Jews on the Jays: A Hanukkah Countdown. #8: Eddie Zosky

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Dan McPeake
December 25, 2024 (11:36 PM)

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Happy Hanukkah Blue Jays fans!

The Jewish festival of lights begins tonight and we'd thought we'd remember the Jewish ballplayers who have played for the Blue Jays. As there been eight (as far as we can tell), we will going through the list from least impactful to most. From eight to one.

Number Eight: EDDIE ZOSKY

When Gord Ash became General Manager in 1994, the first transaction he ever made was trading shortstop Eddie Zosky to the Florida Marlins for a player to be named later.

Flashback a few years prior, and Zosky was once considered the shortstop of the future for Toronto. Like so many great prospects, injuries got in the way.

If you're on OG Jays fan, it feels like Zosky was around a lot longer than he actually was.

Zosky was originally a first round draft pick, with the Jays selecting him 19th overall in the 1989 draft. He ended up starting in Double-A and by year's end was a top prospect. Prior to 1991 he was actually ranked ahead of future Hall of Famers Jeff Bagwell, Chipper Jones, and Jim Thome.

While he competed for a starting job at that years spring training, his six errors sent him back down to the minors. He eventually made his debut late in the season. So anticipated was Zosky's debut that Toronto Star writer Dave Perkins compared it to Lou Gehrig's in 1925, asking

"Did Manuel Lee just become Manuel Pipp?"

Zosky played 18 games that year, hitting .148 with no homers and two RBIs. Two of his four hits were extra bases though.

He struggled in 1992, appearing in only eight games for the big league club. While he was expected to be the starting shortstop heading into 1993, he got injured early in spring. The Blue Jays ended up acquiring Dick Schofield to man the position until Zosky healed.

Schofield played well and he, followed by Alex Gonzalez eventually displaced Zosky, who never fully recovered from his injuries.

Zosky only played in 18 more Major League games, last appearing with the Brewers in 2000.

While his time on the Blue Jays was brief, Eddie Zosky will always be a 'what if'? player. He could have been something special, but his body said otherwise. That's why he is number eight on the list.