Dave Stieb

David Andrew Stieb (/ˈstiːb/; born July 22, 1957), nicknamed "Sir David", is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) starting pitcher who spent the majority of his career with the Toronto Blue Jays. A seven-time All-Star, he won The Sporting News' Pitcher of the Year Award in 1982. His 56.9 career wins above replacement (according to Baseball-Reference) are the highest of any Blue Jays player, and he also holds the franchise records for complete games (103), strikeouts (1,658), and innings pitched (2,873).

A promising outfielder prospect at Southern Illinois University, Stieb was converted to a starting pitcher after being drafted by the Blue Jays, who told him that it would be the quickest way to get him to the majors. Fast-tracked through the minors, he debuted in 1979. Stieb led the American League (AL) in earned run average (ERA) in 1985, finishing in the top five four other times (1982, 1983, 1984, and 1990). Stieb also twice led the AL in innings pitched (1982 and 1984). Injury prevented him from playing in the 1992 postseason, where the Blue Jays won their first World Series. After a stint with the Chicago White Sox, Stieb retired from baseball, only to make a brief return as a reliever for the Blue Jays in 1998 before retiring for good.

Stieb won 140 games in the 1980s, the second-highest total by a pitcher in that decade, behind only his rival (and later teammate) Jack Morris. He was known for flirting with no-hitters, having reached the ninth inning with no hits four times in five years before accomplishing the feat in 1990, throwing the first, and as of 2023 only, no-hitter in Blue Jays history.