Duane Ward, former Blue Jays pitcher and World Series champion, dies at 62

TORONTO (AP) — Duane Ward, a two-time World Series champion and one of the most accomplished relievers in Toronto Blue Jays history, has died of natural causes, the team announced Sunday. He was 62.

The team said Ward arrived in Toronto on Friday with several former teammates from the 1992 and 1993 championship teams but was absent from Saturday’s pregame ceremony celebrating those victories with a statue unveiling.

More than two dozen players, coaches and executives from those teams took part in the event inside and outside the Rogers Centre.

“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,” the team said in a statement.

Before their game Sunday against the Chicago White Sox, the Blue Jays paid tribute to Ward with a scoreboard montage and a brief moment of silence.

They declined further comment on the circumstances of Ward’s death.

Ward appeared in 452 games for Toronto between 1986 and 1995. His 121 career saves are second most in franchise history, behind Tom Henke’s 217.

Ward earned his lone All-Star appearance in 1993, going on to lead the American League with 45 saves. That total remains the Blue Jays’ single-season record.

Ward was the winning pitcher in the Game 6 of the 1993 World Series against Philadelphia, which was decided by Joe Carter’s series-winning home run.

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