Blue Jays World Series championship reliever Duane Ward dead at 62
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Former MLB reliever Duane Ward, best known for helping the Toronto Blue Jays win the World Series in the 1990s, has died. He was 62 years old.
The Blue Jays announced Ward’s death on Sunday, saying he died of natural causes while in Toronto.
Ward was in Toronto for the unveiling of a statue in front of Rogers Centre, home of the Blue Jays, to commemorate the back-to-back World Series championships he was a part of in 1992 and 1993.
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Duane Ward of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches against the Oakland Athletics during a game in Oakland, California. (Getty Images)
The unveiling is scheduled for Saturday, when more than two dozen players, coaches and administrators are on hand to see it for the first time.
“Duane will be greatly missed by our fans and we extend our sincere condolences to his family,” the Blue Jays said in a statement. he said. “Duane will always be a valued part of the Blue Jays family, and we will be forever grateful for his contributions to our organization and baseball in Canada.”
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The Blue Jays also held a moment of silence for Ward before the first pitch of Sunday’s game against the Chicago White Sox and a moment of silence for him following a montage played on the video board in center field.
Ward was the first draft pick of the Atlanta Braves out of Farmington High School in New Mexico during the 1982 MLB Draft, but he didn’t last long there as he made his major league debut with the club.
Ward was traded to the Blue Jays midway through the 1986 season and indeed found a home north of the border.
He spent part of his nine years with the ballclub and developed into a key reliever who could be counted on to prove that the Blue Jays had what it took to win and reach the World Series in the early 1990s.
A moment of silence was observed before the game for former Blue Jays pitcher Duane Ward, who died while the Toronto Blue Jays were playing the Chicago White Sox on July 19, 2026, at the Rogers Center in Toronto, Ontario. (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star)
Ward’s best season came during the 1993 World Series run, when he led the league with 70 shutouts and 45 saves while having a 2.13 ERA in 71.2 innings (71 games).
Ward also had a dominant 1.95 ERA during the 1992 season, earning 12 saves and 103 strikeouts in 101.1 innings pitched.
In the postseason, Ward was equally outstanding, having a 1.13 ERA and two saves during World Series appearances. Although Game 6 of the 1993 World Series will forever be remembered for Joe Carter’s walk-off home run against the Philadelphia Phillies, it was Ward who earned the victory as the pitcher who closed the door on allowing that to happen.
“Whether it was setting the stage in the eighth inning or winning the final shutouts, he will be remembered for the role he played in some of the greatest moments in Blue Jays history,” the team’s statement continued.
Former MLB player Duane Ward throws out a ceremonial first pitch before Game 3 of the American League Division Series between the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Center in Toronto, Canada. (Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
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After being forced to miss the entire 1994 season due to an arm injury, Ward pitched in just four games in 1995 before last seeing a major league mound.
Ward has a career 3.28 ERA with 679 strikeouts in 666.2 innings pitched in 462 games.
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