TORONTO (CP) - Even in his most dreadful of seasons, Pat Hentgen remains a favourite with fans of the Toronto Blue Jays.
``It's so funny, I'm walking down the street yesterday and someone says `Hang in there man, you're going to be all right!''' said Hentgen. ``And I'm thinking, `If you only knew what I'm going to announce,' He says, `You're going to be all right man! You're the man!'''
Hentgen, however, knew things weren't going to turn around for him and that's why he ended his 14-year major league career on Saturday.
The classy 35-year-old tried everything to solve his problems locating pitches, finally deciding that the game had passed him by.
``It's been a tough grind for me mentally, physically and I'm just not helping the club the way I want to help the club and like I came here to help the team,'' said Hentgen. ``I always told myself I would retire from baseball if I felt I couldn't do what I'm used to doing.
``I felt it's the right time.''
Fans showed their appreciation for Hentgen, a Cy Young Award winner in 1996, in the second of inning of Saturday's game against Tampa. News of his retirement was put on the JumboTron and the crowd gave him a rousing standing ovation.
``They've been great,'' said Hentgen. ``I've always loved the city.''
Hentgen told his teammates of his decision in a pre-game meeting.
``There was a lot of support for him,'' said first baseman Carlos Delgado. ``We all stood up and clapped and gave him a hug and wished him the best. There was a major force that drove him to retire, you have to respect that.''
Hentgen then made the news public at a news conference devoid of tears and wistful recollections of better days gone by. Instead he spoke frankly about his 2-9 record and 6.95 earned-run average this season with the same honesty that made him so well-respected.
``When your good games are five innings and four runs, it's not very good,'' he said. ``I tried to do everything I could as far as making adjustments on the mound and it just wasn't there.''
The Blue Jays brought Hentgen back for a second tour with the club last November, signing him to a one-year, $2.2 million US deal.
He underwent ligament replacement surgery in 2001 and looked to have fully recovered in the second half of 2003, going 6-3 with a 3.10 ERA after the all-star break.
``Coming back from Tommy John surgery, my location was really good, my results were pretty good,'' he said. ``But for whatever reason this year, ever since Florida to now, I never located the ball well and that's why you see the results you have.''
Hentgen was demoted to the bullpen late in June but made a spot start Wednesday in place of the injured Roy Halladay. In what turned out to be his final start, the New York Yankees pounded him for eight runs over 2 2-3 innings, extending the longest losing streak of his career to seven decisions.
``It's good that he knew the time had come for him to (retire),'' said Blue Jays manager Carlos Tosca. ``The guy's a grinder, he's aggressive, he's a battler and there was nothing coming out of there. Good for him that he was able to do it here, with a lot of dignity.''
While Hentgen's return to Toronto hasn't worked out, he'll always be remembered for the Cy Young season in '96 when he went 20-10 and helping the Jays win their second straight World Series title in 1993.
``While this is a sad day, we should applaud and celebrate Pat's tenure as a Blue Jay,'' said team president Paul Godfrey.
He retires 131-112 with a 4.32 ERA in 344 career games, 306 career starts, with Toronto, St. Louis and Baltimore. He's fourth in wins (107) starts (238), inning pitched (1,636), strikeouts (1,028) and shutouts (nine) on the Blue Jays' all-time lists.
Hentgen, who played a strong role in Halladay's development, credited Jack Morris for helping him reach his potential.
``Jack was so competitive,'' Hentgen recalled. ``He told me, `When it's your turn take the ball, take the ball, run out there and give it everything you have.' I tried to play my whole career by that.''
Upon learning of Hentgen's retirement, Morris called the Jays' broadcast on TSN to ask his former teammate: ``Are you sure you want to do this? You're still young.''
Hentgen has no doubts.
As for a career highlight, nothing tops Game 4 of the '93 World Series for him, when he watched the Blue Jays twice rally from five-run deficits to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 15-14 and take a 3-1 lead in the set.
Hentgen didn't pitch in that game - he had thrown six strong innings in a Game 3 victory.
``The atmosphere in the locker-room was incredible,'' Hentgen said of Game 4. ``The atmosphere of 25 grown men clapping like that after grinding out a long season, that was the highlight of my career.''