Toronto Blue Jays all-time roster: Utility – Kelly Gruber (1984-1992)
Perhaps it is not a surprise that, when Kelly Gruber made the Majors, the Blue Jays began their trek towards relevance. After all, throughout the late 1980s and into the 1990s, he was one of the faces of the ballclub.
He struggled when he first came up to Toronto, with two brief call-ups before sticking in 1986. He showed some power and speed capability but produced a .218/.258/.374 batting line through age 25. Then, in 1988, everything clicked for Gruber. He became a viable threat in the lineup and would make two All-Star Games and finish fourth in the MVP balloting in 1990.
Overall, Gruber had a solid career with the Blue Jays. He produced a .259/.307/.432 batting line, hitting 117 homers and stealing 80 bases. If his initial struggles are removed, and the next five years of Gruber’s career are considered separately, those numbers improve dramatically. Even accounting for his struggles due to a degenerative disk in his neck, he still had a .267/.316/.447 batting line over those five years.
While Gruber is thought of as a third baseman, he was much more. He filled in at second, right, and even shortstop during his career, playing each position with relative competence. In fact, when he attempted to make a comeback in 1997, Gruber spent 21 of his 38 games at second and did not make an appearance at third.
Gruber may not have been a Hall of Fame talent, but he was well on his way to a solid career before his neck injury forced him into early retirement. One of the faces of the Blue Jays during their first Golden Age, one has to wonder what would have been if he stayed healthy.
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