Receiving the phone call last night informing me that I was being inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame was a dream come true! Toronto has always felt like home to me and to now be etched into history is a legacy I could have only hoped for. I am deeply humbled and grateful.
Born on December 29, 1962 in Kingston, Jamaica, Devon White cemented his reputation as one of the greatest defensive centre fielders in major league history while with the Toronto Blue Jays from 1991 to 1995.
White moved to New York City when he was nine and emerged as a standout on the diamond at Park West High School in Manhattan where he caught the eyes of the California Angels who selected him in the sixth round of the 1981 MLB draft.
He would spend almost five seasons in the minors – including a tenure with the Triple-A Edmonton Trappers – before making his major league debut. In 1987, his first full season with the Angels, he had 24 home runs and 32 stolen bases and led American League outfielders with 424 putouts. He followed that up by winning Gold Glove awards in 1988 and 1989 and being selected to his first All-Star Game in 1989.
On December 2, 1990, White was traded to the Blue Jays and he became their leadoff hitter and starting centre fielder in 1991. In his first season with the Blue Jays, he batted .282 with 17 home runs and 33 stolen bases in 156 games. He also topped the team with a 6.3 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) and captured his third Gold Glove.
He followed that up with another strong season in 1992 that saw him lead the majors with a 3.9 dWAR (Defensive Wins Above Replacement), which remains a single-season record for a Blue Jays fielder. In the World Series that year, he made what is arguably the most famous defensive play in franchise history. In the fourth inning of Game 3, with runners on first and second and nobody out, Atlanta Braves slugger Dave Justice belted a ball deep to centre field at SkyDome. White leapt into the wall and made a miraculous catch to begin what should’ve been a triple play. It was a momentum-shifting grab in a pivotal game that the Blue Jays won 3-2 to take a 2-1 lead in the series that they eventually won in six games.
White returned in 1993 to serve as a catalyst atop the Blue Jays’ WAMCO offence (White, Alomar, Molitor, Carter, Olerud). He was selected to play in the All-Star Game and helped the Blue Jays to their second consecutive championship.
The veteran outfielder collected two more Gold Gloves with the Blue Jays in 1994 and 1995 before signing a three-year contract with the Florida Marlins.
White still ranks in the top 10 in several all-time Blue Jays statistical categories, including second in stolen base percentage (84.6%), sixth in stolen bases (126) and seventh in triples (34). His five Gold Gloves are the most by any outfielder in Blue Jays’ history.
White earned a third World Series ring with the Marlins in 1997 and enjoyed an All-Star season with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998, before ending his 17-season MLB career with tenures with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers.
Since hanging up his playing spikes, White has worked as a coach in the minor league ranks, including several years in the Blue Jays’ organization. His most recent position is special assistant to player development in the Blue Jays’ organization.