July 15, 2026
By Kevin Glew
Cooperstowners in Canada
Forty-nine years ago today, Bob Bailor belted the first walk-off home run in Toronto Blue Jays’ history.
It was a two-out, two-run blast at 11:30 p.m. in the 13th inning off Detroit Tigers left-hander Jim Crawford that gave the Blue Jays an 8-6 win in front of 23,749 fans at Exhibition Stadium.
“I know I’m not supposed to hit home runs,” Bailor told the Canadian Press after the game. “But I wanted to see my girlfriend. She just flew in tonight and I was in a hurry to get out of here.”
His girlfriend was a flight attendant and he had told her he’d meet her for dinner around 10:30 or 11 p.m.
“I hope she’s not mad at me,” Bailor told the Toronto Star.
Batting third and playing centre field, Bailor, who was the first player the Blue Jays selected in the 1976 expansion draft, also had a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth inning. He finished the night with four RBIs and a .335 batting average on the season. That ranked fourth in the American League, behind only Rod Carew, Ken Singleton and Lyman Bostock.
The home run was his fourth of the season and it came in a Friday night contest that was delayed 39 minutes by rain.
“It seems like I have been getting all of my hits on the road,” Bailor told the Toronto Star. “I felt all along we would win it, but I was beginning to wonder just how long it was going to take.”
The win was also the first walk-off and extra-inning victory in Blue Jays’ history. They had lost five previous extra-inning games at home.
Bailor was one of four Blue Jays hitters to have multi-hit games. Second baseman Steve Staggs and shortstop Hector Torres each had three hits, while outfielder Al Woods and Sam Ewing had two hits apiece.
The pitching star for the Blue Jays was right-hander Pete Vuckovich who came on and allowed just one run on four hits in 6 2/3 innings in relief to pick up the win.
“I knew I was throwing okay,” Vuckovich told the Toronto Star. “All I was looking for was for pitches to be located where I want them. Alan [Ashby] called one heckuva game for me.”
With the win, the Blue Jays improved their record in their inaugural season to 33-56.
historic day. Thanks kevin
Thanks for reading this, Scott.
Thanks for the memory in 1977.
Thanks for reading this.