ST. MARYS, Ont. — Although Devon White’s playing career with the Toronto Blue Jays came to an end more than 30 years ago, the switch-hitting centre-fielder’s connection with the organization and its fanbase has endured well into his retirement.
That much was clear on Saturday afternoon as White was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026.
As White took the stage to receive his plaque and jacket, cries of “Devo” rang out from a standing crowd packed with fans sporting Blue Jays shirts, hats and jerseys, ready to celebrate the two-time World Series champion.
“It’s always an honour when you are recognized by any organization, but when we’re talking about the Blue Jays, the reception I get from the fans is always appreciated and makes you feel good,” White told Sportsnet before the ceremony.
Joining White in this year’s class were Canadian men’s national team legend and St. Louis Cardinals coach Stubby Clapp, women’s national team star Kate Psota, original Montreal Expos ace and executive Bill Stoneman, former major-league umpire Paul Runge and longtime Baseball Canada executive director Jim Baba, who was inducted posthumously.
Each of the inductees took turns regaling the crowd with stories of their illustrious careers and paths to enshrinement, including White, who took the time to thank his family, the Blue Jays and the baseball fans who continue to show their appreciation of his time in Canada.
“Thank you for making Toronto home for me…,” he said during his speech. “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be up here and to do the things I do well, which is to play the game of baseball.”
“It’s so much, and I’m overwhelmed,” he later added. “I know that every day when I wake up, I’m blessed.”
White’s path to Canadian baseball immortality began with a December 1990 trade that sent the Kingston, Jamaica, native to Toronto following six years with the California Angels. And once he took the field with his new team, it didn’t take long for the now 63-year-old to make his mark.
In his first season north of the border, White hit .282 with 17 homers, 40 doubles, 10 triples and 33 stolen bases, finishing as the eighth most valuable player in MLB by Baseball Reference WAR (6.3) and winning his first of five consecutive Gold Gloves with the Blue Jays.
“I knew it was a very good organization, and coming to Canada, it was a new start for me,” White said of the trade that saw him land with Toronto. “I really welcomed it, and it was the start of a great career here.”
For as successful as White’s 1991 season was, it was just a small taste of the greatness to come.
White emerged as a key figure in Toronto’s World Series victories in 1992 and 1993, thanks to his dazzling outfield defence and steady bat atop some of the deepest lineups in Blue Jays history.
“The Catch,” however, remains White’s magnum opus in a Blue Jays uniform.
With the Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves locked in a 0-0 tie in the top of the fourth in Game 3 of the 1992 World Series, White delivered a momentum-shifting play in the series.
Tracking back on a long liner from Atlanta all-star David Justice, White crashed into the centre-field wall to make a run-saving grab.
But the play didn’t end there. White swiftly relayed the ball into the Blue Jays’ infield to help catch a retreating Terry Pendleton for a double play at first base. If not for a missed call on a Kelly Gruber tag on Deion Sanders at second, the Blue Jays would have recorded the second triple play in the history of the Fall Classic.
Nonetheless, Toronto snuffed out the rally and went on to win the game, taking a 2-1 series lead before clinching the franchise’s first title in Game 6.
While White’s glove was undoubtedly his calling card, he remains one of the most productive leadoff hitters in Blue Jays history.
He finished his career in Toronto with 733 hits in 656 games, 72 home runs, 126 stolen bases and a .760 OPS. He still ranks top 10 among Toronto position players in WAR, triples and stolen bases while sitting second in franchise history in post-season hits with 41.
Together, all of those accomplishments helped bolster White’s resume to earn his spot among the greatest ballplayers to suit up in Canada.
“We don’t play for stats, we don’t play for this recognition,” he said Saturday. “But when you win, those types of things come, and it’s an honour.”
Along with all of his on-field accomplishments with the Blue Jays, White has stayed involved with the organization, serving as a coach for the triple-A Buffalo Bisons for many years and, more recently, as a special assistant to player development.
“(Canada) has made me feel at home and continues to, so it’s always an honour to come back and stay involved,” White said when asked why it’s important to him to stay connected to the Blue Jays.
After years of creating lasting memories for Blue Jays and Canadian baseball fans on the field, Saturday’s ceremony was a fitting celebration of a relationship that remains as strong as ever.