Jim Clancy, longtime Blue Jays starting pitcher and 1982 all-star, dead at 69

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jul 14, 2025 6:04 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Jim Clancy, who made his Major League debut during the Toronto Blue Jays' 1977 enlargement play and spent 12 seasons with the nine arsenic a cardinal subordinate of its starting rotation, has died astatine 69.

The Blue Jays confirmed Clancy's decease successful a societal media station Monday. A origin of decease was not given.

Clancy was selected by the Blue Jays sixth wide successful the 1976 MLB enlargement draught and made his big-league debut connected July 26, 1977, against the Texas Rangers astatine Toronto's Exhibition Stadium. He surrendered 5 earned runs implicit 2 innings successful a 14-0 loss.

After going 4-9 successful Toronto's enlargement year, Clancy played his archetypal afloat play successful 1978, posting a respectable 10-12 grounds connected a squad that finished past successful the American League East astatine 59-102.

Clancy, on with prima pitcher Dave Stieb, provided the bedrock for the Blue Jays' starting rotation arsenic the squad became progressively competitive. He was Toronto's opening-day starter successful 1981 and 1984.

The six-foot-four, 220-pound Clancy had a 16-14 grounds with a 3.71 earned-run mean and 139 strikeouts successful his 1982 all-star play arsenic the Blue Jays finished retired of past spot successful the AL East for the archetypal clip with a 78-84 record.

He went 9-6 with a 3.78 ERA successful 1985 arsenic the Jays won the part for the archetypal clip earlier falling successful 7 games to the Kansas City Royals successful the AL Championship Series.

Clancy, who ranks 2nd successful Blue Jays past successful starts (381), innings pitched (2,517), and implicit games (74), signed with the Houston Astros aft a disappointing 1988 play successful Toronto, wherever helium had an 11-13 grounds and 4.49 ERA arsenic the Blue Jays failed to instrumentality to the playoffs for a 3rd consecutive season.

He played his last run coming retired of the bullpen with the 1991 Atlanta Braves. He earned his first-ever post-season triumph successful the 3rd crippled of the World Series arsenic Atlanta defeated the Minnesota Twins 5-4 successful 12 innings.

Clancy finished the bid with a 1-0 grounds with a 4.15 ERA, but the Twins won the bid successful 7 games.

Over his career, Clancy had a 140-167 grounds with a 4.23 ERA and 1,422 strikeouts.