Amateur career Key attended
S. R. Butler High School in
Huntsville, Alabama. For the school's baseball team, he compiled a 10–0
win–loss record with nine
shutouts and a 0.30
earned run average (ERA) in his senior year. Key also
batted .410 with 11
home runs 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.
Toronto Blue Jays The
Toronto Blue Jays selected Key in the third round of the
1982 MLB draft. 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), the
Knoxville Blue Jays (
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
saves and a 4.65
ERA. 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,
New York Yankees As a
free agent, Key signed a four-year contract worth $17 million with the
New York Yankees on December 10, 1992. He posted a 49–23 record in 94 games over four 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
strike-shortened season of 1994. 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. 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, 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). 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 in 1992. ==Strengths and weaknesses==