Toronto Blue Jays reliever Duane Ward dies at 62 after 1992–93 World Series championship run

The Toronto Blue Jays have announced that Duane Ward has died. The legendary relief pitcher was 62.

Ward passed away of natural causes, the team said. He had travelled to Toronto for an event on Friday where the Blue Jays honoured members of the 1992 and 1993 teams that won back-to-back World Series titles, but was absent from the pre-game festivities on Saturday.

Ward played nearly the entirety of his Major League Baseball career in Toronto, joining the Blue Jays in 1986 and retiring in 1995. He was a key member of both championship teams, often pitching the eighth inning before closer Tom Henke came in for the ninth. That changed in 1993 after Henke left the team and Ward became the closer, earning an American League All-Star nod with 45 saves that season.

"Duane was a cornerstone of Blue Jays baseball, appearing in 452 games from 1986 to 1995 and helping define an era of excellence," the Blue Jays said in a statement. "A dominant force on the mound, Duane ranks among the franchise leaders in saves with 121 and remains one of the most reliable late-inning relievers the organization has ever known."

Ward was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020. The team said he "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."