Former MVP left-hander Vida Blue handed away on the age of 73, per an announcement by the Athletics.
“There are few gamers with a extra adorned profession than Vida Blue.” the A’s mentioned in a press release, “Vida will all the time be a franchise legend and a buddy. We ship our deepest condolences to his household and pals throughout this arduous time.”
A six-time All Star and three-time World Sequence champion, Blue performed seventeen seasons within the main leagues, with fifteen of them being performed within the Bay Space. Blue debuted as a 19-year-old for the Athletics in 1969, their second season in Oakland after transferring there from Kansas Metropolis after the 1967 season. Blue pitched simply 80 2/3 innings over his first two seasons within the majors, however upon shifting right into a full time position as a 21-year-old through the 1971 season, Blue would flip in an unbelievable efficiency.
Blue pitched 312 innings for the A’s over 39 begins in 1971, posting a microscopic 1.82 ERA that was 83% higher than league common by measure of ERA+ and a 2.20 FIP that largely backed up Blue’s dazzling run prevention numbers. Blue’s phenomenal season noticed him lead the league with eight shutouts whereas additionally posting league-best marks in ERA, FIP, strikeout fee, WHIP. Naturally, Blue’s efficiency earned him not solely the primary All Star look of his profession, however a Cy Younger award and the AL MVP award as properly.
Blue would go on to pitch six extra seasons in Oakland, posting a 3.10 ERA and three.25 FIP whereas averaging over 250 innings of labor per season. He would make two extra All Star appearances, end prime 7 in AL Cy Younger award voting 3 times, and obtain MVP votes twice throughout that point earlier than transferring on to San Francisco in 1978 on the age of 28. Most notably, Blue was integral to the A’s three consecutive World Sequence championships from 1972-1974.
Blue’s first season in San Francisco was one other exceptional one, as he posted a 2.79 ERA and a pair of.68 FIP en path to a fourth All Star look, a prime three end in Cy Younger award voting, and a twelfth place end in NL MVP voting. He would pitch in San Francisco for 3 extra seasons, selecting up one other two All Star appearances alongside the way in which, earlier than pitching for the Kansas Metropolis Royals for 2 seasons. Blue returned to San Francisco in 1985, posting a 3.82 ERA in 287 2/3 innings between the 1985 and 1986 seasons earlier than retiring on the finish of the 1986 marketing campaign.
General, Blue completed his taking part in profession with a 209 wins, a 3.27 ERA, and a pair of,175 strikeouts in 3,343 1/3 innings. Following his taking part in profession, Blue remained a fixture of Bay Space baseball because of his charitable efforts and dedication to selling the game, each within the US and overseas. We at MLB Commerce Rumors provide our condolences to Blue’s household, pals, and all these mourning him as we speak.
