Dunedin Blue Jays Explained

Dunedin Blue Jays
Founded:1987
City:Dunedin, Florida
Uniformlogo:DunedinBlueJayscap.PNG
Class Level:Single-A (2021–present)
Current League:Florida State League (1987–present)
Division:West Division
Majorleague:Toronto Blue Jays (1978–1979; 1987–present)
Nickname:Dunedin Blue Jays (1978–1979; 1987–present)
Colors:Blue, white, navy, red
Ballpark:TD Ballpark (2020–present)
Pastparks:
Mascot:DJay
Leaguenum:1
Divnum:6
Firsthalfnum:9
Secondhalfnum:8
Owner:Toronto Blue Jays
Manager:Jose Mayorga

The Dunedin Blue Jays are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and are the Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball club. They are located in Dunedin, Florida, and play their home games at TD Ballpark, which opened in 1990 and seats 8,500 people.[1]

Two teams named the Blue Jays, both affiliates of Toronto, have played in Dunedin: the original incarnation, from 1978 to 1979, and the current team, established in 1987. Since their inception they have won six division championships, in 1999, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2017, and 2022. In 2017 they were named co-champions of the FSL.

History

The original incarnation of the Dunedin Blue Jays was founded in 1978. They were established as the Class A affiliate of the new Toronto Blue Jays franchise. They played for two seasons in the Florida State League and were one of four Class A teams in Toronto's farm system. After the 1979 season the team was disbanded as Toronto expanded its farm system into higher classifications.[2]

Local interests were unable to sign a deal with other major league teams to keep minor league baseball in Dunedin; however Toronto continued to hold its spring training in the city. In 1987, Toronto decided to establish a new Florida State League franchise in Dunedin. They originally played at Grant Field until 1990, when Dunedin Stadium was completed.

When Major League Baseball owners considered locking out the regular players and using "scabs" instead for the 1995 season, Dunedin would have been used as the Toronto Blue Jays' home field due to Ontario laws concerning replacement workers.[3] The MLB labor dispute was resolved before the plan was implemented, however.

In 2006, the Blue Jays made it to the Florida State League Championship Series, losing to the St. Lucie Mets 3 games to 0.

In 2007, the Dunedin Blue Jays were nominated for the 2007 Corporate Support Award, which is awarded annually by the Florida Recreation & Park Association, to an organization that goes above and beyond to support and fund recreational programming.

On September 6, 2017, Dunedin won their first Florida State League championship by defeating the Tampa Yankees two games to one. Dunedin shared the FSL championship with the Palm Beach Cardinals, as the impending threat from Hurricane Irma forced the cancellation of the championship series.[4]

For the 2019 season, the team played at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium while TD Ballpark underwent renovations.[5]

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Minor League Baseball season was initially postponed before being cancelled on June 30 of that year.[6] Due to the pandemic causing restrictions on travel between the United States and Canada, there were plans of the Toronto Blue Jays relocating to Dunedin for the 2020 MLB season.[7] Ultimately the team decided to play the majority of their home games at the stadium of their Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, New York.[8]

In December 2020, as part of Major League Baseball's reorganization of Minor League Baseball, the Dunedin Blue Jays were chosen to remain an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. However, along with the other remaining teams of the Florida State League, the team changed classes from A-Advanced to Low-A and were placed in a league called the Low-A Southeast.[9] [10] In 2022, the Low-A Southeast became known as the Florida State League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization, and was reclassified as a Single-A circuit.[11]

Season-by-season

These statistics are current through the 2023 season.[12]

Full season (1978–1979, 1987)

YearLeagueDivisionRegular seasonPost-season
FinishWinsLossesWin%GB
1978FSLWest5th5983.41526
1979FSLWest3rd6869.49611
1987FSLWest2nd7664.5438

Split season (1988–present)

League champions †Finals appearance *Division winner ^Wild card berth ¤
YearClassLeagueDivisionRegular seasonPost-season
1st half2nd half
FinishWinsLossesWin%GBFinishWinsLossesWin%GB
1988AFSLWest5th3238.45734th3337.4718
1989AFSLWest5th3337.47173rd3634.5146.5
1990High-AFSLWest1st ^5314.791—3rd3138.4499.5Lost quarterfinals (Charlotte) 0–2
1991High-AFSLWest5th2936.446133rd3036.4559.5
1992High-AFSLWest4th3634.51414.51st ^4225.627—Lost quarterfinals (Clearwater) 0–2
1993High-AFSLWest5th3433.5079.54th3431.5239.5
1994High-AFSLWest6th3335.48511.55th3233.4929.5
1995High-AFSLWest4th3533.51558th2841.40616.5
1996High-AFSLWest3rd4029.5803.58th2741.39716
1997High-AFSLWest6th3238.457118th2544.36218.5
1998High-AFSLWest2nd4327.6143.54th3931.5577.5
1999High-AFSLWest2nd4524.65211st ^4127.603—Won semifinals (Clearwater) 2–1
Lost finals (Kissimmee) 1–3 *
2000High-AFSLWest1st ^4029.580—2nd4425.6380.5Won semifinals (Fort Myers) 2–0
Lost finals (Daytona) 0–3 *
2001High-AFSLWest2nd3334.4931.52nd3830.5598
2002High-AFSLWest5th3338.4659.54th3034.46913
2003High-AFSLWest4th3832.54361st ^4030.571—Won semifinals (Tampa) 2–1
Lost finals (St. Lucie) 1–3 *
2004High-AFSLWest1st ^4129.586—2nd3528.5562Lost semifinals (Tampa) 0–2
2005High-AFSLWest2nd4129.5865.52nd ¤4129.5861Lost semifinals (Lakeland) 0–2
2006High-AFSLWest1st ^3832.543—6th3037.44810.5Won semifinals (Fort Myers) 2–1
Lost finals (St. Lucie) 0–3 *
2007High-AFSLWest4th3139.443123rd4129.5863
2008High-AFSLWest2nd3733.5298.51st ^4820.706—Lost semifinals (Fort Myers) 0–2
2009High-AFSLNorth3rd3334.4938.53rd3433.50713.5
2010High-AFSLNorth1st ^4129.586—5th3138.44912Lost semifinals (Tampa) 0–2
2011High-AFSLNorth3rd3931.55781st ^4030.571—Lost semifinals (Daytona) 1–2
2012High-AFSLNorth1st ^4225.627—3rd3630.5451Lost semifinals (Lakeland) 0–2
2013High-AFSLNorth1st ^3729.561—6th2639.40016.5Lost semifinals (Daytona) 0–2
2014High-AFSLNorth1st ^4623.667—5th3138.44910.5Lost semifinals (Daytona) 0–2
2015High-AFSLNorth5th3238.45754th2938.43313
2016High-AFSLNorth5th3336.47891st ^4323.652—Lost semifinals (Tampa) 1–2
2017High-AFSLNorth4th3435.4934.52nd ¤3831.55110Won semifinals (Tampa) 2–1 †
2018High-AFSLNorth5th3137.45673rd3831.5517
2019High-AFSLNorth1st ^4124.631—1st ^3931.557—No playoffs held
2020High-AFSLNorthSeason canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021Low-ASEWest4th5763.47518No split season
2022AFSLWest5th2838.424141st ^3825.603—Won semifinals (Fort Myers) 2–1
Lost finals (St. Lucie) 0–2
2023AFSLWest4th3234.48512.56th3036.45514

All-time records

StatisticWinsLossesWin %
Regular season record (1978–2023)2,7042,468
Postseason record (1978–2023)1641
All-time regular and postseason record2,7202,509

Players

Dunedin Blue Jays players who have made it to Toronto:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Toronto Blue Jays Using TD Ballpark In Dunedin To Open 2021 Season . Horrobin . Jordan . February 17, 2021 . . December 7, 2021.
  2. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=i-YLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=71gDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2144,943233&dq=dunedin+blue+jays&hl=en The Evening Independent – Google News Archive Search
  3. Web site: Los Angeles Times: Archives - BASEBALL Here They Come, the Dunedin Blue Jays. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121106104816/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/22723149.html?dids=22723149:22723149&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+18,+1995&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=BASEBALL+Here+They+Come,+the+Dunedin+Blue+Jays&pqatl=google . 2012-11-06 .
  4. Web site: Dunedin Blue Jays named High-A co-champs. TSN.ca. September 6, 2017. September 6, 2017.
  5. Web site: Dunedin Blue Jays to Play 2019 Home Games at Jack Russell Stadium. MILB.com. February 28, 2019. February 28, 2019.
  6. Web site: 2020 Minor League Baseball season shelved . June 30, 2020 . milb.com . Minor League Baseball . June 30, 2020.
  7. Web site: The Blue Jays will call Buffalo or Dunedin home after Rogers Centre pitch strikes out . Laura Armstrong . July 18, 2020 . thestar.com . Toronto Star . December 9, 2020.
  8. Web site: Blue Jays to play majority of home games in Buffalo amid coronavirus pandemic . July 24, 2020 . espn.com . ESPN . December 9, 2020.
  9. Web site: Dunedin Blue Jays switch to Low-A Affiliate of Toronto Blue Jays . December 9, 2020 . milb.com . Dunedin Blue Jays . December 9, 2020.
  10. Web site: Mayo . Jonathan . MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues . Major League Baseball . February 12, 2021 . June 30, 2024.
  11. Web site: Historical League Names to Return in 2022. Minor League Baseball. March 16, 2022. March 16, 2022.
  12. Book: Florida State League 2016 Media Guide & Record Book. 2016. Florida State League. 67–81.
  13. Web site: FSL cancels weekend series, 2019 playoffs . August 29, 2019 . milb.com . Florida State League . August 30, 2019.

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