SPORTS FLASHBACK 1993: Remember October of 1993?

The two most surprising events in October of 1993 were the Progressive Conservatives loss to the Liberals in Provencher in the federal election and the Toronto Blue Jays winning back-to-back World Series.

While most Carillon readers were more interested in the federal election campaign, where Kelly Clark found that Jake Epp was a hard act to follow, sports fans were kept abreast of the happenings on the baseball field in Hogtown by TSN sportscaster Jim Hughson.

During the baseball season, Hughson’s Somewhere in a Park column gave Carillon readers a behind-the-scenes look at major league baseball.

Here’s what Hughson wrote for the November 3, 1993 column in The Carillon:

In a Park Somewhere

Everyone will remember Joe Carter bouncing around the bases after his World Series-winning home run for the Blue Jays. In fact, as time goes by, most people will claim to have been there, and within weeks, at least a thousand people will have the ball Carter hit out of the park. But scant days after Toronto’s victory, can anyone remember who started the season in right field or what happened on opening night?

It’s easy to recall the dramatic moments from the playoffs and just as easy to forget their toughest test – the Blue Jays played 174 games in 1993 and won 95, just to stay alive for the playoffs.

When Jack Morris was knocked out in the fifth inning and Toronto was thrashed 8-1 on Day One in Seattle, the Blue Jays had an indication of what was to come. Their pitching wasn’t what it was supposed to be.

The team was a meager one win above .500 when Morris or Dave Stewart pitched and that was only because Stewart had a great finish.

Juan Guzman and Pat Hentgen were the only consistent starters, and had it not been for a bullpen anchored by Danny Cox and Duane Ward, Toronto could have been in a deep hole by the first of July instead of being two games up on the Yankees.

Pat Gillick is often applauded for his great trades, but got no applause for acquiring Darrin Jackson. He was the opening day right fielder, but for a variety of reasons, made no contribution and was traded away in June for help at short. Gillick gained redemption for himself by getting Tony Fernandez from the Mets to stabilize the infield.

There were many whose moments of glory were few, but no less important, to the cause. Willie Canate won a game against Kansas City with a ninth-inning homer and another in New York with a run-saving catch. Domingo Cedeno filled in admirably for 12 games in June when all the shortstops were hurt. And who could forget Huck Flener getting a big out in Detroit, wearing Shawn Green’s jersey, Pat Hentgen’s cleats and Al Leiter’s glove.

But mostly the ’93 Blue Jays will be remembered for Joe Carter’s big hit, a hundred of them by Paul Molitor, John Olerud’s flirtation with .400 and everything Roberto Alomar does so well.

This Blue Jays team was a special group of gifted players, a half dozen of whom may one day enter the Hall of Fame.

The arduous length of their season is best exemplified by manager Cito Gaston, who was looking to October when he made decisions in May and who won’t forget April contributions, when championship rings are engraved this winter.

While the spotlight shone brightest in the final moments of the last game, the performers had been on stage for 195 days, plotting the dramatic finish.