Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB.  Once that is done, we intend to look at how each team honor their past players, coaches and executives.  As such, it is important to us that the Seattle Mariners have announced that Phil Esposito has been chosen for the inaugural Tampa Bay Lightning Hall of Fame class.

Esposito will be honored on alumni weekend (March 16-18), and will be part of the first class with already named inductees, Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier.  

"As good as the Lightning are now, expanding the NHL into Florida was a daunting task as big-time hockey had never been tried in this warm weather state.  Esposito was tasked as the team’s first General Manager, and he used his creativity to generate as much interest in the product as he could.  The Lightning only reached the playoffs once under Esposito, but he laid the groundwork for the team to make it.  He would later serve as their radio color analyst.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Phil Esposito for this impending honor.

Over his seven seasons in Toronto, Venezuelan hurler Kelvim Escobar tried every role on the mound.

Debuting in 1997, five years after he was signed as an Amateur Free Agent, Escobar saved 14 Games as a rookie, but two years later was a starter, going 14-11, though his ERA was a bloated 5.69.  He again had an ERA over five in 2000 (10-14), going back and forth from starter to reliever, and was finding a groove in late relief in 2001.  

Toronto promoted Escobar to their closer in 2002, and though he had 38 Saves, the 4.27 ERA was not good, and they tried again in 2003 to figure out what to do with Escobar, who bounced between roles.  Escobar signed with the Angels in 2004, and though Escobar’s career as a Blue Jay was inconsistent and somewhat chaotic, he belongs on this list.

The trade that brought Marco Estrada to Toronto before the 2015 season is often seen as a major steal for the Blue Jays. He was sent directly from Milwaukee for veteran first baseman Adam Lind and was initially considered a versatile depth option to help bridge the rotation and bullpen. However, Estrada unexpectedly sparked a remarkable late-career resurgence, revolutionizing his approach with a high-leverage changeup that effectively neutralized some of the American League’s most potent offenses.

His 2015 debut tour was truly a personal showcase of excellence. Starting as a reliever, Estrada quickly transitioned to the starting rotation in May and maintained his momentum. He kept hitters off balance with a deceptive, late-fading changeup and a low-90s fastball that seemed faster due to its exceptional spin. He finished the season with a career-best 13–8 record and an impressive 3.13 ERA, leading Major League Baseball by allowing just 6.7 hits per nine innings.

When the bright lights of October arrived, Estrada elevated his game to legendary heights. With the Blue Jays facing elimination, down 2-0 in the ALDS against Texas, he took the mound and spun a brilliant, high-leverage gem to save Toronto's season. He repeated the feat in Game 5 of the ALCS, completely stymying the eventual world champion Kansas City Royals and keeping the city's World Series dreams alive.

The front office immediately focused on keeping their postseason hero, re-signing him to a multi-year contract during free agency. Estrada confirmed that his breakout summer was no fluke by delivering an outstanding 2016 season. He earned his only All-Star appearance, posted a solid 3.48 ERA, and led the American League by limiting opponents to only 6.8 hits per nine innings. That fall, he also added another memorable moment to his playoff legacy, nearly pitching a complete-game shutout in Game 1 of the ALDS against Texas, falling just two outs short.

Eventually, the intense workload and ongoing back problems affected him. During his last two seasons with Toronto, his control became inconsistent, and his performance noticeably declined, culminating in 2018 when his ERA exceeded five. He then signed with the Oakland Athletics as a free agent for the 2019 season, but injuries restricted him to only five more major-league games before he retired.

With the Blue Jays, Estrada appeared in 124 games (118 starts) and posted a 39–40 record, a 4.25 ERA, and a 1.22 WHIP. He threw 703.1 regular-season innings with 575 strikeouts.

During the 2005–2006 offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays acquired Lyle Overbay aiming to secure a reliable, high-output middle-of-the-order hitter. The front office traded promising pitching prospects to bring the left-handed hitter from Milwaukee, seeking a steady presence at first base. Although Overbay didn’t drastically elevate the franchise’s potential during his five-year stay, his performance was far from disappointing. With a smooth, gap-to-gap swing, "O-Dog" offered the Jays a consistent and resilient level of production.

His debut campaign in Toronto in 2006 was a showcase of outstanding offensive performance. Overbay dominated American League pitchers, marking the peak of his 14-year major league career. He achieved career highs in every category, hitting 22 home runs, driving in 92 runs, and posting an impressive .312 batting average. Utilizing his classic left-handed swing, he hit 46 doubles and posted a remarkable .880 OPS, fueling an explosive Blue Jays lineup that led the league in doubles.

Yet, as subsequent summers rolled in, replicating that spectacular 2006 showcase proved incredibly difficult. Overbay was never able to hit the .300 threshold again, and his offensive impact became more of a steady, mid-tier contribution. After an injury-hampered 2007 season saw his average plummet to .240, he rebounded to establish a remarkably consistent run from 2008 through 2010. He remained an incredibly tough out, showcasing elite plate discipline by drawing 74 walks in back-to-back seasons (2008 and 2009) and establishing a franchise record by reaching base in 12 consecutive plate appearances in May 2008.

Overbay finished his Blue Jays run with a productive 2010 farewell tour, matching his career-high 20 home runs, including a four-hit, seven-RBI game in Boston. Afterward, he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates. With Toronto, Overbay accumulated 672 hits, 180 doubles, 83 home runs, and 336 RBIs with a .268/.350/.446 slash line.