Former Blue Jays southpaw Jimmy Key turns 59 today and his birthday got me thinking about just how important he was to the Blue Jays in the late ’80s and early ’90s, it also reminded me just how under-appreciated Key really was. He may arguably be the most underrated pitcher in franchise history.
Key was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 3rd round of the 1982 amateur draft out of Clemson University. The lefty was previously drafted in the 10th round by the Chicago White Sox in 1979 but opted for collegiate ball at that time.