It is John Mayberry’s 77th birthday.
Mayberry was drafted in the 1st round (6th pick overall) in the 1967 amateur draft. The number 1 pick that year was Ron Blomberg by the Yankees, so the Astros could have done much worse. Only Ted Simmons and Bobby Grich, also first-round picks, had better careers than John
John was a big, left-handed slugging first baseman. Officially listed at 6’3” and 230 pounds, he was likely heavier by the time he reached the Jays. He made his MLB debut as a September call-up in 1968 at 19, although he went hitless in 9 at-bats. The following September, he got just 4 at-bats and still no hits. After two more seasons as a part-timer, he was traded to the Royals, where he became their everyday first baseman for six seasons.
In his first four seasons as a Royal, Mayberry was a star—twice an All-Star, and runner-up in the 1975 AL MVP voting. He received MVP votes in four of six seasons with the Royals. His best year: 34 home runs, 119 walks, 106 RBI, and a .291/.416/.547 line. But his numbers dropped sharply in his last two years with Kansas City (.232 in 1976, .230 in 1977), and there may have been a reason.
To understand what happened, you need some context about baseball—and society—in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Decades before performance-enhancing drugs dominated sports headlines, non-performance-enhancing drugs were the issue. Cocaine was popular among the wealthy, and its dangers were often downplayed.
Baseball wasn’t the only place where drugs were a problem. Cocaine was the drug of choice for the financially well-off throughout society. Time Magazine had a cover story saying it was the in thing, without suggesting that there could be a downside.
In the 1977 AL Playoffs, with the Royals leading 2-1, manager Whitey Herzog let players skip batting practice before Game 4 for rest. Herzog later recalled: “Mayberry dragged in real late, but I put him on first base anyway, which was my big mistake.” Mayberry had a rough game, and Herzog suspected the cause: “The man couldn’t even talk, and I knew what was wrong….It must have been a hell of a party.” Herzog insisted on moving Mayberry, and the Royals sold him to the Jays.
“Mayberry dragged in real late, but I put him on first base anyway, which was my big mistake”. Mayberry had a bad game, dropping pop-ups and striking out. Herzog asked him what was wrong. “The man couldn’t even talk, and I knew what was wrong….It must have been a hell of a party”. Herzog insisted on moving Mayberry, and the Royals sold him to the Jays.
A few years later, as Cardinals manager, Herzog made a similar move with Keith Hernandez, a talented first baseman whom he traded after concerns about his work ethic—later linked to drug use. Herzog didn’t want Hernandez influencing younger players. Ironically, two young Mets stars later struggled with drugs, though blaming Hernandez would be a stretch
At the time, it was surprising for the Royals to part with Mayberry. As more stories of baseball’s drug problem emerged, it became clear that most teams chose to ignore it. Herzog was one of the few who would act.
Mayberry joined the Blue Jays for their second season, joining a struggling team that finished 59-102. He had some strong seasons with Toronto, though never matching his Kansas City peak. It’s hard to say if his decline was due to drugs, age, or size—he was always big and only got bigger and slower.
In 1979, Mayberry played 137 games, hitting .274/.372/.461 with 21 home runs and 74 RBI. In 1980, he posted a .248/.349/.473 line with 30 HR (6th in the AL) and 82 RBI—productive, if not superstar numbers.
During the 1981 strike season, he played 94 of 106 games, hitting .248/.360/.452 with 17 home runs (7th in the AL). In each full Jays season, his OPS+ was over 100: 108, 124, 119, and 128.
In 1982, Mayberry played just 17 games, mostly at DH, as Willie Upshaw took over first base. He hit .273/.405/.455 before being traded on May 5th to the Yankees for Dave Revering, Tom Dodd, and Jeff Reynolds. None made much of an impact for Toronto, but Dodd was later traded back to New York (along with Dale Murray) for Dave Collins, Fred McGriff, Mike Morgan, and cash—a great deal for the Jays.
I was young when Mayberry played for Toronto, but I remember him as a smiling, engaging presence—great in interviews, and eager to help sell baseball to Canada. It couldn’t have been easy, leaving a contender for a cellar-dweller.
At the time of his trade to the Yankees, Mayberry held the Blue Jays’ career records for homers and RBI.
Bill James’ Historical Baseball Abstract once ranked Mayberry as the 49th best first baseman, though he’d drop a few spots now. He later coached for five years in the Jays’ system. His son, John Jr., played 15 games for Toronto in 2014.
Happy birthday, John. Hope it’s a good one.
It’s also Alex Rios’ birthday—he turns 45 today.
Alex played six seasons with the Jays and was a solid contributor. He finished 5th in Rookie of the Year voting in 2004 and made All-Star teams in 2006 and 2007.
Before 2008, the Jays signed Rios to a 7-year, $70 million contract, which looked smart at first: he hit .291/.337/.461. But by August 2009, his numbers had dipped to .261/.317/.427, and Toronto put him on waivers. The White Sox claimed him and, after a few days of negotiation, took on his contract. Rios struggled in Chicago, hitting just .199/.229/.301 in 41 games that year.
He stayed with the White Sox until a 2013 trade to the Rangers, where he was perfectly average: .280/.312/.414 over a year and a half.
In 2015, Rios earned a World Series ring with the Royals, playing right field. He had a great ALCS against Toronto (.368/.368/.526, 1 HR, 3 RBI)—I try not to hold that against him. He struggled in the World Series, though, hitting .133 in 15 at-bats.
2015 was his final MLB season. Over 12 years, Rios hit .277/.321/.434 with 165 home runs and 244 stolen bases.
Happy birthday, Alex.
It is also my niece Nicola’s birthday; happy birthday, Nicola.
