Remembering the magical debut of Blue Jays' Ault
April 7, 1977 is a landmark date in Canadian sports history and represents the greatest afternoon in Doug Ault's professional life.
The native of Beaumont, Texas, selected 32nd overall by the Blue Jays in the MLB expansion draft, was the team's starting first baseman. He was batting third in the order, on the first Opening Day in franchise history.
At a snowy Exhibition Stadium that April day 43 years ago, he put his name in the MLB record books with the Jays' first hit and homer, in the first inning, off White Sox starter Ken Brett. Ault went yard off Brett again in the third, tying a major league record (that has since been broken) for most homers on Opening Day.
He added a hit and a walk in the 9-5 victory that officially put the Jays in flight.
Alas, Toronto's first ever baseball hero never did have a 16th minute of fame. Ault finished that inaugural campaign with just 11 homers, 64 RBI and a .245 batting average over 129 games, and the following season he was limited to 54 games.
Ault spent the 1979 season with the team's triple-A affiliate in Syracuse, reappeared in Toronto the following year for an extended cup of coffee, and played his last major league game on Oct. 5, 1980.
After stints in the Japanese Central League, the Mexican League and a return to Syracuse, he had a lengthy managing career in the Jays organization.
It ended in 1994, four years after he divorced his wife.
Looking for another occupation, Ault became a car salesman back in Texas, then moved to a job in Clearwater so he could be closer to the Jays spring training facility in Dunedin.
He married his second wife in 2000, but they had their struggles. In January of 2004, the Aults sold their house through a bankruptcy proceeding and separated.
A few months later his first wife died and he left his job at the car dealership.
And exactly 16 years ago, three days before Christmas, Ault was found dead in his home, the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“He had a great life for a short while,” Tom Cheek, the late Jays broadcaster, said the day after Ault's death was ruled a suicide.
EVEN HEROES NEED HELP SOMETIMES:
For many, the 2020 calendar year has been the worst of their lives. Now, in Ontario, we've been told another provincewide lockout will begin on Boxing Day. Plans to spend the holidays with family members we haven't seen since the pandemic begin 10 months ago have had to be postponed. Again.
It's tough. These are very difficult times. If ever it feels overwhelming, there should be no shame in reaching out and talking to a family member or a friend.
Try to remember, better days are always ahead.
And sometimes, even heroes need help.
CONNECTING THE DOTS: With the blockbuster Pierre Dorion made Monday, Ottawa now winds up with Zach Magwood (instead of Michael Carcone), Connor Brown and Nikita Zaitsev for Cody Ceci, Ben Harpur, Aaron Luchuck and the draft pick used to select Alexis Lafrenière, oh, sorry, Alex Laferriere. And again, as decent as Brown is, is he really worth the anchor that is four more years of Zaitsev at $4.5 million?