Former Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Clancy of Chicago, Illinois passed away on Monday at the age of 69. According to the Canadian Press, no cause of death was given.
Who did Clancy pitch for?
Clancy is best known for his time with the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched a dozen seasons with the Blue Jays from 1977 to 1988. Remember that the Blue Jays came into Major League Baseball in 1977, so Clancy was in Toronto’s first 12 years of existence. After that, Clancy pitched three seasons with the Houston Astros from 1989 to 1991, before finishing his MLB career in 1991 with the Atlanta Braves.
Career Statistics
Clancy had a record of 140 wins and 167 losses with an earned run average of 4.23. In 472 games and 2517 1/3 innings pitched, he gave up 2513 hits, 1182 earned runs, 244 home runs, and 947 walks, to go along with 1422 strikeouts, 74 complete games, 11 shutouts, 10 saves, 186 quality starts, and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.37.
All-Star in 1982
Clancy represented the Blue Jays at the 1982 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which happened to be in Canada, with Montreal, Quebec as the host. It was the first time ever that the MLB All-Star Game did not take place in the United States. Clancy threw the fourth inning, and did not give up a run.
In the 1982 season, Clancy led Major League Baseball with 40 games played by a pitcher. He had a record of 16 wins and 14 losses with an earned run average of 3.71. In 266 2/3 innings pitched, Clancy gave up 251 hits, 110 earned runs, 26 home runs and 77 walks, to go along with 139 strikeouts, 11 complete games, three shutouts and a WHIP of 1.23.
Initially drafted by the Texas Rangers
Clancy was first drafted by the Texas Rangers in the fourth round, 74th overall, out of St. Rita High School in Chicago, Illinois. However, he never pitched at the Major League level for the Rangers and reached as high as double A. The Blue Jays picked Clancy in the sixth round of the 1976 MLB Expansion Draft, even though he struggled mightily the previous year with the San Antonio Brewers as he had an earned run average of 6.23.
Career Ranks
What the Blue Jays got turned out to be a workhorse. Clancy is third all-time in Blue Jays wins with 128 (behind Dave Stieb with 175 and Roy Halladay with 148), second in innings pitched with 2204 2/3 (behind Stieb with 2873), third in strikeouts with 1237 (behind Stieb with 1658 and Halladay with 1495), second in complete games with 73 (behind Stieb with 103), and third on shutouts with 11 (behind Stieb with 30 and Halladay with 15).
