Blue Jays to honor Fernandez with uniform patch during 2020 season

The Toronto Blue Jays will honor the late Tony Fernandez throughout the 2020 regular season by donning No. 1 patches on their uniforms.

"There are few players in the game who can impact a team and a fan base the way Tony did in Toronto," Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro said, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. "Beyond his impressive career numbers, achievements, and accolades, Tony resonated with baseball fans because of how he played the game and conducted himself as a teammate."

Fernandez died in February at the age of 57 after suffering a stroke.

A longtime fan favorite in Toronto, Fernandez played parts of 12 seasons with the Blue Jays over a 17-year major-league career. The five-time All-Star hit .297/.353/.412 with 60 home runs, 281 doubles, and 72 triples while stealing 172 bases in 1,450 games with the Canadian club. He also won four consecutive Gold Gloves from 1986-89.

Though the Blue Jays traded him to the San Diego Padres alongside Fred McGriff in the deal that netted them Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter, Fernandez returned to Toronto in a midseason trade in 1993. He was subsequently a key contributor in the franchise's second World Series championship, hitting .333 with nine RBIs in six games against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Fernandez retired following the 2001 season after returning to the Blue Jays in the midst of that campaign. He remained a difficult out at age 39 as he hit .305 over his final 48 MLB games.