1987.
• He wore number 27 in his first season with the Blue Jays and number 22 for the rest of his Toronto career.
• Key picked off Otis Nixon in Game 4 of the 1992 World Series.
• He outdueled Greg Maddux in the deciding game of the 1996 World Series.