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Lloyd Moseby starred at centrefield for the Toronto Blue Jays in the '80s. Source: https://baseballhalloffame.ca/hall-of-famer/lloyd-moseby/ (May be subject to copyright) |
The same effortless stride punctuated ever step he took rounding the base paths.
Lloyd Moseby was a great hitter and a great outfielder, and to a generation of fans he will always be “Shaker”.
The early years
Lloyd Moseby’s career with the Blue Jays spanned the entire decade, from 1980 to 1989. I was not aware he was a first round draft pick of the Blue Jays, taken second overall in the 1978 amateur draft. It made sense because the Jays weren’t very good the first few years of their existence, and in 1978 they were in just their second year.
Lloyd Moseby’s career with the Blue Jays spanned the entire decade, from 1980 to 1989. I was not aware he was a first round draft pick of the Blue Jays, taken second overall in the 1978 amateur draft. It made sense because the Jays weren’t very good the first few years of their existence, and in 1978 they were in just their second year.
Moseby made his first appearance for Toronto on May 24, 1980, and dressed in 114 games. He had 89 hits, including 24 doubles, one triple and nine home runs. He drove in 46 runs and had four stolen bases.
In 1981, he appeared in 100 games, registering 88 hits, including 16 doubles, two triples, and nine home runs. He also drove in 43 runs and stole 11 bases.
The next season, 1982, Moseby had 115 hits, including 20 doubles, nine triples, and nine home runs. He drove in 52 runs and stole 11 bases.
1983 was a breakout season for the Jays, and along with it, many of their players. Moseby was one such player, registering a career high 170 hits, including 31 doubles, seven triples, and 18 home runs. He drove in 81 runs and stole 27 bases. He won a Silver Slugger Award for having the highest batting average at his position. Moseby also finished in the top 25 in voting for American League Most Valuable Player.
In 1984, he had 166 hits, including 28 doubles, a league-leading 15 triples, and 18 home runs, He also drove in 92 runs and stole a career high 39 bases. Again, he finished in the top 25 in voting for American League Most Valuable Player.
The 1985 season saw the Blue Jays make the playoffs for the first time, winning the American League East Division title before losing to Kansas City in the American League Championship Series. Moseby contributed with 151 hits, including 30 doubles, seven triples, and 18 home runs. He drove in 70 runs and stole 37 bases.
Moseby was an all-star in 1986, registering 149 hits, 24 doubles, five triples, and 21 home runs. He drove in 86 runs and stole 32 bases.
Toronto went toe to toe with Detroit all the way to the last day of the season in 1987 before losing the American League East Division by one game. Moseby had 167 hits, 27 doubles, four triples and a career high 26 home runs. He also drove in a career high 96 runs and tied his career high, stealing 39 bases.
In the 1988 season, Moseby had 113 hits, 17 doubles, seven triples and 10 home runs. He drove in 42 runs and stole 31 bases.
The 1989 Blue Jays again won the American League East Division title before losing to Oakland in the American League Championship Series. That season would be Moseby’s last with the Blue Jays. He had 111 hits, 25 doubles, three triples, and 11 home runs. He drove in 43 runs and stole bases.
He signed as a free agent with the American League East rival Detroit Tigers in 1990, playing their two seasons, before finishing his career with two seasons in Japan.
Moseby finished his Major League career with 869 runs, 1,494 hits, 169 home runs, 737 runs batted in, 280 stolen bases, and a career batting average of .257 in 1,588 games.
In 2018, Lloyd Moseby was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
Parting thoughts
Statistics really don’t do Lloyd Moseby justice. Although he put up some great ones, and won some significant awards, it is hard to describe the way that Lloyd Moseby played baseball.
Statistics really don’t do Lloyd Moseby justice. Although he put up some great ones, and won some significant awards, it is hard to describe the way that Lloyd Moseby played baseball.
He just seemed to glide in the outfield and around the base paths. More than that, he always seemed to be having a good time.
That is what made him special.
To accentuate that, I read Rickey Henderson’s book “Off Base” a couple years ago, and he talked about his close friends in baseball. At the top of his list was Lloyd Moseby.
Wikpedia reveals Lloyd Modseby's nickname came from his ability to get away from or shake players who tried to guard him on the basketball court.
Today, when rookie Davis Schneider not only set a Blue Jay, but a Major League Baseball record, for most hits in the first three games of a career, Sportsnet flashed the names of the Blue Jays whose record Schneider broke.
There in the middle of the list was Lloyd Moseby. Just as I said it out loud, so did announcer Dan Schulman – “Shaker.”
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