Damaso Garcia was not an original Blue Jay, but for many in Toronto, he was their first infielder who connected with the fans.
After two years in a reserve role with the Yankees, Garcia was traded to Toronto in 1980, where he was still rookie-eligible. He collected 151 Hits, finished fourth for the ROY, and had a respectable Batting Average (.278), and arguably had his best season in 1982, batting .310, swiping 54 bases, and winning a Silver Slugger. After another decent year in 1983 (.307, 31 SB), Garcia went to the All-Star Game in both 1984 and 1985, though his season-end Batting Averages were under .300, though still good (.284 and .282, respectively).
1986 was a disaster for Garcia, who was dropped to ninth in the lineup and slumped. Looking to break out, he burned his uniform in the clubhouse, drawing the ire of Manager Jimy Williams, who ripped him apart in front of his teammates. Garcia never broke out of the slump and was traded to the Braves after the season.
If the rank of Garcia seems low, he was penalized for his lack of power (32 HR in 902 Games), average defense, and weak OBP (.312).
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