Highlighted Year: Dave Lemanczyk, 1979

Pitcher, Toronto Blue Jays

Age: 29 (Aug. 17)

3^rd season with Blue Jays

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 235 

Prior to 1979:

A native of Syracuse, New York, Lemanczyk (pronounced Leh-MAN-chick) was a star quarterback at Westhill High School, but preferred baseball, where he was primarily a catcher on the school team,  and basketball. After graduating from high school in 1968 he moved on to Hartwick College where he played basketball in addition to baseball. In his first college start he pitched a one-hitter with 15 strikeouts and went on to set a school record with 70 strikeouts as a senior. Lemanczyk, who majored in history, world religion and philosophy, graduated in 1972 and was drafted and signed by the Detroit Tigers. Initially assigned to Lakeland of the Class A Florida State League, the hard-throwing Lemanczyk posted an impressive 7-1 record and a 1.77 ERA with 55 strikeouts over 66 innings before being promoted to the Toledo Mud Hens of the Class AAA International League where he went 5-2 with a 3.00 ERA and 32 strikeouts over 80 innings. A fine Grapefruit League performance earned him a spot on Detroit’s opening day roster in 1973. Following an unimpressive relief performance in his first major league appearance, Lemanczyk was returned to Toledo, where he experienced difficulties and was demoted to the Montgomery Rebels of the Class AA Southern League where he returned to form and went 3-1 with a 2.32 ERA that included a no-hitter against Asheville. Returning to Toledo, he narrowly missed tossing another no-hitter and he finished with a combined minor league record of 9-9 with a 4.19 ERA, 4 shutouts, and 112 strikeouts over 144 innings pitched. After another strong spring performance in 1974, Lemanczyk started the season in Class Triple AAA with the Evansville Triplets of the American Association. He was called up to the Tigers a month into the season. Rarely used during his first five weeks with the club and prone to giving up home runs, his performance suddenly improved during July. Starting three times in 22 appearances he ended up with a 2-1 tally and 4.00 ERA with 10 games finished and 52 strikeouts over 78.2 innings. Typically used out of the bullpen in 1975 (6 of his 26 appearances were starts), Lemanczyk posted a 2-7 record and 4.46 ERA for the woeful Tigers. Sent down to Evansville in 1976, he returned to Detroit in June and while starting in 10 of his 20 appearances, Lemanczyk went 4-6 with a 5.09 ERA and 51 strikeouts over 81.1 innings. In the offseason he was selected by the Blue Jays in the AL expansion draft and secured a spot in the new club’s starting rotation in the spring. Personable and prone to be candid, the tall and husky Lemanczyk’s best pitch was his fastball, which he threw at variable speeds. He went on to top Toronto’s pitchers in wins with his 13-16 record in 1977 along with a 4.25 ERA, 11 complete games, and 105 strikeouts over 252 innings. With a penchant for occasional wildness, he also unleashed 20 wild pitches. A dreadful start in 1978 caused Lemanczyk to be demoted to the bullpen where he went on to finish with a 4-14 tally and 6.26 ERA in 29 appearances that included 20 starts. Six weeks pitching in the Florida Instructional League during the offseason helped to fix his mechanics and confidence as he prepared for the 1979 season.

1979 Season Summary

Appeared in 22 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 22

Games Started – 20

Complete Games – 11 [17, tied with Paul Splittorff]

Wins – 8

Losses – 10

PCT - .444

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 3 [6, tied with seven others]

Innings Pitched – 143

Hits – 137

Runs – 65

Earned Runs – 59

Home Runs – 12

Bases on Balls – 45

Strikeouts – 63

ERA – 3.71 [Non-qualifying]

Hit Batters – 6 [11, tied with six others]

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 11 [4, tied with Tom Underwood & Tommy John]

Midseason Snapshot: 7-7, ERA - 3.33, SO – 56 in 127 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 8 (in 9 IP) vs. Cleveland 5/21

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 9 IP) at Texas 4/24

Fielding

Chances – 34

Put Outs – 12

Assists – 20

Errors – 2

DP – 2

Pct. - .941

Awards & Honors:

All-Star

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The Blue Jays went 53-109 to finish seventh (last) in the AL Eastern Division, 50.5 games behind the division-winning Baltimore Orioles. The pitching staff led the league in highest ERA (4.82), fewest saves (11) & most runs surrendered (862) The Blue Jays went through a dismal stretch between April 15 and June 5 in which they produced a 9-39 record which entrenched them in the AL East cellar. Lemanczyk performed well until an inflamed nerve in his back that was first detected in June later cost him all feeling in his right leg. Placed on the DL in August, he returned in September and was mostly ineffective in his remaining appearance.

 Aftermath of 1979:

Seemingly healthy heading into 1980, Lemanczyk got off to a disappointing start and was traded to the California Angels in June where he spent the remainder of the season almost exclusively in the bullpen. A strong finish didn’t prevent him from being released in the offseason. His combined record was 4-9 in 31 appearances with a 4.75 ERA. Invited to spring training with the Chicago White Sox in 1981, he failed to make the team and suffered a similar fate with the New York Yankees, thus ending his playing career. For his major league career, Lemanczyk appeared in 185 games, 103 of them starts, and produced a 37-63 record and 4.62 ERA with 30 complete games, 3 shutouts, and 429 strikeouts over 913 innings. With the Blue Jays he appeared in 95 games with 82 starts, 25 complete games, 3 shutouts, and 240 strikeouts over 575 innings. His All-Star selection in 1979 was the only one of his career and he never played in the postseason. Following his major league career, he participated in the Men’s Senior Baseball League in 1988 and he operated a baseball training center in Lynbrook, New York. Lemanczyk was named to the Hartwick College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995, the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame in 2006, and the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013. 

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.