Jesse Barfield
Jesse Barfield is being honoured by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame for his career achievements with the Toronto Blue Jays. Barfield, a native of Joliet, Illinois, was drafted out of high school in the ninth round of the 1977 MLB June Amateur Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. This was the Toronto Blue Jays’ inaugural season and first time participating in the MLB draft.
After spending a few seasons in the Blue Jays minor league system, Barfield made his major league debut with the Toronto Blue Jays on September 3, 1981, playing right field. He started his major league career with an eight game hit streak, hitting his first two career home runs over that span. The following year, Barfield made the team directly out of spring training and played 139 games, hitting 18 home runs and earning one Rookie of the Year vote.
Pictured above is Jesse Barfield’s batting practice jacket, and his game-used helmet. Barfield donated these to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum following the announcement of his election to the Hall of Fame. Barfield played for the Toronto Blue Jays from his debut in 1981 until 1989, when he was traded mid-season to the New York Yankees.
Below is one of Barfield’s caps, worn while playing right field for the Blue Jays in the 1980s and autographed by Barfield.
Jesse Barfield was joined in the outfield by Toronto Blue Jays George Bell and Lloyd Moseby, playing their first full season together in 1985 and making one of the best outfield combinations in Toronto Blue Jays history. Barfield finished that season with 27 home runs and 22 steals, becoming the first 20-20 player in Toronto Blue Jays franchise history.
The 1985 season was a memorable one in Toronto Blue Jays history, with the team securing their first American League East Division title. Barfield experienced the only postseason of his career, with the Toronto Blue Jays taking the American League Championship Series to a game seven, but ultimately falling to the Kansas City Royals.
Thirty years later, the trio of Barfield, Bell, and Moseby were commemorated in a “Drive of 85” bobblehead (pictured above), given out at a Toronto Blue Jays home game on August 16th 2015 to the first 20, 000 fans to enter the stadium.
This is a 1987 set one home jersey worn by Jesse Barfield.
Barfield was the Toronto Blue Jays’ highest paid position player in 1987, and started the season strong, hitting 19 home runs by mid-June.
Playing through the pain after the All Star break, Barfield’s bat cooled. However he still combined with George Bell to hit 75 total home runs over the 1987 season.
