Selected by the Toronto Blue Jays as the second player overall in the 1978 free agent draft, Moseby was rushed to the majors by the talent-hungry Blue Jays faster than the development of his potential would have ordinarily warranted. A talented center fielder, he combined with Jesse Barfield and George Bell to form what was sometimes called the best outfield in baseball in the late 1980s.
In 1983 Moseby became the first Blue Jay to score 100 runs in a season, and tied teammate Damaso Garcia for a team-record (and league-leading) 21-game hitting streak. The following season, he tied with teammate Dave Collins for the AL lead in triples, and was a consistent run-producer and stolen base threat for the mid-80s Jays.
By the end of the decade, the "best outfield" was being dismantled. Barfield was traded to the Yankees, and emerging prospect Junior Felix was gradually pushing Moseby out of center. When Moseby signed with the Detroit Tigers in December 1989, he left Toronto as the Blue Jays' career leader in games, at-bats, runs, hits, doubles, total bases, extra-base hits, stolen bases, strikeouts, being hit by the pitch, and sacrifice flies.
Moseby saw limited time with the Tigers for two seasons, and then traveled to Japan, where he played with the Yomiuri Giants for 1992 and 1993. He was the Blue Jays' first base coach in 1998 and 1999. (TF/AG)
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FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»June 8, 1978: Bob Horner, the College Player of the Year, is selected first in the free-agent draft by the Braves. Horner will skip the minors and debut on June 16 with a homer in his first game, off Blyleven. The Blue Jays make Lloyd Moseby the 2nd selection. The Yankees, with three first-round selections awarded as compensation in player signings, pick Rex Hudler, Matt Winters, and Brian Ryder. On the 23rd round they take a Clearwater RHP named Howard Johnson, who will make the ML as an infielder. MSU's Kirk Gibson, who most teams assume will play football, lasts until the 12th overall pick when his hometown Tigers take him. He signs for $200,000 and promises to drop football. Kent Hrbek lasts until the 17th round, and Ryne Sandberg goes the Phils on the 20th round. Besides Horner, three other draft picks, all high schoolers, will jump directly to the majors after signing: the A's Mike Morgan (June 11); Blue Jays Brian Milner (June 23) and the A's Tim Conroy (June 23).
»May 6, 1981:
Cleveland's Bert Blyleven holds Toronto hitless for eight innings before Lloyd Moseby doubles to lead off the 9th, and Blyleven settles for a 4–1 two-hitter.
»September 14, 1987: In an 18–3 rout of the Orioles, the Blue Jays erupt for a ML-record 10 home runs. Ernie Whitt leads the parade with three round trippers, Rance Mulliniks and George Bell hit 2, and Lloyd Moseby, Rob Ducey, and Fred McGriff each add one. Mike Hart hits one for Baltimore to tie the 2-team major-league record of 11. In the 7th inning, the Jays Kelly Gruber makes an out and, in his next at bat in the frame, hits into a DP tie a major-league record for most outs-inning. Cal Ripken's streak of 8,243 consecutive innings (908 games) is broken when he is lifted in the 8th for pinch runner Ron Washington.
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