Blyleven, 33, is such a cutup, in fact, that he recently cut off his five-year-old beard. After I ran off the mound, I looked over at the St. Louis' dugout. Blyleven, an intense competitor, wants it. He also has balls from his 14 complete-game 1-0 victories, which put him third on the alltime list, tied with Christy Mathewson, behind Walter Johnson (an uncatchable 38) and Grover Cleveland Alexander (17). It's hard to say anything based on one game, but he looks like he's got a great future ahead of him.". ", Blyleven wraps up the evening. He tied for second in the league in wins and was second in winning percentage (.731), third in ERA (2.87) and fourth in strikeouts (170). 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). he asks. He wound up completing 242 games and throwing 60 shutouts, the two numbers of which he is most proud. Blyleven did not know his correct name until he was about to get married. Blyleven has a ball for every one of his regular-season major league victories, as well as for his win in the 1979 National League Championship Series for the Pirates and his '79 World Series victory over the Orioles. He has lines around his eyes and a scar on the inside of his right elbow, testimony to the strain and pain of 15 years in the major leagues. Steve Farr. Not many of these around. Sold for $200. "This is for a free membership to Racquetball World. Ill be looking for it, Chris, and will pass the link on; youve got more than a few fans over at the WGOM. Blyleven recorded 3,701 career strikeouts, the fifth-most in MLB history. 5.0. In 2007, Blyleven's total dipped to 47.7% (75% is the minimum required for admission to the Hall). Blyleven debuted in major league baseball in 1970, right at the end of a great run of workhorse pitchers. Monte tried to throw a curve, and something in his elbow snapped. Blyleven rounded up the usual suspects, most of them baseball names past and present: Scheinblum, Dan Petry, Ed Roebuck, Enos Cabell, Norm and Larry Sherry, Rick Rhoden, Ken McMullen, Buck Rodgers, Jim Colborn, Bruce Kison, Tom Murphy, Tom Brunansky, Dee Fondy, Jim Slaton, Gary Sutherland, Matt Young, Ed Crosby, Tim Leary, Tom Morgansorry, it's just that some people like to see baseball cards come to life. Bert (Blyleven) was a terrific pitcher - a dominating pitcher." After the 1977 season, he was traded to the Pirates in a rare four-team trade. "I have to say this for him, though. "It finally ended when I was out in the back of the house, pulling weeds. 5.0. coach who was Blyleven's manager in Cleveland for half a season, "He should win 30 games with the stuff he's got. CLEVELAND'S NETHERLANDS-BORN STAR, PITCHER BERT BLYLEVEN, PUTS HIS PEDAL TO THE METAL ON THE FIELD AND OFF, 2023 ABG-SI LLC. 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. The curveball of the '50s belonged to Camilio Pascual. He came back in 1992 but was mostly unproductive, going 812 with a 4.74 ERA. 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 first two teams, the Twins and Rangers, usually weren't very good, and even though the Pirates won the World Series in '79, Blyleven had some philosophical differences with manager Chuck Tanner. one base to another, like Home To First. This likely hurt him in the early Cooperstown voting. From 1971 (his second year in the majors but first full season in a big league rotation) through 1975, Blyleven struck out 200-plus batters each season (224, 228, 258, 249 and 233, respectively).. See all categories. "[19], By 2006, his total had increased to 53.33%. Even though he put more miles on his arm in his 20s then nearly all of them, he kept on going. Before the All-Star break, he was 150-140 with a 3.47 ERA, but after it he was 137-110 with a 3.12 ERA. Tanner is almost universally beloved, so Blyleven came out as the bad guy in Pittsburgh, especially after Tanner called him "Cryleven." See all categories. After his first year of Baseball Hall of Fame eligibility in 1998, Blyleven was widely considered to be the best eligible pitcher not yet enshrined. Brett Butler was presented with an autographed picture of his favorite soap opera star. Look at Blyleven in that 1974 campaign. "Mets Get Ken Henderson, Outfielder, From Rangers,", "From 1908 to 2018, Recorded no decision, as Starter, sorted by greatest number of games in a single season matching the selected criteria", "Indians' Blyleven The Subject Of Angel Trade Talks", "Ponson to play for Netherlands in World Classic", How a Part-Time Blogger Changed the Face of Baseball's Hall of Fame, The Official Site of Major League Baseball: News: Major League Baseball News, "Henderson, Rice elected to Hall of Fame", Alomar and Blyleven elected to Hall of Fame, Gallery Blyleven inducted into Twins Hall of Fame, Twins to immortalize Blyleven by retiring No. And he was still a workhorse, completing 24 games in 1985, the last AL pitcher to top 20. The story went that the reason Eddie Stanky quit after one game as manager of the Rangers was that he went out to the mound to remove Blyleven from the game, and Byleven told him to go back to the dugout. For $675.". He eventually came back after nearly two weeks. He had looked up the records of Walter Johnson and Cy Young when he was young. He tried out for the Twins again in the spring of 1993, but did not make the squad, which made his retirement official. 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. "There's not a lot of dropoff in his stuff. However, Blyleven's early career with the Twins was not always pleasant as he was hounded by critics and fans. However, the velocity on his fastball adding to the effectiveness of his curveball. If you enjoyed it, consider subscribing to Baseball Prospectus. Blyleven threw two different styles of curveballs, the most unique one being the drop that he held across the seams, a grip that is said to have been mastered only by him, Bob Feller and, Koufax. The curve ball was something to behold, but the argument that a guy belongs because of the aesthetics of a pitch's arc is simply ridiculous. Hmmm, no cork in it. "An autographed picture of Fernando Valenzuela. Collectibles; Books & Magazines; Entertainment Memorabilia; Cell Phones . In Texas, Blyleven got blamed for something he never did. "What other team gets to wear a picture of its general manager on its jacket?" He earned the moniker "Frying Dutchman" by frequently setting fire to his teammates' shoelaces, a practical joke known as a "hot foot". Wait a minute. Thanks, Bob. and play-by-play data provided by Sports Info Solutions. It's one of the hardest things in sports to execute. "Curveballs are like snowflakesnone are the same. He keeps a collection of baseball memorabilia in his study. One of seven children, Bert grew up in Garden Grove as American as, well, Dutch apple pie. Blyleven also won so many games because he was a great workhorse. The youngest player to ever be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame at age 34, Sandy Koufax is the best left-handed pitcher to ever take the mound. and, on certain types of batted balls, Sprint Speed. Jerry Willard. He began teaching the pitch to himself, learning to throw a drop in junior high. player has saved over his peers. There were players rolling around on the floor, laughing. Blyleven set the record that still stands with 50 gopher balls in 1986, and then topped the league again with 46 in 1987. Last year he had 19 wins, seven losses and a dozen ties. Blyleven got so upset with his role in Pittsburgh that he walked out on the Pirates for 10 days early in 1980. Bert Blyleven (born Rik Aalbert Blijleven, April 6, 1951) is a Dutch-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1970 to 1992, primarily with the Minnesota Twins. Play-by-play data prior to 2002 was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted You cant do a simplistic, reductionistic system. We'd go from one dugout to the other, our backs pressed against the backstop while we heard the typewriters going in the press box. Free shipping for many products! "A Carl Yastrzemski bat. The First Annual Blyleven Celebrity Golf Classic, to benefit Students Against Drunk Driving and the Orange County Trauma Society, is under way. How much time, in seconds, it takes a runner to get from 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. Blyleven missed the entire 1991 season following rotator cuff surgery. Wes Ferrell won three games after his age-30 season. "I open the bidding at $200. xERA is a simple 1:1 translation of xwOBA, converted to And quite well, thank you. This is Anthony's first time on a golf course in 10 years, and second time ever. 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. O.K., I bid $300. He's fifth on the active list in shutouts, sixth in strikeouts, eighth in victories and eighth in innings pitched. A renowned curveball pitcher, Blyleven was also a two-time All-Star and World Series champion. See details. Everything keyed off the fastball, but I could throw it at any time in the count, 3-2, bases loaded, I could throw it and throw it where I wanted, he said. "There were 32 scouts in the stands at the start," he recalls. If anyones curious, heres a list of the most 1-0 CG SHO for post-Walter Johnson pitchers: Nice lead for Blyleven. Around (over?) That, of course, would belong to Sandy Koufax. Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt became something of an expert on the curveball during his career. Bert Blyleven addresses the ball. If the pitchers were different, the results were the same. He pitched a no-hitter, was chosen to a pair of All-Star teams and also won two World Series Championships. "[19] Still, it was not until his 14th year of eligibility, in 2011, that he was elected; he received 79.7% of the vote. His miniature car is a favorite. It showed that of the last 20 guys elected to Cooperstown by the BBWAA (as of then), none had ever received 20 percent or lower of the vote in any election they were up for. 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. }, Cronkite School at ASU All Rights Reserved. The Pirates won the World Series in 1979 and Blyleven went 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in the Fall Classic after throwing a complete game in Game 3 of the NLCS. Bert Blyleven is one of the great command pitchers in baseball history! background-image:unset; [4] His family moved to Melville, Saskatchewan, when Blyleven was two years old before ultimately settling in Garden Grove, California, in 1957 when Blyleven was five years old. The Dodgers were ready to draft him in the first round in 1969, but in one of his last high school games, Blyleven got shelled. Blyleven was quoted as saying, "My dad built me a mound in the backyard with a canvas backdrop over our horseshoe pits, and I would go back there and just throw and throw and throw until I developed it, and it became my curveball. For the benefit of those who don't knowand it's quite understandable so don't feel ashamedBlyleven, a right-hander, pitches for the Cleveland Indians. Actually, the best spelling of his name appears on one of his license plates: BLY11. [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. Popular categories from this store. "With his hands and wrist, he could throw that damn thing without any seams and it would curve," says Corrales. Shipping speed. "He's a great guy," says Judy Kirkpatrick. How far off the mound, in feet, a pitcher releases the MLB Advanced Media, LP. [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. The movement of a pitch is defined in inches, both in When he beat the Twins for Texas on July 26, 1976, Blyleven didn't mince words. He's now 200-173. Statcast defines a 'hard-hit ball' as one hit with an It's like the fellow at the golf tournament said. Blyleven's third batter was Frank Howard. He's also not afraid to throw inside to a hitter. He generally did better in the second half of the year. 300, a la Early Wynn. About 10 years ago, there was a debate at the late, great Rob Neyer Message Board about Blylevens Hall of Fame chances. "I have here a ball autographed by Sandy Koufax, a pretty fair pitcher. Mary Scheinblum bids $150; do I hear $175?" The list of 1-0 CG SHO, required the Play Index. Also, he felt that Tanner was pulling him from games too quickly. When youre constantly winning 15 or more games a year, you dont need too many 20-win seasons to make this list. Yeah, over his career. Blyleven was a terrific pitchera dominating pitcher," Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson once said. None had ever fallen below 30 percent. He came back in 1992 but was mostly unproductive, going 8-12 with a 4.74 ERA. The difference between the two projections should be what his run support cost him. Blyleven left 28 tickets for family and friends for that night's game, which turned out to be . That way I know he won't lose it on me like he did that one time. "Here's something special. [27], On September 2, 2020, Blyleven broadcast his final game for the Twins.[28]. For instance, in the middle of his careerthe Pirate/Indian yearshe comes out even with the murky third element. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He became interested in baseball as a young boy watching Sandy Koufax pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers and listening to Vin Scully and Jerry Doggett announce the Dodgers' radio broadcasts. Baseball-Reference.com provided the stats. So how does he earn a spot on this list? That game happened to feature a. Those who throw it refer to it as The Hammer, The Yakker, even Public Enemy No. Blyleven, just 19, was called up to replace him. Id say 95 percent of that mysterious third element is luck, but does that mean its never anything else? It was 14 years of praying and waiting, but I want to thank the baseball writers for finally getting it right, he said when his election was announced on January 5. "Matlack, Milner Go In FourTeam Trade,", Durso, Joseph. When the Angels came to nearby Anaheim in 1966, Bert didn't switch his allegiance, although he did become one of the stadium rats. "Doug DeCinces lives over here," says Blyleven. How hard, in miles per hour, a fielder throws the ball. Now he owes the Indians and the city of Cleveland something in return.". Now, in the previous paragraph there are three things going on: 1) Blylevens RA/9IP, 2) his run support, and 3) well, a third factor thats hard to define. The Pirates also acquired John Milner from the Mets. Born in the Netherlands but raised in Southern California, Blyleven would spend many evenings listening to Vin Scullys radio description of what may have been the greatest curveball ever in the game. Heck, Matt Lawton made two All-Star games. He can't speak Dutch, but to this day he still understands a little of it. Francisco, come up here. Autographed in English. He has always hovered around .500: 10-9, 16-15, 17-17 twice. Robin Roberts hung on a long time but was a shell of himself for many years. Sold to me for $25. The no-hitter was his final start as a Ranger; not until Cole Hamels during the 2015 season would a pitcher be traded after pitching a no-hitter in his most recent start for the team that traded him. Now look at Blylevens careerpitching in tough spots wasnt his problem. I was a kid listening on the radio when Blyleven was in his short stint with the Rangers, and I loved his confidence in throwing that curve when everyone in the stadium and listening on the radio knew what was coming. Theres a better factoid, though: Blyleven won 15 different 1-0 complete games, more than anyone else since Walter Johnson. Look again at that list of young big winners. He currently resides in Fort Myers, Florida. Heres the chart showing how he shakes out year-by-year by this system: Looking at it above, how come he didnt win more games when pitching so great in the early part of his career? That was where I learned to throw and control the pitch.. His fastball overpowered hitters and was clearly the pitch he relied on most heavily. There aren't many higher compliments than that for any pitcher. I checked all pitchers with at least 25 SHO from 1920-2011. The Blyleven abode, one of many handsome houses on his street, should bear a plaque commemorating one of the best baseball lines of this decade. With the power of the internet, Lederers persistenceand, oh yeah, Blylevens own solid casehell have a nice weekend in upstate New York this year. I do. If you went back further, you could find guys whod risen up: Billy Williams, Luis Aparicio, Bob Lemon. After the game Howard said, "He's got a fine arm. He had thought all his life his given name was "Rikaalbert". It wasn't until he got married in 1971 that he noticed on his birth certificate that he's really Rik Aalbert. None spent as many years as low on BBWAA ballots as Blyleven. Lets back up for a second. Blyleven is rightPhil Seghi looks uncannily like Chief Wahoo. That upset Blyleven, especially because he has given of himself to Cleveland. After just 21 minor league starts, he found himself called up to the Majors at age 19 on June 2, 1970. But someone with a far greater mind than any scientist put the optical illusion theory to rest. Weve already figured out what Blylevens record should be based on pythaging his RA/9IP and league-average run support. So while the Sept. 22, 1977, contest wasn't a home game for Blyleven's Texas Rangers, it felt like it for Blyleven - who celebrated by pitching a no-hitter. "[His curveball] was nasty, I'll tell you thatenough to make your knees buckle. You've got to be kidding. How is a batter supposed to hit a curveball when he constantly has to be ready for the 100 mile per hour heater? On the second-to-last weekend of the season, the Indian players had a little party to adjourn their kangaroo court. Call the curveball what you will. In his first season, his sharp curveball helped him to ten victories, and he was named AL Rookie Pitcher of the Year by The Sporting News. Then theres Blyleven. Blyleven cared more that everyone was having a good time. No other prominent pitcher in his prime had such a lousy divergence from his expected W-L record based on his real-life run support as Blyleven did. Blyleven's display includes his one no-hitter (win No. The Orioles legend has four 20-win seasons, a World Series title and a Cy Young Award to his name. Naturally, he sinks all the birdie putts. He says, "Mister Paul and Mister Seghi [Mister?] She says, "So now we'll have two.". Esteban Loaiza made two. US $3.00Standard Shipping. His run support wasnt that good every year, but by and large it was better than I wouldve guessed. He also tied for third in shutouts, with four, and for fourth in complete games, with 12. Contact SABR, LnRiLWhlYWRpbmcuaGFzLWJhY2tncm91bmR7cGFkZGluZzowfQ==, LnRiLWZpZWxke21hcmdpbi1ib3R0b206MC43NmVtfS50Yi1maWVsZC0tbGVmdHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOmxlZnR9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1jZW50ZXJ7dGV4dC1hbGlnbjpjZW50ZXJ9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1yaWdodHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOnJpZ2h0fS50Yi1maWVsZF9fc2t5cGVfcHJldmlld3twYWRkaW5nOjEwcHggMjBweDtib3JkZXItcmFkaXVzOjNweDtjb2xvcjojZmZmO2JhY2tncm91bmQ6IzAwYWZlZTtkaXNwbGF5OmlubGluZS1ibG9ja311bC5nbGlkZV9fc2xpZGVze21hcmdpbjowfQ==, 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, https://sabr.org/sites/default/files/Blyleven-Bert.png, /wp-content/uploads/2020/02/sabr_logo.png, an eight-hit, complete-game victory, 7-1, on October 5. Thats easy to figure: Take the difference between his actual win-loss record and what he should have had based on a pythaging of his actual run support and his actual RA/9IP. Actually, Blyleven was suffering from a groin pull and eventually took himself out of the game. The house has lots of toys, some for the kids, some for Bert. Dad was made the timekeeper, and with a little creative use of the stopwatch he saw to it that his son's team got off the last shot at the end of each quarter, which was only fair because the referee was the father of a player on the opposing team. Thanks in no small amount to a campaign led by Rich Lederer to get Bert Blyleven into the Hall of Fame, Blyleven saw his vote total gradually rise up, election after election, until he got in. He repaid some of his debt to Flores this off-season when he hosted a tournament to benefit the Hemophilia Foundation; Flores's grandson has that disease. Others will call it pitching to the score. Calico Jack (Suwinski) is Back for the Attack. His heart is invariably in the right placeit's just that his foot sometimes ends up in his mouth. Note that since the Neyer Board discussion ten years ago, things have already shifted. There is some argument as to whether Candy Cummings or Fred Goldsmith invented the curveball, but there is no argument about this: Bert Blyleven perfected it and rode it to the Baseball Hall of Fame.