Tony Fernandez soared for the Cincinnati Reds in 1994

Toronto Blue Jays great, Tony Fernandez, a key member of the 1994 Cincinnati Reds club that finished in first place, passed away on Sunday.

The baseball world was stunned early Sunday morning when news spread of the passing of former infielder Tony Fernandez at just 57 years of age. While he will always be remembered first as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays fraternity, Fernandez played a pivotal role for the Cincinnati Reds during his lone season in the Queen City.

By the time the Reds signed a 31-year-old Fernandez as a free agent, early in spring training of 1994, he had very little to prove to the baseball world.  After helping lead the Blue Jays to a World Series title in 1993, the four-time All-Star and Gold Glove recipient, was looking to add another to his résumé. Fortunately, for both Fernandez and the Reds, they shared similar ambitions.

Following a disastrous 1993 season that saw the Redlegs go 73-89, general manager Jim Bowden made wholesale roster changes to ensure the club would return to playoff contention. One of those changes was the front office decision to let fan favorite and former Rookie of the Year, Chris Sabo, leave via free agency which opened a hole at the hot corner.

Enter Tony Fernandez. An 11-year veteran, Fernandez had spent all but 10 games in the field as a shortstop, but with Barry Larkin patrolling the center of the diamond at Riverfront Stadium, the Reds gambled Fernandez could handle third base. It was a gamble that paid off handsomely for both Fernandez and the Reds.

Making 93 starts at the hot corner, Fernandez slashed .279/.361/.426 with eight homers, 50 RBIs and 12 stolen bases in a 104 total games. Spending the majority of the season hitting sixth in the Reds order, Fernandez was at his best in the most clutch situations. With two-outs and runners in scoring position, he posted a .404 OBP with a lethal .553 slugging rate.

The 1994 Reds were sitting atop the newly formed National League Central Division with a 66-48 record when the player’s strike wiped out the remainder of the season, including the playoffs. Unfortunately, Tony Fernandez pursuit of another championship ring would have to wait another year.

Once the labor disputes were finally resolved between the owners and the players union, prior to the start of the 1995 season, the switch-hitting Fernandez had parlayed his excellent season in Cincinnati into a free agent deal with the New York Yankees.

Tony Fernandez ended his 17-year playing career following the 2001 season. He would finish with 2,276 hits and a career batting average of .288 with 246 stolen bases. On September 23, 2001 the Toronto Blue Jays honored Fernandez bestowing upon him the Level Of Excellence award.

At the time, Fernandez became just the fifth Blue Jay given their highest team honor. Tony Fernandez’s name now graces the stands of the Rogers Centre in Toronto among the greatest players in the history of their franchise.