the Month in July 1975 for hitting 12 home runs and posting a .365 batting average, and he hit three home runs in a game against future Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins. He also had an eight-game stretch during which he hit eight home runs. Mayberry finished second in American League MVP voting, behind Fred Lynn of the Boston Red Sox. Mayberry's statistics declined drastically in 1976 and 1977. He slumped badly in 1976 with a .232 batting average and only 13 home runs. Mayberry's home run production rebounded in 1977; he hit 23 home runs, earning him a tie for the Royals team lead (with right fielder Al Cowens) in that department. But his batting average remained low at .230, and his RBI total declined from 95 in 1976 to 82 in 1977. On August 5, 1977, Mayberry went 4-for-5 against the Chicago White Sox, hitting a single off Chris Knapp, a home run and a triple off Bart Johnson, and a double off Don Kirkwood to complete the cycle; the Royals won the game, 12–2. During the 1977 American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees, Mayberry arrived late for the fourth game, which was played in the afternoon, after a late-night outing. Mayberry played very poorly on both offense (striking out twice in two plate appearances) and defense (dropping a foul pop and a routine infield throw). Mayberry's ragged play prompted manager Whitey Herzog to bench him midway through Game Four and to leave him out of the starting lineup for the decisive fifth game. Herzog later blamed Mayberry for the Royals' failure to defeat the Yankees in the ALCS and demanded Mayberry's dismissal from the team, even though he also said he had "always loved the way John played". Consequently, before the start of the 1978 season, the Royals sold Mayberry to the Toronto Blue Jays, who were beginning their second season of play in the American League. Toronto Blue Jays Mayberry was with Toronto for the 1978 through 1981 seasons, and part of the 1982 season. With Toronto, hit above .250 only in 1979, and had highs of 30 home runs and 82 RBIs in 1980; his production never returned to his 1975 level. In his last three seasons, Mayberry began to strike out more than walk, a trend that differed from his early career. During his time with the Blue Jays, he played