Vida Blue
Encyclopedia
Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. (born July 28, 1949) is a former Major League Baseball
left-handed
pitcher
. During a 17-year career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics
(1969–77), San Francisco Giants
(1978–81; 1985–86), and Kansas City Royals
(1982–83) He won the American League Cy Young award and Most Valuable Player Award in 1971. He is a six-time all-star, and is one of only four pitchers in major league history to start the all-star game for both the American League (1971) and the National League (1978); Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson and Roy Halladay would later duplicate the feat.
he pitched for the baseball team and also was the quarterback
for the football team. In his senior year of high school, he threw for 3,400 yards and completed 35 touchdown passes while rushing for 1,600 yards in football. Also in his senior year, Blue threw a no-hitter. In seven innings pitched, Blue had 21 strikeouts. He received several offers to play college football
, but his father died suddenly. Soon after, Blue signed a contract with the Oakland A's.
pounded the strike zone. He possessed a breaking curveball that he threw on occasion and an above average change-up, but his signature pitch was a blistering fastball that dialed up to nearly 100 miles per hour. In The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers
, all-time hits leader Pete Rose
stated that Blue 'threw as hard as anyone' he had ever faced, and baseball historian Bill James
cited Blue as the hardest-throwing lefty, and the second hardest thrower of his era, behind only Nolan Ryan
.
In , after spending the season in the minor leagues with the Iowa Oaks of the American Association
, Blue was called up in September, making two starts that provided a glimpse of what was to come. On September 11, he shut out
the Kansas City Royals
3-0, giving up only one hit, to Pat Kelly
in the eighth inning. Ten days later, he no-hit
the Minnesota Twins
, 6-0, at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, with the lone baserunner being Harmon Killebrew
, who walked in the fourth inning.
Blue had a 24-8 record in 1971
, winning both the Cy Young
and MVP
awards. He also led the American League
in complete game
s (24), shutout
s (8) and Earned run average
(1.82). That season, the Athletics won the American League West
title for the franchise's first postseason berth since the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1931 World Series
. He was the youngest American League player to win the MVP Award in the 20th Century . He was the starting pitcher for the American League
in the 1971 All-Star Game
, and for the National League
in the 1978 All-Star Game.
In 1971, he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated
and Time Magazine. In 1972, his success in baseball led Blue to a small role in the film Black Gunn, starring Jim Brown.
After Blue's breakthrough season in 1971, he and Athletics owner Charles Finley clashed over his salary. Blue held out, missing much of the year, and ended up with a 6-10 record. He didn't make the Athletics' post-season starting rotation, instead pitching in relief against the Cincinnati Reds in the 1972 World Series.
Blue returned to form to win 20 games in 1973
, 17 games in 1974
, and 22 games in 1975
, as an integral member of the Oakland Athletics five straight American League Western Division pennants from 1971–1975, and three consecutive World Championships in 1972, 1973, and 1974.
In , baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn
vetoed an attempt by Oakland A's owner Charlie Finley to sell Blue to the New York Yankees
and in , Kuhn cancelled a proposed trade of Blue to the Cincinnati Reds
. In both instances, Kuhn said the trades would be bad for baseball because they would benefit already powerful teams without making them give up any significant talent in return. At the end of the 1976 season, nearly the entire A's roster of star players from Oakland's championship teams left with Baseball's new free agency, or were traded off by Finley, leaving Blue, who was still under contract with Oakland, to mentor a new team of primarily rookies and other young players. In 1978, Blue was traded to the San Francisco Giants
.
In 1978
, Blue won 18 games as he led the Giants to 89 wins and a third-place finish in National League
West Division, which was won by the Los Angeles Dodgers
. His great year was rewarded as he won the Sporting News National League Pitcher Of The Year. He, along with Chili Davis
, were the last players before Ichiro Suzuki
to wear their given name
on the back of their uniforms instead of their surname
, both having done so with the Giants.
Blue battled drug addiction over the course of his career. After the 1983
season, he and former teammates Willie Wilson, Jerry Martin
and Willie Aikens
pleaded guilty to attempting to purchase cocaine
. In 1985, he testified in the Pittsburgh drug trials
. Blue also made a name and career after baseball for himself in the San Francisco Bay Area
by donating his time to many charitable causes, mostly promoting baseball
in the inner city
. In 1971, Blue accompanied Bob Hope
on his USO Christmas
tour of Vietnam
and other military installations. Vida currently lives in San Francisco, CA and is active in promoting the sport of baseball.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. During a 17-year career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
(1969–77), San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
(1978–81; 1985–86), and Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
(1982–83) He won the American League Cy Young award and Most Valuable Player Award in 1971. He is a six-time all-star, and is one of only four pitchers in major league history to start the all-star game for both the American League (1971) and the National League (1978); Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson and Roy Halladay would later duplicate the feat.
Early life
Blue, the oldest of six children, was born and raised in Mansfield, Louisiana. His father worked as a laborer in an iron foundry. In high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
he pitched for the baseball team and also was the quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the football team. In his senior year of high school, he threw for 3,400 yards and completed 35 touchdown passes while rushing for 1,600 yards in football. Also in his senior year, Blue threw a no-hitter. In seven innings pitched, Blue had 21 strikeouts. He received several offers to play college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
, but his father died suddenly. Soon after, Blue signed a contract with the Oakland A's.
Baseball career
Unlike many southpaws, Blue was a power pitcher that worked fast andpounded the strike zone. He possessed a breaking curveball that he threw on occasion and an above average change-up, but his signature pitch was a blistering fastball that dialed up to nearly 100 miles per hour. In The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers
The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers
The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers is a non-fiction baseball reference book, written by Rob Neyer and Bill James and published by Simon & Schuster in June 2004...
, all-time hits leader Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
stated that Blue 'threw as hard as anyone' he had ever faced, and baseball historian Bill James
Bill James
George William “Bill” James is a baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books devoted to baseball history and statistics...
cited Blue as the hardest-throwing lefty, and the second hardest thrower of his era, behind only Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
.
In , after spending the season in the minor leagues with the Iowa Oaks of the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
, Blue was called up in September, making two starts that provided a glimpse of what was to come. On September 11, he shut out
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
3-0, giving up only one hit, to Pat Kelly
Pat Kelly (baseball outfielder)
Harold Patrick Kelly was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball. From through , Kelly played for the Minnesota Twins , Kansas City Royals , Chicago White Sox , Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Indians . He batted and threw left-handed...
in the eighth inning. Ten days later, he no-hit
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, 6-0, at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, with the lone baserunner being Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Clayton Killebrew , nicknamed "Killer" and "Hammerin' Harmon", was an American professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and left fielder. During his 22-year career in Major League Baseball , he played for the Washington Senators, a team which later became the Minnesota Twins, and...
, who walked in the fourth inning.
Blue had a 24-8 record in 1971
1971 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics season involved the A's finishing first in the American League West with a record of 101 wins and 60 losses. In their first postseason appearance of any kind since 1931, the A's were swept in three games by the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship...
, winning both the Cy Young
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
and MVP
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
awards. He also led the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
s (24), shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s (8) and Earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
(1.82). That season, the Athletics won the American League West
American League West
The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division currently has four teams, but it has had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the west coast and in Texas, historically the...
title for the franchise's first postseason berth since the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1931 World Series
1931 World Series
In the 1931 World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Athletics in seven games, a rematch and reversal of fortunes of the 1930 World Series.The same two teams faced off during the 1930 World Series and the Athletics were victorious...
. He was the youngest American League player to win the MVP Award in the 20th Century . He was the starting pitcher for the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in the 1971 All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
, and for the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in the 1978 All-Star Game.
In 1971, he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
and Time Magazine. In 1972, his success in baseball led Blue to a small role in the film Black Gunn, starring Jim Brown.
After Blue's breakthrough season in 1971, he and Athletics owner Charles Finley clashed over his salary. Blue held out, missing much of the year, and ended up with a 6-10 record. He didn't make the Athletics' post-season starting rotation, instead pitching in relief against the Cincinnati Reds in the 1972 World Series.
Blue returned to form to win 20 games in 1973
1973 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics season involved the A's winning their third consecutive American League West title with a record of 94 wins and 68 losses...
, 17 games in 1974
1974 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics season involved the A's winning their fourth consecutive American League West title with a record of 90 wins and 72 losses...
, and 22 games in 1975
1975 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics' 1975 season involved the A's finishing first in the American League West with a record of 98 wins and 64 losses. They went on to play the Boston Red Sox in the 1975 American League Championship Series, losing in three straight games....
, as an integral member of the Oakland Athletics five straight American League Western Division pennants from 1971–1975, and three consecutive World Championships in 1972, 1973, and 1974.
In , baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn
Bowie Kuhn
Bowie Kent Kuhn was an American lawyer and sports administrator who served as the fifth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from February 4, , to September 30,...
vetoed an attempt by Oakland A's owner Charlie Finley to sell Blue to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
and in , Kuhn cancelled a proposed trade of Blue to the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. In both instances, Kuhn said the trades would be bad for baseball because they would benefit already powerful teams without making them give up any significant talent in return. At the end of the 1976 season, nearly the entire A's roster of star players from Oakland's championship teams left with Baseball's new free agency, or were traded off by Finley, leaving Blue, who was still under contract with Oakland, to mentor a new team of primarily rookies and other young players. In 1978, Blue was traded to the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
.
In 1978
1978 San Francisco Giants season
The 1978 San Francisco Giants season was a season in Major League Baseball. The Giants finished third in the National League West with a record of 89 wins and 73 losses.- Offseason :...
, Blue won 18 games as he led the Giants to 89 wins and a third-place finish in National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
West Division, which was won by the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. His great year was rewarded as he won the Sporting News National League Pitcher Of The Year. He, along with Chili Davis
Chili Davis
Charles Theodore "Chili" Davis is the hitting coach for the Oakland Athletics. Davis is a former outfielder/designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball with the San Francisco Giants , California Angels , Minnesota Twins , Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees...
, were the last players before Ichiro Suzuki
Ichiro Suzuki
, usually known simply as is a Major League Baseball right fielder for the Seattle Mariners. Ichiro has established a number of batting records, including the sport's single-season record for hits with 262...
to wear their given name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
on the back of their uniforms instead of their surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
, both having done so with the Giants.
Blue battled drug addiction over the course of his career. After the 1983
1983 Kansas City Royals season
The Kansas City Royals season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Royals finishing 2nd in the American League West with a record of 79 wins and 83 losses.- Offseason :* December 8, 1982: Tim Ireland was released by the Royals....
season, he and former teammates Willie Wilson, Jerry Martin
Jerry Martin
Jerry Lindsey Martin is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is the son of major league pitcher Barney Martin....
and Willie Aikens
Willie Aikens
Willie Mays Aikens is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He had established himself as one of the top sluggers in the game before drugs derailed his career. In , Aikens was sentenced to twenty years in prison on four counts of crack cocaine distribution and one count of use of a firearm...
pleaded guilty to attempting to purchase cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
. In 1985, he testified in the Pittsburgh drug trials
Pittsburgh drug trials
The Pittsburgh drug trials of 1985 were the catalyst for a baseball-related cocaine scandal which resulted in the harshest Major League Baseball penalties since the Black Sox scandal of 1919...
. Blue also made a name and career after baseball for himself in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
by donating his time to many charitable causes, mostly promoting baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
in the inner city
Inner city
The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...
. In 1971, Blue accompanied Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
on his USO Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
tour of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and other military installations. Vida currently lives in San Francisco, CA and is active in promoting the sport of baseball.
Career statistics
Pitching| W Win (baseball) In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only... |
L | WP Win (baseball) In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only... |
GP Games pitched In baseball statistics, games pitched is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although exceptions are made if the pitcher announced in the starting lineup is injured before facing a batter, perhaps while... |
GS Games started In baseball statistics, games started indicates the number of games that a pitcher has started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he faces the first opposing batter... |
CG Complete game In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were... |
Sh Shutout In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball.... |
SV Save (sport) In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers... |
IP Innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two... |
BB Base on balls A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08... |
SO Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters.... |
ERA Earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine... |
WHIP Walks plus hits per inning pitched In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. It is a measure of a pitcher's ability to prevent batters from reaching base... |
| 209 | 161 | .565 | 502 | 473 | 143 | 37 | 2 | 3343.3 | 1,185 | 2,175 | 3.27 | 1.233 |
Charity work
Blue remains active, working for numerous charitable causes including Safeway All Stars Challenge Sports, automobile donations, celebrity golf tournaments, and charities for the children.See also
- Bay Area Sports Hall of FameBay Area Sports Hall of FameThe Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame honors sports figures who have made a significant impact in the San Francisco Bay Area. The organization is a section 501 non-profit, that was created by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce in 1979.-Inductees:...
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- List of Major League Baseball ERA champions
- Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all timeTop 100 strikeout pitchers of all timeIn baseball, a strikeout occurs when the batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. Strikeouts are associated with dominance on the part of the pitcher and failure on the part of the batter....
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
External links
| Accomplishments |
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