R.I.P. Duane Ward
July 19, 2026
By Kevin Glew
Canadian Baseball Network
Longtime Toronto Blue Jays reliever and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Duane Ward died this weekend while in Toronto for the unveiling of the Joe Carter statue that commemorated the Blue Jays’ 1992 and 1993 World Series-winning teams.
Ward was 62.
He passed away of natural causes, according to a statement issued by the Blue Jays this morning.
Ward arrived in Toronto on Friday. Todd Stottlemyre shared the following photo the same day with Ward in the back row on the right.
“Duane will be deeply missed by our fans, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family. Duane will always be a cherished part of the Blue Jays family, and we will be forever grateful for his contributions to our organization and to baseball in Canada,” said the Blue Jays in a statement.
Selected in the first round (ninth overall) of the 1982 MLB draft by the Atlanta Braves, Ward was dealt to the Blue Jays for Doyle Alexander on July 6, 1986.
From 1988 to 1992, the hard-throwing right-hander established himself as one of the best shutdown set-up men in the game, combining with closer Tom Henke to form the most overpowering and beloved bullpen tandem in franchise history.
In his five seasons serving primarily in a set-up role, Ward never made less than 64 appearances or pitched less than 101 innings. In 1991, the workhorse righty topped American League pitchers with 81 appearances and struck out a career-best 132 batters in 107 1/3 innings and finished ninth in the American League Cy Young voting. He followed that up by registering a career-best 1.95 ERA in 79 appearances in 1992 to help the Blue Jays to their first World Series title.
After Henke departed via free agency following the 1992 season, Ward assumed the closer’s role and excelled, topping the American League with 45 saves and 70 games finished in 1993, while allowing just 49 hits and striking out 97 batters in 71 2/3 innings. For his efforts, he was selected to the American League All-Star team and finished fifth in AL Cy Young voting. His 45 saves and 70 games finished remain single-season franchise records. His performance helped propel the Blue Jays to their second consecutive World Series title.
In 1992 and 1993, Ward was at his best in the Fall Classic. In a combined eight World Series appearances, he posted a 3-0 record with a 1.13 ERA while striking out 13 batters in eight innings, and also registering two saves.
In total, in nine seasons with the Blue Jays, Ward appeared in 452 games, the second-most by a pitcher in franchise history. He is also second in saves (121) and games finished (266).
“Duane was a cornerstone of Blue Jays baseball, appearing in 452 games from 1986 to 1995 and helping define an era of excellence . . . Whether setting the stage in the eighth inning or closing out wins, he will be remembered for the role he played in some of the greatest moments in Blue Jays history,” said the Blue Jays in their statement on Sunday.
Since his retirement as a player, Ward had been an active member of the club’s alumni in many charitable efforts. In recent years, he had been one of the lead instructors at baseball clinics for the Toronto Blue Jays Academy and the Jays Care Foundation.
For his efforts, Ward was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020.
“We are heartbroken about the sudden passing of longtime Toronto Blue Jays reliever and 2020 inductee Duane Ward,” said the Canadian ball hall in a statement on Sunday. “From 1988 to 1992, Duane teamed with Tom Henke to form the most overpowering and beloved bullpen combination in Blue Jays' history. In 1993, he became the Blue Jays closer and set a franchise record with 45 saves and helped the Blue Jays to their second straight World Series title.
“On top of his accomplishments on the field, Duane was a loyal ambassador for the Blue Jays. He was an active member of the club’s alumni in many charitable efforts and in recent years, he had been one of the lead instructors at baseball clinics across Canada. We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and teammates.”
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