Robin Roberts hung on a long time but was a shell of himself for many years. Tom Waddell. When he was younger, his stuff was so good that he didn't need a changeup or pinpoint control. "[His curveball] was nasty, I'll tell you thatenough to make your knees buckle. 1. Those who try to hit it show far more respect, calling it Lord Charles or Uncle Charlie. No matter what you call it, 150 years or so after Cummings or Goldsmith threw the first one, it is still the pitch that separates major-league hitters from the rest. In the world of baseballan image comes to mind here of a white planet with red seams and American League president Bobby Brown's signature on itlabels are very easy to put on and very hard to take off. It can ruin a career. "O.K., we've got a golf bag and a dozen balls. As a player, Blyleven did not have the best reputation. Paired with his 98 mile-per-hour fastball, Gooden's sweeping curve made him one of the league's most feared pitchers during his playing days. "O.K., I've got a ball here signed by Henry Aaron. Known for his terrific curveball, pitcher Bert Blyleven won 287 games over a 22-year major league career. Bert Blyleven Twins 2022 Topps Gilded Collection 1X Case 18X Box Break #7 | Sports Mem, Cards & Fan Shop, Sports Trading Cards, Trading Card Box & Case Breaks | eBay! 5.0. Call the curveball what you will. The list of 1-0 CG SHO, required the Play Index. July 16, 1985: For the second time Blyleven pitches in an All-Star Game. On the second-to-last weekend of the season, the Indian players had a little party to adjourn their kangaroo court. He can't speak Dutch, but to this day he still understands a little of it. Bert Blyleven grew up in Garden Grove, Calif., less than 10 miles from Anaheim Stadium. Communication. An inveterate practical joker, Blyleven likes to snip cravats. His father, Joe, was a handyman who, during World War II, hid his future father-in-law from the Nazis so he wouldn't be put in a concentration camp. And those TWENTY no-decisions on the WORLD CHAMPION Pittsburgh Pirates are probably a record of sorts. The incident occurred when Rose was commentating on a Phillies game last year and sharing a story when he said . [27], On September 2, 2020, Blyleven broadcast his final game for the Twins.[28]. "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second Roberto Alomar, Pat Gillick and Bert Blyleven on stage during a press conference during the 2011 Hall of Fame Weekend. Francisco the busboy? "We left one month-old piece in there, and I think Chris ate it." Afterward he issued these immortal words: "I knew I'd never win the Cy Young Award, so I was trying to be Fireman of the Year.". Bert Blyleven addresses the ball. But the injuries may have been a blessing in disguise, because they made him a better pitcher. Do we have $225? "And here's a ball signed by the 1984 Cleveland Indians. Free local pickup from Brooklyn, New York, United States. At least his induction might open the door for more worthy candidates, certainly Jimm Kaat is this mans superior as an MLB pitcher. "Curveballs are like snowflakesnone are the same. "I would like to say to my family, to my fans, to all the Puerto Rican people and . In 1973, he pitched nine shutouts, the most of any AL pitcher that season. Blyleven was born in the Netherlands, one of only nine major leaguers to have been born in Holland as of 2020 (several major leaguers were born in the Kingdom of the Netherlands outside Holland). Julio Franco, who had been arrested the previous winter for possession of a gun without a permit, received a toy pistol. Bert Blyleven was a big part of that championship season and went 1-1 in the World Series. OK, now lets figure out what Blylevens record should be based on pythaging his actual RA/9IP and his actual run support. In 1996, Blyleven became a television color analyst for the Twins, calling games for WCCO-TV and Midwest Sports Channel (later Fox Sports North). "Aw bleep, that was for him [Griffith] and his family." He has to have it. The likelihood, in percent, that an outfielder will be He came back in 1992 but was mostly unproductive, going 8-12 with a 4.74 ERA. as Active Spin. I have to ask him, 'Bert, what would you throw if you had my stuff?' Many (especially in THT-land) will call it luck. Nicknamed "the Barber," Sal Maglie commanded the corners of the plate as well as any pitcher in the history of baseball. Most people familiar with Blyleven's case for the HOF know that he stands fifth all-time in strikeouts. Ill be looking for it, Chris, and will pass the link on; youve got more than a few fans over at the WGOM. Poor Terry. Those stats hit me in the face. One of his favorite marks is Indians public relations director Bob DiBiasio. "If you gave baseball people their choice among Dan Petry, Jack Morris and Blyleven, Blyleven would probably be third," says Hal McRae, Kansas City's longtime designated hitter. In honor of Blyleven, Id like to rip off the column format pioneered here at THT by Bossman Studes, who used to run a regular Ten things I didnt know last week feature. Wait a minute. Again last season he got embroiled in a couple of controversies. "But if you had to have one pitcher to beat us, Blyleven would be the choice. The ones better than him who are not in would make legitimate candidates. become a hit. "Doug DeCinces lives over here," says Blyleven. Shipping speed. Rice benefited from an orchestrated movement by the Boston press corps. (And the difference between Blylevens actual record and the second projection quantifies that murky third factor, but well get back to that in a second). See details. You don't need this. Normally that would be a random fact, but here it goes to the heart of things. "I know that stuff sounds silly," says Smith. "I thank the baseball writers of America for, I'm going to say, finally getting it right. Enough to make your knees buckle. the fastest reactions and most direct routes in the The Indians are happy to have him. Take his 1974 season, when he went 17-17 despite a tremendous ERA+ of 142. He just hasn't played on too many clubs that scored a lot of runs for him.". Blyleven thinks little of drugs, pitch count. He came back in 1992 but was mostly unproductive, going 812 with a 4.74 ERA. Hal Newhouser barely won 200 games. Last year he had 19 wins, seven losses and a dozen ties. Two words Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson used to describe Bert Blyleven's curveball: "nasty" and "knee-buckling.". If you just take his actual RA/9IP and pythag it with league-average, park-adjusted run support, it comes out that he should have gone 21-13 over 34 decisions. Koosman's catcher in his Mets days, J.C. Martin, once said that Koosman could throw his 11-5 curveball "any time.". Francisco, come up here. Who the hell wanted this old-timer in the HOF anyways? Naturally, he sinks all the birdie putts. O.K., I bid $300. by Handedness, 10 things I didnt know about Bert Blyleven, http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/forgotten-pennant-push-jim-kaat-1967/. The Baseball Hall of Shame II first clued me in to some of those stories. He always goes out and buys me a new one. But he did. Play-by-play data prior to 2002 was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted A Bolt is any run where the Sprint Speed (defined as Who has blue ticket 92594? This weekend the Hall of Fame will have its annual induction ceremony, and sabermetric darling Bert Blyleven will finally get his well-earned plaque put on display. To me, that was the characteristic that made him an unquestionable HOFer. "He's a great guy," says Judy Kirkpatrick. "I have to say this for him, though. This past baseball season he merely cut up American League batters, finishing as the third-leading vote getter in the Cy Young Award balloting, behind relievers Willie Hernandez and Dan Quisenberry. He later wished he could have erased the 3-2 fastball he threw to the first batter he faced, Lee Maye. }, Cronkite School at ASU MLB Advanced Media, LP. Carter only had one really low year, and it was never as low as Blyleven. In fact, the Blylevens feel so strongly about family living that they, and Anthony, have helped several baseball players and their wives to adopt children. In his parting shot, Blyleven called the Twins' fans "bleep bleep" and said, "They're behind you when you do good, and they turn on you when things go wrong. [29] During a 2006 broadcast, Blyleven forgot the name of the movie and had to be reminded of it by a technician in the broadcast booth. After Blyleven, the only 200-game winners to appear in the next five years were Rick Reuschel and Frank Tanana. (Thanks, Ron, wherever you are.) Despite winning 17 fewer games than he should have in his pre-Pittsburgh years, Blyleven can still claim to be one of only 16 men in the liveball era to win 150 games before turning 30. Blyleven is rightPhil Seghi looks uncannily like Chief Wahoo. Saved him a lot of pain." From 1970-77, Blyleven went 122-113 despite an ERA+ of 134. About 10 years ago, there was a debate at the late, great Rob Neyer Message Board about Blylevens Hall of Fame chances. Catfish Hunter lasted only a few months more. "Two pitchers that I know about who held it the way I do," says Blyleven, "were Koufax and Bob Feller.". We do. Blyleven started the season in Triple A. 1979 - Blyleven goes 12-5 on 37 starts and the Pirates win the World Series. The only problem was that his name was published as "Blylevan," which is the way the Twins spelled it in those days. Esteban Loaiza made two. 28, "Longtime Twins broadcaster Bert Blyleven hangs up the mic", June 2, 1976: Minneapolis Tribune column on Blyleven's trade to Texas Rangers. pitch. Theres a better factoid, though: Blyleven won 15 different 1-0 complete games, more than anyone else since Walter Johnson. Blyleven said the Twins then played on the road in Detroit and there was a Twins fan with a sign, asking to be circled. Blyleven, 38, has won 271 major league games with one of baseball's best curves and a variety of offspeed pitches. How much time, in seconds, it takes a runner to get from A .264 career batter, Kennedy hit .120 in 25 at bats against Blyleven, collecting three hits while striking out five times. He tried out for the Twins again in the spring of 1993, but did not make the squad, which made his retirement official. He never surrendered more than 24 home runs in any year before, and after the 198687 campaigns, he averaged 21 allowed homers per season over the course of his career. With the power of the internet, Lederers persistenceand, oh yeah, Blylevens own solid casehell have a nice weekend in upstate New York this year. 122), his five one-hitters, his eight two-hitters and his five three-hitters. Blyleven was happy to oblige. The answer is 11. background-color:#ba3434; And now he has a little more command. Statcast refers to the spin that contributes to movement Though his age-28 season, Blyleven tossed 2,624 innings, more than anyone since Pete Alexander. 4.9. No one had much success with Blylevens curveball, in part because he had complete control over it. This led to a fundraising campaign with the Parkinson's Foundation and a sponsorship with the Minnesota Lottery. After I ran off the mound, I looked over at the St. Louis' dugout. He also suggested publicly that the Indians might be better off trading him to a contender for younger talentas they would soon do with his friend Rick Sutcliffe. Sold to me for $25. In 1986, he. ", Last year Blyleven was 4-0 with a 1.44 ERA against the American League West champion Royals. [11][12] With the Pirates, he led the team in ERA, strikeouts, and complete games in 1978, and he helped them to a World Series victory in 1979. Actually, the best spelling of his name appears on one of his license plates: BLY11. Thats a lot better than I wouldve expected. When the Angels came to nearby Anaheim in 1966, Bert didn't switch his allegiance, although he did become one of the stadium rats. Chris Bando, who loves pizza, was given an almost-empty pizza box. In the last part of his careerhis second go-around in Minnesota and his final seasons in Californiahe came out eight games ahead. "Brought it in from Cleveland," comes the host's reply. See details. That's why he gave up so many solo shots late in games - he was throwing his pitch with a comfortable lead and didn't care if the batter knew it was coming. Blyleven debuted in major league baseball in 1970, right at the end of a great run of workhorse pitchers. I checked all pitchers with at least 25 SHO from 1920-2011. Blyleven proceeded to finish Pittsburgh's sweep of Cincinnati in the National League Championship Series, pitching a complete game in the Pirates' 7-1 triumph in Game 3. Joe worked on the railroads in Saskatoon and Regina and moved to California in 1955. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1997 Fleer Star Stickers Baseball #10 - Bert Blyleven - Minnesota Twins at the best online prices at eBay! No takers? Of course, that might be half-baked psychoanalysis, but it does make one wonder. All UZR (ultimate zone rating) calculations are provided courtesy of Mitchel Lichtman. He has had only one 20-win season, in 1973, the first year of the DH, when 12 American League pitchers won 20 or more. He won his first World Series with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979. The tournament follows a scramble format, in which all four team members play from the same lie, as determined by the foursome's best previous shot. US $3.00Standard Shipping. velocity and launch angle. The Twins responded by trading him to the Texas Rangers. The difference between the two projections should be what his run support cost him. Blyleven sat out most of the 1982 season with an elbow injury and struggled again in 1983, but he came back in 1984 with one of his best seasons: a 197 record with a 2.87 ERA. A Pirate fan friend named Mike Emeigh told me about Blylevens early-1980 walkout. He had looked up the records of Walter Johnson and Cy Young when he was young. There are 16 names, but only one 300-game winner. "And then he went down." That year, he pitched 293.2 innings and completed 24 games, a feat that has not been repeated since. Neal Heaton got a Gourmet Nosepicker. But thats the problem, you had to go way back. When The Chicken brought his act to Cleveland, pitchers (from left) Ernie Camacho, Blyleven, Luis Aponte and Mike Jeffcoat were his plucky backups. Phone: 602.496.1460 A Batted Ball Event represents any batted ball that He had thought all his life his given name was "Rikaalbert". Brett Butler was presented with an autographed picture of his favorite soap opera star. Blyleven is well above the Coveleski line, regardless of how you slice his record. In 1985 he again led the American League in shutouts with five. I know this sounds terrible, but who does Bert pitch for these days?". Bert Blyleven belongs in the Hall Of Fame because he pitched nearly 5000 innings, struck out 3700 batters, threw 60 shutouts, and compiled a career 3.31 ERA which was 18 percent better than the league . Blyleven's display includes his one no-hitter (win No. His miniature car is a favorite. The one who didn't give up on him was Jesse Flores Sr. of Minnesota, and the Twins made Blyleven their third pick that June. How much spin, in revolutions per minute, a pitch was Go figure. If you grew up in the 1980s, you likely have a major memory of Blyleventhe guy who gave up all those homers. His 20 no decisions in 1979 are the most by an MLB starting pitcher in a season, dating back to at least 1908.[13]. The evening is winding down, and there are only a few more souvenirs left to be auctioned. He wound up completing 242 games and throwing 60 shutouts, the two numbers of which he is most proud. See details. How hard, in miles per hour, a pitch is thrown. All Rights Reserved. Given another five years of success, Blyleven will have Hall of Fame credentials. In 2010, Blyleven had 74.2% of the votes, missing admission to the Hall of Fame by only 5 votes (0.8%).[22]. And quite well, thank you. "[19] Still, it was not until his 14th year of eligibility, in 2011, that he was elected; he received 79.7% of the vote. 5.0. Joe's brother, Cor, had gone to the U.S. before the war, and because it was easier to enter from Canada than from Holland, the Blylevens emigrated to Saskatchewan when Bert was two. Popular categories from this store. This semicelebrity affair at Riviera was the second off-season charity event Bert has sponsored. "We have those long, strong fingers," he says. He also claims his heritage has something to do with his curveball, which is the one against which all others in the big leagues are judged. Blyleven pitched very well for the Indians in the strike year of 1981 (11-7, 2.89 ERA), but in the first game after play resumed, he hurt his right elbow. Two years ago, when brush fires swept through the surrounding hills, Blyleven ascended to his roof, to water it down lest a flying spark set it afire, and fell off, breaking his left elbow. Look at his hits to innings pitched [8.10 per nine innings], his walks to strikeouts [7.02 strikeouts and 2.47 walks per nine innings] and his ERA. You've got to be kidding. He won fewer games than he should have, right? Blyleven, like so many Hall of Fame players, was driven to succeed. He's celebrity chairman of the 65 Roses Club for Cystic Fibrosis there. But since no one close to 280 wins showed up after Blyleven, it helped him rise up over the years. Only 16 other pitchers have at least 3,000 career strikeouts. window") of the runner is at least 30 ft/sec. able to make a catch on an individual batted ball. He was 17-5 for the Angels last season, allowing only 14 home runs. There once was a rookie hitter who didnt need to be convinced the curve was something more than an optical illusion. He is very much at ease on the podium as he describes various raffle prizes, calls off winning numbers and awards golf trophies.
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