Editing Jimmy Key (section)

==Career==

===Amateur career===
Key attended [[S. R. Butler High School]] in [[Huntsville, Alabama]].<ref name="Felts">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4E4eAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TMcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4377,2626345|title=Huntsville native gets good news|last=Felts|first=Jerry|date=18 October 1982|work=Times Daily|page=6B|access-date=1 June 2010}}</ref> For the school's baseball team, he compiled a 10–0 [[win–loss record (pitching)|win–loss record]] with nine [[shutout (baseball)|shutouts]] and a 0.30 [[earned run average]] (ERA) in his senior year. Key also [[batting average (baseball)|batted]] .410 with 11 [[home run]]s and 35 [[runs batted in]] in his high school career.

Key attended [[Clemson University]], where he played [[college baseball]] for the [[Clemson Tigers baseball]] team in the [[Atlantic Coast Conference]] (ACC). At Clemson, Key posted a 9–3 record and 2.79 ERA on the mound, and batted .300 with 21 doubles. Key is the only Clemson player to be a member of the first-team All-ACC in two positions (pitcher and DH) in 1982. He pitched the opening game of the 1980 [[College World Series]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://clemsontigers.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/key_jimmy00.html |title=Baseball :: Clemson Tigers - Official Athletic Site |access-date=2010-03-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016024245/http://clemsontigers.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/key_jimmy00.html |archive-date=2008-10-16 }} Clemson bio</ref>

===Toronto Blue Jays===
The [[Toronto Blue Jays]] selected Key in the third round of the [[1982 MLB draft]].<ref name="baseball-reference.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/keyji01.shtml|title = Jimmy Key Stats}}</ref> He worked his way up the Blue Jays' minor league system during 1982 and 1983, putting up respectable numbers with the [[Florence Blue Jays]] ([[South Atlantic League]]), the [[Medicine Hat Blue Jays]] ([[Pioneer League (baseball)|Pioneer League]]), the [[Knoxville Smokies|Knoxville Blue Jays]] ([[Southern League (1964–2020)|Southern League]]), and the [[Syracuse Chiefs]] ([[International League]]) before heading to Toronto.

Key made his Major League debut on April 6, 1984, and was utilized in relief situations through his inaugural year, notching 10 [[save (baseball)|saves]] and a 4.65 [[earned run average|ERA]].<ref name="DigestNov85p50">{{cite journal|last=Sorci|first=Rick|date=November 1985|title=Jimmy Key Helped Open the Door of Opportunity for Blue Jays|journal=Baseball Digest|publisher=Lakeside Publishing|volume=4|issue=11|page=50|issn=0005-609X|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jzQDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA48|access-date=1 June 2010}}</ref> He wore number 27 in his first season and 22 for the duration of his Blue Jays career.

Key moved into the starting rotation in 1985 and quickly became a cornerstone in the rotation, leading the Blue Jays to their first postseason appearance that year. In 1987, Key led the major leagues with a 2.76 earned run average and finished second behind [[Roger Clemens]] in voting for the American League [[Cy Young Award]].

In Game 4 of the [[1992 World Series]], Key made his final start for the Blue Jays,<ref name="Felts" /> surrendering one run over {{frac|7|2|3}} innings to earn a 2-1 [[win (baseball)|win]] and put the Jays up 3 games to 1. He left the game to a tremendous ovation. Key would appear once more in the series, as a reliever in the 10th and 11th innings of the 6th and deciding game, earning another winning decision in the series.<ref>http://www.bluebirdbanter.com/2009/5/11/872139/top-50-all-time-jays-7-jimmy-key Birdbanter</ref>

===New York Yankees===
As a [[free agent]], Key signed a four-year contract worth $17&nbsp;million with the [[New York Yankees]] on December 10, 1992.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/11/sports/baseball-yankees-finally-get-it-right-and-land-a-lefty.html|newspaper=The New York Times | first=Jack|last=Curry|title=BASEBALL; Yankees Finally Get It Right and Land a Lefty | date=December 11, 1992|author-link=Jack Curry}}</ref> He posted a 49–23 record in 94 games over three seasons with the Yankees. He had his career high of 173 strikeouts in the first year with the Yankees in 1993, and he led the majors with 17 wins in the [[1994–95 Major League Baseball strike|strike]]-shortened season of 1994.<ref name="baseball-reference.com"/>

He spent time with the [[Gulf Coast Yankees]] (1–0 and 0.00 ERA) and Tampa (0–0 and 2.77 ERA) of the Florida State League during rehab assignments during his last season with New York in 1996. In his final start as a Yankee, he outdueled [[Greg Maddux]] of the Atlanta Braves in the deciding game of the [[1996 World Series]].<ref name="baseball-reference.com"/>

Jimmy Key wore the number 22 while with the Yankees.

===Baltimore Orioles===
Key signed as a free agent with the [[Baltimore Orioles]] on December 10, 1996,<ref name="baseball-reference.com"/> and posted a 22–13 record in 59 appearances over two seasons. A free agent in his final season, Key retired from the game after the 1998 season largely due to injuries. He made US$7.73 million with the Orioles over 2 seasons. He wore the number 21 with the Orioles (22 having been retired by Baltimore in honor of hall-of-famer [[Jim Palmer]]).<ref name="baseball-reference.com"/>
He was assigned to Fredrick of the Carolina League in 1998 (1–0 3.00 ERA) during his final rehab stint. Key was granted free agency for the last time on October 27, 1998, by Orioles GM [[Pat Gillick]], the same GM who granted him the same conditions in [[Toronto Blue Jays|Toronto]] in 1992.