Former Blue Jays Pitcher Vince Horsman Sees Echoes of Baseball’s Past in Playoff Run
Former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Vince Horsman, a Nova Scotia native, observed that the team’s current playoff approach harkens back to a more traditional style of baseball, emphasizing hitting to all fields rather than solely relying on power.
Horsman, who pitched for the Jays in 1991 and appeared in 141 major league games over five seasons, spoke ahead of Game 2 of the World Series yesterday. He noted the team’s ability to “go the other way and use the whole field,” a contrast to the analytics-driven, power-focused strategies common in modern baseball. “They still have their thumpers, but they’re not afraid to go the other way and use the whole field,” Horsman said. “And it’s kind of, like, to me, it looks more like an approach of a time gone by.” This observation comes as the Blue Jays continue their pursuit of a World Series title, a feat they last achieved in 1993.
Horsman’s journey to the majors began with a standout performance at a 1984 midget tournament in Moncton, New Brunswick, where he struck out 16 of 18 batters faced after a scout initially missed his game due to food poisoning. He was signed as an international free agent, a common path for Canadian players at the time, and worked his way through Toronto’s farm system, eventually making the jump directly from AA to the majors. He later pitched for the Oakland Athletics and Minnesota Twins, and has spent the last four decades in professional baseball, currently serving as a pitching coach with the 7-Eleven Unilions in Taiwan. You can find more information about the history of the Baseball Reference website.
The experience of playing for the Blue Jays in front of crowds of around 50,000 was particularly impactful for Horsman, who grew up in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. He recalled the “crazy and electric” atmosphere of the 1991 playoff run. He is the only player from Nova Scotia to have played for the Jays. He expressed his support for the team, stating, “I’m happy for them and I’m happy for the people back in Canada because I know how much they support Toronto, and I hope they do well, I hope they win it.” For more on the Blue Jays’ current roster, visit MLB.com.
The Blue Jays are continuing their World Series campaign, and Horsman hopes to see the team bring a championship back to Canada.
