Drive of '85 Bobblehead of Bell, Moseby and Barfield
By Bob Elliott
Lloyd Moseby was at the Rogers Centre during the Minnesota Twins series and he had a problem.
He was hungry, but ...
“You couldn’t even go for a hot dog or an ice cream bar,” said Moseby from Sacramento the other night.
It wasn’t long lines at the concessions which kept the former Blue Jays centre fielder in his seat.
He was all set to go when ... “here comes Troy Tulowitzki and Josh Donaldson.” Then he was ready and “here comes Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion.”
“It’s an exciting team,” Moseby. “I’ve been watching them a lot lately, I mean it’s really an exciting team.”
Moseby was in Toronto last week for the Honda Super camp and Tournament 12 evaluation and he’ll be back in this weekend with some friends.
Dave Stieb, Willie Upshaw, Tom Henke, Tony Fernandez, Rance Mulliniks, Garth Iorg, Cito Gaston, George Bell, Jesse Barfield, Moseby and others will be at Dine with the ‘85 Outfield Dinner Saturday night at the Radisson Admiral Hotel. Tickets are available (bluejays.com/85dinner) at $120.
And Sunday as the Jays host the New York Yankees in the finale of a three-game series a Bell-Moseby-Barfield bobblehead will be given to the first 20,000 as players from the Drive of ‘85 are honored.
“Thirty years ... that rang a bell,” Moseby said, “where did the time go?”
The figurine shows Moseby kneeling with Bell on his right and Barfield on his left.
Moseby is on one knee “worshipping the Killer B’s.”
Said Bell “the corner guys have to protect the guy in the middle.”
It wasn’t a lifetime thrill for Moseby to see his image on a bobblehead, saying “nowadways everyone gets a bobblehead.”
Barfield said “they could have given me a little more booty, that’s what I was known for.”
Not to mention an arm rivaled only by Ellis Valentine and a home run swing which would see him become the first-ever Jay to lead the league in homers the next year.
“This year’s team has a certain swagger,” said Barfield from Regina where he was working a Honda camp. “Tulowitzki, Donaldson, they’ve got guys that get after it, I love Donaldson’s appraoch and hope some more follow suit.
“I like what I see, I love the offence, like the chemistry. Hopefully Edwin Encarnacion isn’t out long, they need his bat. Even if he’s off, he makes pitchers burn a few.”
Moseby used the word swagger too ... only he said "outstanding swagger."
“I loved Jose Reyes, but Tulowitzki is better defensively,” said Moseby. “They’re not all offensive, they pitched great pitching in New York.”
Barfield, Moseby and Bell know about winning. Under manager Bobby Cox, the 1985 Jays won 99 regular season games, three more than the 1992 World Series team and four more than the 1993 champs.
“Guys from 1992-93, like Devon White, are always flashing their rings,” Moseby said. “We came from one of the worst teams in 1980 to become one of the best. Mr. (Paul) Beeston always said 1985 team was his favorite because it was the first time we won and we beat New York. He and Howard Starkman have seen it all,
“We didn’t have the super stars the World Series teams had.”
Barfield says for Moseby and he, the American League Championship Series leaves them a sour taste as the Jays went up 3-1 in the best-of-seven series against the Kansas City Royals and lost.
“Doyle Alexander pitching to George Brett haunts me,” said Barfield who admitted he began to watch Game 7 on ESPN Classic last week. “My wife, Marla, called from the kitchen ‘when are you going to turn the page? She couldn’t take it, told me to put it on Home and Garden TV.”
Will the Jays catch the Yankees?
Said Barfield: “The Yankees always find a way to win, but (the Jays) have a great chance, they’re very hungry. You can see it.”
Added Moseby: “I think ... the Yankees were already caught and passed on the weekend.”