Happy Birthday Doyle Alexander

Today marks the 76th birthday of former Blue Jays pitcher Doyle Alexander.

Doyle pitched for the Jays over four seasons—two full seasons and two partial ones. During his time in Toronto, he posted a 46-26 record with a 3.56 ERA across 106 games, making 103 starts.

The Jays signed him as a free agent on June 21, 1983, roughly a month after the Yankees released him. At the time of his release, Alexander had a 0-2 record and a 6.35 ERA in eight games, following a previous season where he went 1-7 with a 6.08 ERA in 16 starts.

Alexander turned things around in Toronto, posting a 7-8 record with a 3.93 ERA in 17 games. That season, the Jays finished fourth, nine games behind. When Doyle joined, the team was just 1.5 games out of first and remained competitive until a rough August set them back.

In 1984, Alexander enjoyed the best season of his career, going 17-6 with a 3.13 ERA in 36 games and tossing 11 complete games. He even received some MVP votes that year. Although he struck out just 139 batters in 261.2 innings, he consistently got the outs when it mattered.

The Jays reached the playoffs for the first time in 1985, with Alexander playing a key role. He finished 17-10 with a 3.45 ERA over 36 starts. While he only struck out 142 batters in 260 innings, the team’s solid defense supported him. The playoff run was short-lived, however, as the Jays lost to the Royals in the ALCS. Alexander struggled in the postseason, recording an 8.71 ERA over two starts.

Midway through the 1986 season, the Jays traded Alexander to the Braves for Duane Ward—a deal that worked out well for Toronto. A year later, the Braves sent Doyle to the Tigers in exchange for John Smoltz, which was an even better haul for the Braves than the Jays got. Alexander later helped the Tigers edge out the Jays for the AL East crown in 1987, starting two games during the Jays’ season-ending seven-game losing streak. In the first of those games, he pitched 10.2 innings without getting a decision. That memory still stings.

Alexander finished his career with a 194-174 record and a 3.74 ERA. He wasn’t a hard thrower, relying instead on a variety of pitches and arm angles. I always thought he’d make a good pitching coach. Over his career, he played for eight different teams.

He didn’t come across as particularly warm or cheerful, at least from a distance—though perhaps he was different with teammates. Surprisingly, he received no votes when he appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot. Usually, there’s at least one writer willing to cast a courtesy vote, but it seems Doyle didn’t have that advocate.

Happy Birthday, Doyle.

Today also marks the 53rd birthday of Brian Simmons and the 49th for Matt DeWitt. I mention them together because both were part of the notorious Mike Sirotka trade.

In January 2001, DeWitt and David Wells were traded to the White Sox in exchange for Simmons, Kevin Beirne, and Sirotka. Realistically, only Wells and Sirotka were considered significant pieces in the deal.

As most fans remember, Sirotka never pitched for the Blue Jays—he arrived injured, which is why physicals are standard today. Bud Selig, then-commissioner and friend of White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, ensured Toronto got no compensation. Ironically, Wells performed poorly for the White Sox.

DeWitt appeared in 24 games for the Jays between 2000 and 2001, and pitched five more times for the White Sox in 2002, marking the end of his MLB career. After 2002, he was traded back to Toronto for Mike Williams (also involved in the Sirotka trade), but neither returned to the majors.

Simmons, a utility outfielder, played 55 games for the White Sox in 1999 but didn’t make a major league appearance until joining the Jays. In 2001, he played 60 games for Toronto, hitting .176/.239/.280. The White Sox claimed him off waivers after the season, and although he bounced between teams, he never returned to the majors.

Wishing both Matt and Brian a happy birthday.

Erik Swanson turns 33 today.

Swanson, along with Adam Macko, joined the Jays in the trade that sent Teoscar Hernandez to the Mariners.

He played a major role in the bullpen during 2023, posting 29 holds in 69 appearances and finishing with a 2.97 ERA.

In 2024, he had a 5.03 ERA in 45 games, with batters hitting .235/.304/.516.

2025 started even worse. He had 15.19 ERA after 5.1 innings and was released in June.

Happy Birthday, Erik.

Andrés Giménez also celebrates his 28th birthday today.

Now in his second season with the Jays, Giménez has appeared in 232 games, batting .228/.287/.336 with 15 home runs.

He has provided stellar defense at second base last year and at shortstop this season.

Happy Birthday, Andrés. Celebrate it with a win tonight.