Baseball History: Fergie Jenkins Arrested on Drug Charges

Fergie Jenkins was a hero in Canada, considered to be the best Canadian player in baseball history. On this day in 1980, he was arrested on drug charges, shocking the baseball world and his home country.

Perhaps the best player from Canada in baseball history, Fergie Jenkins quickly established himself as a star. One of the top pitchers in the National League, he helped keep the Chicago Cubs in contention in the 1960s, and then produced the best season of any Texas Rangers pitcher. He was, understandably, an icon in his native country.

That came crashing down on this day in 1980. Jenkins was arrested at Exhibition Stadium, the first home of the Toronto Blue Jays. Customs officials had discovered that the Rangers pitcher had smuggled approximately $500 worth of cocaine, marijuana, and hashish in his suitcase. Not only was the baseball world shocked by the arrest, but the nation had lost one of their heroes.

The arrest had repercussions in the baseball world as well. Just 14 days after his arrest, Jenkins became the first player in baseball history to be permanently suspended for drug related offenses. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn came down hard on the Rangers pitcher, looking to make him an example.

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Jenkins’ suspension would not last long. In what was an unprecedented move, he was reinstated on September 22 by independent arbitrator Raymond Goetz. When he went to trial, the judge gave Jenkins an absolute discharge, as some of the evidence against him was missing.

That arrest was just the beginning to the drug controversies of the decade. In 1983, three members of the Kansas City Royals, Willie Wilson, Willie Aikens, and Jerry Martin, along with Athletics pitcher Vida Blue, received three months in jail for attempting to purchase cocaine. In 1985, several current and past members of the Pittsburgh Pirates, along with their mascot, were called in front of a grand jury in regards to their cocaine usage and purchases. Several players were suspended for that usage, and others were made to perform community service and donate part of their salaries.

Other players were unable to escape the grasp that the drugs had on them. Steve Howe was continually suspended for drug related offenses. Rod Scurry, one of the Pirates players called before that grand jury, eventually passed away after an incident with police while on drugs. Jenkins’ arrest and subsequent suspension were just the beginning.

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Fergie Jenkins had been a star and one of the best baseball players to come out of Canada. On this day in 1980, his arrest on drug charges foreshadowed what would follow for the rest of the decade.