Early Blue Jays all-star dead at 63

Just a couple of months after the death of Tony Fernandez, one of the other great infielders from the early years of the Toronto Blue Jays has also died.

Damaso Garcia, the flamboyant second baseman who made two all-star appearances for Toronto in the 1980s, was 63. Garcia had a malignant brain tumour removed 29 years ago which reportedly impacted his speech. He died Wednesday in his native Dominican Republic.

Garcia teamed first with Alfredo Griffin and then Fernandez, as the Jays rose from expansion punching bags to American League contenders. Acquired from the New York Yankees, Garcia was fourth in rookie of the year voting in 1980, won a silver slugger, and twice finished in the Top 26 in AL MVP voting.

“We are saddened to learn of the passing of former Blue Jays infielder, Damaso Garcia,” the Blue Jays said on Twitter. “Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this difficult time.”

Garcia spent 11 seasons in the Majors, seven of them with Toronto. He hit .288 with the Jays, with 32 home runs and 194 stolen bases. He was the leadoff man and pacesetter on the 1985 club that finally broke through and won the AL East Division.

A former soccer star before taking up baseball, Garcia was known for his fiery temperament. He famously lit his uniform on fire in 1986, hoping it would help him break out of a slump at the plate.

Told he only had six months to live after his 1991 surgery, Garcia instead lasted until 2020 and threw out the first pitch at a 1992 playoff game against the Oakland Athletics, the year the Jays would win their first World Series. Postmedia News