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| Duane Ward | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1964-05-28)May 28, 1964 (age 60) Park View, New Mexico, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 12, 1986, for the Atlanta Braves | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 22, 1995, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 32–37 |
| Earned run average | 3.28 |
| Strikeouts | 679 |
| Saves | 121 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the Canadian | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2020 |
Roy Duane Ward (born May 28, 1964) is an American formerMajor League Baseballrelief pitcher who played with theAtlanta Braves andToronto Blue Jays.
Ward went to school and made his early athletic mark in Farmington, New Mexico, a small oil and gas city, and one known for its amateur baseball programs. Ward thrived in the American Amateur Baseball Congress-sponsored baseball leagues and graduated from Farmington High School, home of the Scorpions. He was drafted out of high school in 1982. Ward also starred in theConnie Mack World Series, a baseball tournament for 18-and-under players that has been hosted in Farmington since 1965.
Since 1988, Ward has lived inLas Vegas, Nevada.
A hard-throwingpitcher, Ward was drafted with the ninth pick in the 1st round of the1982 amateur draft by theAtlanta Braves. He is tied withJim Kremmel (1971) for the second-highest draft pick of players hailing from New Mexico, behind shortstopAlex Bregman, who was selected with the second pick in the first round of the2015 MLB draft.[1] He made his major league debut on April 12, 1986, but after limited success was traded to theToronto Blue Jays on July 6 for pitcherDoyle Alexander.
Ward became one of the Jays' most dependable middle and late inning relievers in1988, and remained in the role through the1992 season, when the Blue Jays won their firstWorld Series. His pitching repertoire featured a lively, mid-90s fastball and a hard slider.
After years of being inTom Henke's shadow, Ward took over thecloser's role in1993. In the regular season, Ward set Toronto's single-season team record forsaves with 45. He was tied withJeff Montgomery of theKansas City Royals for most saves in the American League. Ward was the closing pitcher for the American League in its 9–3 victory at the1993 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. In helping the Blue Jays repeat as World Series Champions in 1993 Ward reached the peak of his career and, unexpectedly, the last significant duty of his career.
In the1993 World Series, Ward earned two saves over Philadelphia, in Game 1 (8–5 save, in Toronto) and in the wild Toronto 15–14 victory in Game 4 in Philadelphia, when Ward got the last four outs after Toronto scored the final six runs of the game. Ward was the winning pitcher for the decisive Game 6 in whichJoe Carter hit awalk-off home run after Ward pitched in relief.
The rest of Ward's career was beset by injuries and he would never save another Major League game after 1993.[2] After missing the entire1994 season due tobicepstendinitis, he retired from theToronto Blue Jays after pitching just four games during the1995 season. He finished his career with a 3.28ERA and 121 saves.
Since 2014, Ward has been featured on the Blue Jays' radio broadcasts for Sportsnet 590 The Fan. He occasionally fills in for regular colour commentatorJoe Siddall.