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Trivia Challenge Three-Headed Monster
It wasn’t a typical time-sharing arrangement, but once in team history the Blue Jays accomplished a rare split of playing time that I imagine is not common in major league history. In one year, the Jays had 3 players each start at least 50 games at a particular position. This has only occurred once in club history and only at one position during that year. What year was this and who were the players involved?

This question treats LF, CF and RF as distinct positions, although one of these may or may not be the position in question. As always, no looking up the answer if you want to guess.
Posted by Thomas on Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 03:10 PM EDT.
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alsiem - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 03:22 PM EDT (#222443) #
3B Iorge, Mullinks and someone else
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Thomas - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 03:25 PM EDT (#222444) #
Good guess. But, incorrect. I probably would have started there, as well.
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Matthew E - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 03:26 PM EDT (#222445) #
I'm going to guess second base, '96, Domingo Cedeno, Tilson Brito, and, oh, Tomas Perez?
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ayjackson - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 03:26 PM EDT (#222446) #

1B 1984?  Al Oliver, Cliff Johnson, Willie Upshaw

That can't be right but gotta start somewhere.

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Thomas - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 03:29 PM EDT (#222447) #
Neither guess has any of the players involved.

Shall I let people know if the position is correct, even if none of the players are the same?
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Matthew E - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 03:32 PM EDT (#222448) #
No, don't.
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Mike Green - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 03:42 PM EDT (#222450) #
RF, 1982- Hosken Powell, Jesse Barfield and somebody else, Barry Bonnell maybe. 
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Mike Green - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 03:46 PM EDT (#222451) #
That's wrong, but in 1983, they did come close.
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ayjackson - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 03:49 PM EDT (#222452) #

1997 LF with Stewart, Brumfield and Cruz Jr.

(just checked, close-ish but no cigar)

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Kasi - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 04:03 PM EDT (#222454) #
Well let's think. First I don't know much about the Jays in the 80s, especially early 80s. Too young there. I somehow doubt that any of these incidents are from the Jays top teams of the late 80s and early 90s. Good teams tend to have starters at each spot, so a 50/50/50 split seems odd.

So if we take it as that then the time period has to be between now and 94 and before 84 or so. I have no idea about the 84 and before, but I do have some thoughts on the last 15 years. Pretty sure it was not 1B, since Delgado and Overbay dominated the position. I don't recall us going with a trio of catchers, so scratch that. I think CF has been pretty stable as well. If I'd have to narrow it down more, I would think either LF, 3B or SS. (possibly 2B too) Those 3 positions are really ones we've seen a ton of turnover and no real big starter for a while. 3B did have some stability with Glaus and Rolen and Hinske, so maybe not that. So I'd think LF or SS. Perhaps LF in one of the years Reed Johnson was here or SS when Eckstein along with Scutaro and Mac were on the team?

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Jonny German - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 04:06 PM EDT (#222455) #

Left field '93 was interesting, particularly given that it was a Championship team.

 
 G GS Inn
Joe Carter 55 55 466
Rickey Henderson 44 44 377
Turner Ward 33 22 221
Darnell Coles 31 26 207
Rob Butler 15 11 105
Willie Canate 17 4 65

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Spicol - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 04:15 PM EDT (#222456) #

I have to think that the two ripest areas where this would have happened would be the 2Bmen in the late 90s, what with injuries to Bush and his series of replacements or with the DHs in the 80s, where we saw quick rotations of saavy veterans (read: old or generally washed up) in and out of the job.

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John Northey - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 04:18 PM EDT (#222457) #
Hrm...

I recall 1993 shortstop being a mess until Tony came back, but I'm certain less than 100 games passed before he returned and I cannot imagine Griffin got 50 starts that year anyways as the 3rd SS.

Outfield seems likely with someone moving around a lot. Such as '92 with Winfield/Carter sharing RF and Carter/whoever in LF (iirc).

Odds are a rookie came up and took over late, with a vet or failed kid starting the season with the other doing mid-season.

Oh, there is an idea...
1987 second base: Iorg, Liriano, Lee all had significant time iirc.
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John Northey - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 04:21 PM EDT (#222458) #
Dang, 1987 had Mike Sharperson plus those 3 thus only Iorg got over 40 starts, but didn't reach 80 (still cannot believe Williams put Iorg in that much with his 44 OPS+ but Sharperson had a 43, Lee a 67, and Liriano a 72). Even George Bell got 2 innings at 2B that year - says a lot about what a black hole it was.
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MatO - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 04:25 PM EDT (#222459) #
Shot in the dark.  1985 - Jeff Burroughs, Cliff Johnson and Al Oliver as DH's.
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MatO - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 04:38 PM EDT (#222460) #

Nah.  Burroughs yes.  Oliver started 48.  Johnson wasn't there as long as I thought.  Len Matuszek actually started 39.

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Mick Doherty - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 04:40 PM EDT (#222461) #
No idea. But gotta say, I hope it's not a DH. That would be a WAY less cool answer than an actual defensive position.
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Thomas - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 04:40 PM EDT (#222462) #
or SS when Eckstein along with Scutaro and Mac were on the team?

Kasi wins. In 2008, the Jays had three players start at least 50 games at SS: Eckstein (56), Scutaro (53) and McDonald (52). Congrats. You will receive a no-prize in the mail shortly.

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MatO - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 04:44 PM EDT (#222463) #
To win the no-prize he needed to state the year as well.
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Thomas - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 04:45 PM EDT (#222464) #
As for the two times with 3 players starting at least 40 games at a position, none of them have been guessed yet. One or two posters have been kicking around relatively close with their answers, just a few years off. The other incident, no one has even come close on (and I would never have guessed if you gave me 50 chances).
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Evair Montenegro - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 05:07 PM EDT (#222467) #
I actually checked before posting, but I was thinking maybe Tom Wilson, Huckaby and Fletcher, but Fletcher didn't reach 40, then I was thinking maybe 1995 with Sandy Martinez, Knorr and maybe another one.
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Thomas - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 05:13 PM EDT (#222469) #
I was thinking maybe 1995 with Sandy Martinez, Knorr and maybe another one.

This was the instance no one had come close on and I would certainly have never guessed. In 1995, there was a split at catcher with: Sandy Martinez (54), Mystery Catcher (49) and Randy Knorr (41). These were the only three players to get playing time for the Jays at catcher that year. Who was the third catcher?

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smcs - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 05:16 PM EDT (#222470) #
Ahh, I was sure I had both of the 3x40 years, but could not remember the third player for one and was thinking the wrong position for the other, so I looked them up and I would have had it.    Dang, that's a good question, though.
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bmy1 - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 07:06 PM EDT (#222474) #
Lance Parrish was the 3rd catcher in 1995. End of a great career.
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Thomas - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 07:54 PM EDT (#222479) #
Lance Parrish was the 3rd catcher in 1995. End of a great career.

Indeed. And it was. There is one time-sharing arrangement of 3x40+ games started that hasn't been guessed, if anyone is up for further trivia.

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Mick Doherty - Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 10:50 PM EDT (#222485) #
I was going to make a smarta$$ response (typical) but then realized it might accidentally be sort of right but I don't know how to look it up ... have the Jays ever had three SP in the same year all make 40+ starts? Unlikely since about 1970, but not out of the question ... and technically, it would fit your question's criteria ... 8-P
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John Northey - Wednesday, September 15 2010 @ 09:02 AM EDT (#222487) #
Came close in 1982 or 1983 iirc with Stieb/Clancy/Leal as all were horses and the Jays were going with a 4 man rotation at the time. I don't think any cracked 40 but I think all hit 37.
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John Northey - Wednesday, September 15 2010 @ 09:12 AM EDT (#222488) #
It was 1982 - Stieb & Leal had 38 while Clancy had 40. ERA+'s of 138/114/121 respectively with the lowest inning total going to Leal at 249 2/3. Jim Gott was #4 with 23 starts plus another 23 from an assortment (Bomback, Eichhorn, Garvin, Geisel, Jackson). For complete games it was 19 for Stieb, 11 for Clancy and 10 for Leal. Phew did Cox count on his workhorses or what?

Of note: 1 times Stieb threw 11 innings, 17 times 9 or more, just 8 times (out of 38) did he not get 6 innings in. 5 game scores over 80, with one over 90. Yet somehow he came in 4th in Cy Young voting to Pete Vuckovich who's only advantage was 1 more win and 8 fewer losses thanks to a much better offense and bullpen (V had 8 fewer starts, 65 fewer innings, more walks and fewer K's than Stieb). Geez were the voters idiots back then (other than the 5 who voted for Stieb in 1st place).
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vw_fan17 - Wednesday, September 15 2010 @ 03:56 PM EDT (#222517) #
I had the right position for the last 3x40, but the wrong year..
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Thomas - Wednesday, September 15 2010 @ 05:05 PM EDT (#222521) #
I had the right position for the last 3x40, but the wrong year...

Since the guesses have died down, I'll let you know that the other 3x40 was 2B in 2002.

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smcs - Wednesday, September 15 2010 @ 05:22 PM EDT (#222522) #
...and right field in 2003.
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Thomas - Wednesday, September 15 2010 @ 06:54 PM EDT (#222523) #
...and right field in 2003.

The glory days of Freed Johntalanotto, with a guest appearance by Bobby Kielty.

I'm quite curious how often the 3x50 games started mark occurs, as I can't imagine it occurs frequently, but checking that throughout major league history seems quite time consuming.

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