The Toronto Blue Jays have embraced the talents of homegrown superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr., recently signing him to a $500 million extension after he worked his way through their minor league system and emerged as a perennial All-Star.
But the team has also brought in seasoned veterans nearing the end of their careers several times throughout franchise history, with future Hall of Famers Max Scherzer, Frank Thomas and Dave Winfield serving as recent examples.
And last week, the Blue Jays got word that one former standout player who ended his career with a stint in Toronto died.
Toronto Blue Jays’ Former Catcher Charlie Moore Dies At 72
“Charlie ‘Butch’ Moore, who played 14 seasons with the Brewers and was the starting right-fielder on the beloved 1982 ‘Harvey’s Wallbangers’ World Series team, died Saturday at the age of 72,” Rich Rovito wrote for MLB.com. “Moore also spent one season with the Toronto Blue Jays. In 2014, he was named to the All-Time Alabama Baseball Team and the Milwaukee Brewers Wall of Honor.”
Long-time Blue Jays fans will recall that Moore ended his big-league career with the Blue Jays in 1987, slashing .215/.306/.355 while starting 34 games at catcher and appearing in a handful of others in the outfield.
Moore might have preferred to stick with the Brewers but after he became a free agent in 1986, the team offered him a one-year contract with a significant pay cut, which he called “insulting” at the time. He remained unsigned through Opening Day and speculated that he was being intentionally shut out by Major League Baseball owners before he was signed by the Blue Jays in the middle of the 1987 season.
Former Milwaukee Brewers ALCS Hero Charlie Moore Joined Blue Jays After Shutout Speculation
Ultimately, though, Moore will be best remembered by many fans for his performance during the Brewers’ 1982 run to the World Series, which the team lost to the St. Louis Cardinals.
“It was from his right-field position that Moore authored one of his signature moments for the Brewers, throwing out Reggie Jackson at third base in a pivotal moment of Milwaukee’s win over the Angels in decisive Game 5 of the 1982 ALCS,” Rovito added. “But most of Moore’s action — 892 games — came as a catcher.”
Moore also became the first player in at least 80 years to hit for the cycle and steal two bases in the same game when he did so against the Angels in October 1980. He ranks among the top-six in Brewers’ franchise history for total regular season games played.
