Duane Ward was a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves. He was born on May 28, 1964, in Park View, New Mexico, and attended Farmington High School. Ward was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the third round of the 1982 Major League Baseball draft but did not sign with the team. Instead, he attended college at Yavapai College in Arizona and was drafted by the Blue Jays in the first round of the 1982 draft.
Ward made his Major League debut with the Blue Jays in 1986 and quickly established himself as a reliable relief pitcher. He was known for his fastball, which regularly clocked in at over 95 miles per hour, and his devastating slider. In 1988, Ward had a breakout season, posting a 2.13 earned run average (ERA) and 15 saves in 57 appearances. He was a key member of the Blue Jays bullpen that helped the team win their first American League East division title.
Ward continued to be a dominant reliever for the Blue Jays throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was a two-time All-Star, in 1991 and 1993, and helped the team win back-to-back World Series championships in 1992 and 1993. In the 1992 World Series, Ward pitched in four games and did not allow a run, helping the Blue Jays defeat the Atlanta Braves. In the 1993 World Series, he pitched in five games and recorded two saves as the Blue Jays defeated the Philadelphia Phillies.
In 1993, Ward set a Blue Jays record by recording 45 saves, which was also the most in the American League that season. He finished third in the voting for the American League Cy Young Award, which is given to the best pitcher in the league. Ward's success on the field earned him a four-year, $17 million contract extension from the Blue Jays in 1993, making him one of the highest-paid relief pitchers in baseball.
Ward's career was cut short by injuries, however. He missed most of the 1995 season due to a shoulder injury and was traded to the Atlanta Braves in the offseason. He pitched in just 11 games for the Braves in 1996 before retiring at the age of 32.
Despite his relatively short career, Ward was one of the most dominant relief pitchers of his era. He finished his career with a 3.28 ERA, 121 saves, and 694 strikeouts in 604 innings pitched. He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011 and remains a beloved figure among Blue Jays fans.
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