John Cerutti
| John Cerutti | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: April 28, 1960 Albany, New York, U.S. | |
| Died: October 3, 2004 (aged 44) Toronto, Ontario, Canada | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 1, 1985, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 5, 1991, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 49–43 |
| Earned run average | 3.94 |
| Strikeouts | 398 |
| Stats at Baseball ReferenceLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Managerial record at Baseball ReferenceLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Teams | |
John Joseph Cerutti (April 28, 1960 – October 3, 2004) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers between 1985 and 1991, and was later a broadcaster for the Blue Jays.
Early life
[edit | edit source]John was the second of six children. His father, Dan Cerutti, was a bricklayer. Mom Marlene was originally from St. Catherines, Ontario, in Canada.[1]
As a kid, Cerutti was a left-handed centerfielder, so talented that his nickname was "Freddie Lynn".[2]
Cerutti grew up a fan of the New York Yankees, and idolized Ron Guidry.[3]
Playing career
[edit | edit source]Born in Albany, New York, Cerutti attended Amherst College, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 1980, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League and was named a league all-star.[4][5]
He was selected in the first round of the amateur draft by the Blue Jays in 1981 with the 21st overall pick. Cerutti played seven seasons in the major leagues with the Blue Jays (1985–1990) and Detroit Tigers (1991).
On June 7, 1989, Cerutti recorded the first Blue Jays win in SkyDome, their new stadium.[6]
On December 20, 1990, the Toronto Blue Jays granted him free agency. He signed as a free agent with the Detroit Tigers on January 14, 1991.
Broadcasting career
[edit | edit source]After his playing career, he went into broadcasting and started calling Blue Jays games alongside Brian Williams on CBC before becoming a TV analyst for the team's new flagship station, Rogers Sportsnet.
Death
[edit | edit source]Cerutti was supposed to broadcast the last game of the 2004 season for the Blue Jays, an afternoon home game on October 3 versus the New York Yankees, but he uncharacteristically missed an 11:00 am pregame meeting. The production staff began to worry and started calling him. After numerous attempts to contact him, the door of his Toronto hotel room was opened, where he was found without any vital signs, dead at age 44.[7][8] Two weeks later, his death was officially declared to be of natural causes due to a ventricular arrhythmia, a condition he knew he had but had been told wasn't a major concern.[9]
"It was an unbelievable shock," Blue Jays president Paul Godfrey said, in various wire reports. "We all realize, those of us involved in winning and losing games, how unimportant that is at a time like this."
The Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America paid tribute to Cerutti in November 2004, giving him its annual Good Guy Award and renaming the honor for him, as Cerutti was known for his exemplary character, goodwill, and sportsmanship.[10] The award has been handed out every year since Toronto's inaugural season in 1977, and is given annually to an individual who best exemplifies a positive image for baseball.
References
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External links
[edit | edit source]- Career statistics from MLB · Baseball Reference · Baseball Reference (Minors)
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- 1960 births
- 2004 deaths
- Albany Diamond Dogs players
- American expatriate baseball players in Canada
- Amherst Mammoths baseball players
- Baseball players from Albany, New York
- Canadian television sportscasters
- Detroit Tigers players
- Major League Baseball broadcasters
- Major League Baseball pitchers
- Syracuse Chiefs players
- Toronto Blue Jays announcers
- Toronto Blue Jays players
- Harwich Mariners players
- Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
- Kinston Blue Jays players
- Knoxville Blue Jays players
- Medicine Hat Blue Jays players
- Pawtucket Red Sox players
- 20th-century American sportsmen