Former slugger Carlos Delgado to be inducted on Blue Jays' Level of Excellence

TORONTO - The Toronto Blue Jays will honour former slugger Carlos Delgado next year by adding his name to the club's Level of Excellence.

Delgado becomes the 10th person to be honoured with the team award. An on-field pre-game ceremony will be held July 21 to recognize his accomplishments over 12 seasons with the Blue Jays.

"Not only was he one of the best hitters in club history, he was one of the finest first basemen of his generation," team president Paul Beeston said Friday in a release. "More importantly, Carlos was a tremendous ambassador for the Blue Jays organization and the city of Toronto.

"His fun-loving attitude was infectious and his tireless work in the community were truly his greatest assets."

The two-time all-star (2000, 2003) holds several team single-season and career records. He won the Hank Aaron Award and Sporting News Player of the Year Award in 2000 and the Silver Slugger Award in 1999, 2000, and 2003.

"This is a tremendous honour," Delgado said. "When I became a Blue Jay I never thought an honour of this nature would be possible. I am grateful to the Blue Jays organization and feel truly honoured to receive this recognition."

Delgado made his debut in 1993 and went on to become the franchise leader in home runs (336), RBIs (1,058), walks (827), slugging percentage (.556), OPS (.949), runs (889), total bases (2,786), doubles (343), extra base hits (690), times on base (2,362), hit by pitch (122), intentional walks (128) and at-bats per home run (14.9).

The Level of Excellence award recognizes individual achievement. Previous recipients include Beeston, Dave Stieb, George Bell, Joe Carter, Cito Gaston, Tony Fernandez, Pat Gillick, Tom Cheek and Roberto Alomar.

Delgado, 40, also played for the Florida Marlins (2005) and New York Mets (2006-2009).