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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 9h

October 8, 1989 [P3] - A late Jays surge produces some tension (a one-run game; Cito Gaston v. Dennis Eckersley) and salvages pride, but this LCS is a mismatch.

It hurts less than 1985's... but only a little.📽️

Sadly - he's injured in both '91 and '92 - it's Dave Stieb's final playoff appearance.

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 9h

October 8, 1989 [P2] - It's 2-0 Oakland into the seventh.

The Jays knock Dave Stewart "all over the lot" [Bob Costas, NBC], but cannot score, while Stieb - much sharper than in G1 - permits but two hits through six and retires 10 straight at a point.

It's ALCS death by paper cuts.📽️

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 10h

October 8, 1989 remembered (P1) - The late '80s' predominant supervillain, the A's, close the #BlueJays and a valiant Dave Stieb out for 1989 at SkyDome.

It's been a showcase between two different tiers of ballclubs (the one with Rickey Henderson vs. the one without).

🚨Three-part video:📽️

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 22h

3/3: Stieb misses a shutout bid when Bobby Cox elects to work Tom Henke. (Toronto confirms it’s using a three-man rotation for the LCS afterward.)

The Costas/Kubek T.V. team’s electrified by Stieb’s surgically precise breaking stuff all game.

Stieb’s line: 8IP 3H 0R 0ER 1BB 8K; GSc 83, RE24 4.25

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 22h

2/3: Dave Stieb sweeps the headlines after the first playoff game in #BlueJays history, a 6-1 #Royals drubbing that carried nine years of watching, wanting and waiting with it.

Toronto leads the #ALCS 1-0. Stieb’s just pitched the game of his life.

It’s #1 on our #StiebBest37 greatest games list.

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 22h

October 8, 1985 recalled (1/3) - “When he got two strikes on you he’d throw one that broke about THIS much.” - George Brett, hands spread two feet apart

“The way Dave Stieb pitched tonight, you wonder how he ever loses.” - Willie Wilson

“I just tried to get her off me.” - Stieb

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 1d

October 8, 1985 (P3/3): 🚨 ALCS GM1, Stieb's 6th-inning Brett TKO, his signature slider. In his bio.: "Backdoor slider. Again. As soon as I let it go, I knew was the pitch of the season."

6-1 win. Stieb's line: 8IP, 3H, 0R, 1BB, 8Ks, 83 GSc (best in #BlueJays playoff history) 🚨

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 1d

October 8, 1985 (P2/3) - 🚨 📽 Dave Stieb & the #BlueJays defeat the Royals in Game 1 of the ALCS.

Unlike the regular season with Stieb, the offense stakes him to a 6-0 lead after 4. Stieb finishes the 5th with 5 Ks and only 2 hits allowed (both to George Brett). 📽 🚨

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 1d

October 8, 1985 (P1/3): 🚨 📽 Dave Stieb delivers the best performance in #BlueJays playoff history: 8 shutout innings vs. George Brett and the K.C. Royals in Game 1 of the ALCS. And it's in the first postseason game ever for the franchise. Let's watch, over 3 parts... 📽 🚨

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 1d

3/3: How s.e.r.i.o.u.s. is this newfangled playoff stuff?

Even Tom Henke’s taking BP!

Papers and prognosticators note one potentially crucial detail: if Stieb pitches well tonight, Bobby Cox likely skips Jim Clancy and goes with a three-starter rotation.

#ALCS
#BlueJays

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 1d

2/3: Butterfly-inducing notions like festive bunting placed around the stadium, a hastily constructed media zone in left field and first pitches from sitting heads of state aside, the intensity of position-by-position player comparisons is hard to miss. Each player’s becoming a household name.

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 1d

October 8, 1985 (1/3) - Game Day!

“My stomach churned with the thought of what was ahead of me. No sooner would I divert my thoughts, by doing something brilliant like reading what the newspapers were saying about it…” - Dave Stieb, Tomorrow I’ll Be Perfect

Speaking of papers:

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 2d

2/2: Tomorrow night, it's the first playoff game in a young organization's history, and its first superstar’s centre-stage.

The U.S. media’s come a-calling, too. Peter Gammons gets a boatload of insight out of a suddenly voluble Dave Stieb.

Terrific piece from the Boston Globe's Peter Gammons:

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 2d

October 7, 1985 (1/2) - Playoff time.

You know what THAT means:

🚨BATTING PRACTICE FOR PITCHERS🚨

INCLUDING THOSE WHO WERE
ORIGINALLY DRAFTED
AS CENTERFIELDERS.

#BlueJays #ALCS

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 3d

2/2: Below is Molitor v. Stieb, and Stieb v. everyone.

Hitters had a .667 OPS season average v. Stieb, with the league's average of .725.

Stieb did really well v. Molitor with a .639 OPS in 120 PAs, the batter Stieb faced the most. 🤯 With a min. 60 PAs, Molitor ranked 25th. 🤷🏽‍♂️

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 3d

⚾️ #StiebMatchUpMondays! ⚾️

A new feature where *you*, #StiebNation, can submit your requests!

How did Dave Stieb perform head-to-head vs the best (or just your personal fav)? Let's look at a #BlueJays World Series winner, *Paul Molitor*! Read on... 🧵

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 3d

2/2: It's probably the first time U.S. readers are learning about Pat Gillick's roster-constructing talent.

He's turned out the AL's best team based on an industry-best eye for diamonds-in-the-rough, weeding through other teams' surplus for affordable talent.

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 3d

October 5-8, 1985 (1/2) - Reading material!

At newsstands as the #BlueJays clinch the AL East and prepare for the ALCS against Kansas City: an extensive Sports Illustrated feature.

"Teams that [once] owned us fear us now." - Lloyd Moseby

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 4d

October 5, 1985 (P2) - 🚨 #BlueJays win the A.L. East division for the 1st time vs. the #Yankees! 🎉 Here's rare video of an ecstatic Dave Stieb being interviewed in the #BlueJays clubhouse. 🚨

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 4d

October 5, 1985 (P1) - 🚨 Video of Dave Stieb's Toronto #BlueJays clinching their 1st ever division title, finally slaying their dogged pursuers, the #Yankees. 🚨

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 4d

2/2: The papers describe the clubhouse din.

In an era when a playoff berth is a huge achievement, this homegrown team’s got a right to boogie: Jim Clancy finding Dave Stieb in the delirium for a vigorous embrace; Tony Fernandez and Manny Lee dancing in a joyous spasm.

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 4d

October 5, 1985, 4:13 p.m. -

FORTY YEARS AGO THIS MINUTE

“Nine years the Blue Jay fans have waited for this…” - Fergie Olver

@torontobluejays.bsky.social

#LightsUpLetsGo
#WANTITALL

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 4d

3/3: For his part, Stieb finishes '86 on a 4-2, 2.78 run (10 starts), earning a "looked very much like the old Stieb in the last six weeks of the season" plaudit from the Toronto Star.

Maybe next year, boys.

Stieb's line: 5.1IP 5H 2R 1ER 2BB 4K; GSc 54, RE24 0.25

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 4d

2/3: Stieb hands a sixth-inning, 2-2 game to Mark Eichhorn. There was chatter about letting the rubber-armed Eichhorn go twice in the day's doubleheader with the ERA title at stake.

In the end, the Jays play it straight, and Eichhorn's 1.72 ERA (in 157 relief IP!) doesn't qualify.

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Today In Dave Stieb History @davestiebtoday.bsky.social · 4d

October 5, 1986 (1/3) - The broadly disappointing 1986 #BlueJays season finally ends.

Dave Stieb's thoughts? 🤬

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