Former Toronto Blue Jays All-Star pitcher Jim Clancy has died, the team announced. He was 69.
No cause of death was revealed.
“We are saddened to learn of the passing of Blue Jays great, Jim Clancy,” the Blue Jays said in
a statement
Wednesday. “Clancy spent 12 of his 15 Major League seasons with Toronto – including an All-Star appearance in 1982 – and ranks second in franchise history in starts, innings pitched, and complete games. His impact on our organization will be remembered forever. Our hearts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.”
Clancy pitched 15 seasons in MLB from 1977-91 for the Blue Jays, Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves. Clancy earned his lone career All-Star appearance in 1982 and led MLB with 40 starts that season. He also led the American League with 36 starts in the 1984 season.
After 12 seasons in Toronto, Clancy pitched two-plus seasons for the Astros from 1989-91. He also pitched in 24 games, all out of the bullpen, for the Braves during the second half of the 1991 season before retiring later that year.
Clancy finished his MLB career with a 140-167 record, 4.23 ERA and 1,422 strikeouts in 2,517.1 innings pitched. He pitched in 472 games, including 381 starts, until he served as a reliever late in his career with Houston and Atlanta, during which he recorded 10 saves.
Former Blue Jays star Jesse Barfield also issued a statement remembering his former teammate.
“Our @BlueJays family is mourning the death of our beloved teammate big Jim Clancy,” Barfield wrote in a
post to X
. “He was one of the anchors of our great pitching staff, and was a true warrior on the mound and a workhorse! We had a chance to win every time he took the mound because he kept us in it! RIP.”
Clancy is remembered for his durability and consistency as a pitcher across 15 MLB seasons, according to cleveland.com / The Plain Dealer features writer Marc Bona, who has written four sports books.
“Clancy might not have had the most dominating numbers, but you don’t last 15 seasons without being solid,” Bona said. “His 1,237 strikeouts is good for third all-time among Blue Jays pitchers, and most of those were recorded on not-so-great teams in his time in Toronto.”
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