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Vida Blue
Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. (/vaɪdɑː/; July 28, 1949 – May 6, 2023) was an American professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1986, most notably as an integral member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won three consecutive World Series championships from 1972 to 1974. He won the American League (AL) Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player Award in 1971.
A six-time All-Star, Blue was the first of only five pitchers in major league history to start the All-Star Game for both the American League (1971) and the National League (1978). During his 17-year career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics (1969–1977), San Francisco Giants (1978–1981; 1985–86), and Kansas City Royals (1982–83).
Vida Blue was born and raised in Mansfield in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana. He was the oldest of six children born to Vida Blue, Sr, a laborer in a Mansfield iron foundry and his wife Sallie.
Blue attended DeSoto High School in Mansfield. He pitched for the baseball team and quarterbacked the football team. In his senior year of football, he threw for 3,400 yards and completed 35 touchdown passes while rushing for 1,600 yards. In his senior year of baseball, Blue threw a no-hitter with 21 strikeouts in just seven innings pitched.
Blue was a power pitcher who worked fast and attacked the strike zone. He threw an occasional curveball to keep hitters off balance and an above average change-up, but his signature pitch was a fastball which he threw consistently at 94 miles per hour (151 km/h), but could reach 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). In The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers, all-time hits leader Pete Rose stated that Blue "threw as hard as anyone" he 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.
The then-Kansas City Athletics selected Blue in the second round of the 1967 MLB draft. Though he was recruited to play college football for the University of Notre Dame, Purdue University, and the University of Houston, Blue chose to sign with the Athletics for $12,500 per year to help support his family after his father's death.
Blue began the 1969 season with the Birmingham A's, but was promoted to make his major league debut on July 20. In 1970, after spending the season in the minor leagues with the Midwest League single A Burlington Bees and the Iowa Oaks of the American Association, Blue was called up in September, making two starts. 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, Blue no-hit the defending and eventual repeat American League West champion Minnesota Twins, 6–0, at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, the lone baserunner coming on Harmon Killebrew's fourth-inning walk. He was the fourth-youngest pitcher to throw a no-hitter.
Blue had a 24–8 record in 1971, an AL leading 1.82 ERA and eight shutouts, and struck out 301 batters, winning both the Cy Young Award and American League Most Valuable Player Award. He also led the American League in complete games (24), shutouts (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 got off to a terrific start, going 10–1 when he linked up with Boston's Sonny Siebert, who was 8–0, in a dramatic May matchup in Boston. The game was won by Siebert and the Red Sox 4–3, and remains what is considered one of the most dramatic games in Fenway Park history. 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. In 1971 he became the only player ever to be a starting pitcher in the league opener (against the Washington Senators), the All-Star Game, and the playoff opener (against the Baltimore Orioles) in the same season. In 1971, Blue was on the covers 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.
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Vida Blue
Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. (/vaɪdɑː/; July 28, 1949 – May 6, 2023) was an American professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1986, most notably as an integral member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won three consecutive World Series championships from 1972 to 1974. He won the American League (AL) Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player Award in 1971.
A six-time All-Star, Blue was the first of only five pitchers in major league history to start the All-Star Game for both the American League (1971) and the National League (1978). During his 17-year career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics (1969–1977), San Francisco Giants (1978–1981; 1985–86), and Kansas City Royals (1982–83).
Vida Blue was born and raised in Mansfield in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana. He was the oldest of six children born to Vida Blue, Sr, a laborer in a Mansfield iron foundry and his wife Sallie.
Blue attended DeSoto High School in Mansfield. He pitched for the baseball team and quarterbacked the football team. In his senior year of football, he threw for 3,400 yards and completed 35 touchdown passes while rushing for 1,600 yards. In his senior year of baseball, Blue threw a no-hitter with 21 strikeouts in just seven innings pitched.
Blue was a power pitcher who worked fast and attacked the strike zone. He threw an occasional curveball to keep hitters off balance and an above average change-up, but his signature pitch was a fastball which he threw consistently at 94 miles per hour (151 km/h), but could reach 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). In The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers, all-time hits leader Pete Rose stated that Blue "threw as hard as anyone" he 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.
The then-Kansas City Athletics selected Blue in the second round of the 1967 MLB draft. Though he was recruited to play college football for the University of Notre Dame, Purdue University, and the University of Houston, Blue chose to sign with the Athletics for $12,500 per year to help support his family after his father's death.
Blue began the 1969 season with the Birmingham A's, but was promoted to make his major league debut on July 20. In 1970, after spending the season in the minor leagues with the Midwest League single A Burlington Bees and the Iowa Oaks of the American Association, Blue was called up in September, making two starts. 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, Blue no-hit the defending and eventual repeat American League West champion Minnesota Twins, 6–0, at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, the lone baserunner coming on Harmon Killebrew's fourth-inning walk. He was the fourth-youngest pitcher to throw a no-hitter.
Blue had a 24–8 record in 1971, an AL leading 1.82 ERA and eight shutouts, and struck out 301 batters, winning both the Cy Young Award and American League Most Valuable Player Award. He also led the American League in complete games (24), shutouts (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 got off to a terrific start, going 10–1 when he linked up with Boston's Sonny Siebert, who was 8–0, in a dramatic May matchup in Boston. The game was won by Siebert and the Red Sox 4–3, and remains what is considered one of the most dramatic games in Fenway Park history. 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. In 1971 he became the only player ever to be a starting pitcher in the league opener (against the Washington Senators), the All-Star Game, and the playoff opener (against the Baltimore Orioles) in the same season. In 1971, Blue was on the covers 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.
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