Death of Blue Jay Ault ruled a suicide

WebPosted Sun, 26 Dec 2004 12:35:14 EST
CBC Sports

The death of former Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Doug Ault was ruled a suicide, a Florida medical examiner said Tuesday.

Ault died Dec. 22 at 54 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at his Tarpon Springs, Fla., home. The team confirmed his death Monday.

Former Jay Doug Ault died Dec. 22 at 54 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at his Tarpon Springs home. (CP/Frank Gunn)
Tarpon Springs police had suspected Ault's death was a suicide, Sgt. Jeff Young said. The police declined to elaborate, citing the pending investigation.

Ault became part of Blue Jays lore when he hit two home runs in the first game of the expansion team's history. With a snow storm covering Exhibition Stadium on April 7, 1977, and a cold wind coming in off Lake Ontario, Ault hit two home runs when the Blue Jays defeated the Chicago White Sox 9-4 in their first-ever game.

Ault, a first baseman who had been selected by Toronto in the 1976 expansion draft from the Texas Rangers, spent three seasons with the Blue Jays before retiring in 1980.

Following his playing days, Ault, a native of Beaumont, Texas, served as a manager in the Jays organization, handling teams at Class-A Dunedin, Kingston and St. Catharines before managing the triple-A Syracuse Chiefs.

Former Blue Jay Doug Ault dies at 54

December 27, 2004

TORONTO (Ticker) - Doug Ault, who hit the first home run in the history of the Toronto Blue Jays, died last Wednesday at his home in Tarpon Springs, Florida. He was 54.

Selected by Toronto in the expansion draft from the Texas Rangers in 1976, Ault homered twice off Ken Brett of the Chicago White Sox, including a solo shot in the first inning, amid snow and freezing temperatures in the Blue Jays' home opener, a 9-5 win on April 7, 1977.

In a four-year major league career played mainly as a first baseman with the Rangers and Blue Jays, Ault batted .236 with 17 home runs and 86 RBI in 713 at-bats. He hit .245 with 11 homers and 64 RBI in 1977.

After retiring in 1980, Ault served as a minor league manager for several Blue Jays affiliates. He was the Class AAA International League Manager of the Year with Syracuse in 1985.

Ault's death is the third suffered by the Blue Jays family within the last three months.

In early October, former pitcher and broadcaster John Cerutti was found dead in a hotel room. He was 44. On December 17, former Blue Jays manager Bobby Mattick died of a stroke. He was 89.