Medicine Hat Blue Jays

Medicine Hat Blue Jays
Medicine Hat Blue Jays
(1978–2002); Medicine Hat, Alberta ;
Minor league affiliations
Previous classes	Rookie League
Previous leagues	Pioneer League
Major league affiliations
Previous teams	Toronto Blue Jays (1978–2002)
Minor league titles
League titles (1)	1982
Team data
Previous parks	Athletic Park

The Medicine Hat Blue Jays were a Rookie League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, playing in the Pioneer League and located in the city of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. They played a total of 25 seasons; 1978 through 2002. Their home field was Athletic Park.

History

Over the years, the Medicine Hat club generally struggled on the field and with attendance, but the Jays did have some noteworthy seasons. In 1982, they captured their only championship. They reached the championship series again in 1995 but lost the title to the Helena Brewers. The Blue Jays only reached the playoffs one other time, losing to the Great Falls Dodgers in 2000.

The team arrived in Medicine Hat in 1977, playing as the Medicine Hat A's, affiliated with the Oakland A's. The team had relocated from Boise, Idaho, where they had played two seasons as the Boise A's in the Northwest League.^[1] After the 2002 season, Toronto ended their affiliation with the club (switching to the Pulaski Blue Jays), and the Pioneer League left Medicine Hat. The Blue Jays relocated to Montana and became the second incarnation of the Helena Brewers.

Notable alumni

Over the years, some of the most notable players to wear a Medicine Hat uniform included:

Jay Gibbons (won the league's Triple Crown in 1998)^[2]
Greg Morrison (won the league's Triple Crown in 1997)^[a]
Barry Morphew

Notes

^ Morrison, a native of Medicine Hat, played for the Medicine Hat Blue Jays in 1997. That season, he won the Pioneer League's Triple Crown by recording a .448 batting average, 23 home runs, and 88 runs batted in.^[3] He also won league MVP and his 23 home runs set a league record for the most in a single season. This accomplishment remains the Pioneer League single season record.^[4]^[5] Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1994, Morrison played in Great Falls and Savannah within the Dodgers system in 1995 and 1996. After his stint with the Medicine Hat Blue Jays in 1997, he played in Hagerstown and Dunedin in 1998 and 1999 within the Blue Jays system.^[4] From 2000 to 2006 Morrison played for a number of teams in the independent Northern League.^[3] Morrison is currently the owner and general manager of the Medicine Hat Mavericks of the Western Major Baseball League.^[6]