Plus, he keeps us loose.". Maye hit it out of the park. Take his 1974 season, when he went 17-17 despite a tremendous ERA+ of 142. 300, a la Early Wynn. [7] Unhappy with his salary there, Blyleven was traded (along with teammate Danny Thompson) to the Texas Rangers in a six-player deal on June 1, 1976. "I have to say this for him, though. So how does he earn a spot on this list? July 16, 1985: For the second time Blyleven pitches in an All-Star Game. "But if you had to have one pitcher to beat us, Blyleven would be the choice. He throws it a little differently than most pitchers, holding the ball so that every finger except his pinky is touching a seam. Now look at Blylevens careerpitching in tough spots wasnt his problem. 19 7-4 over the Twins on the last day of the season. Note that since the Neyer Board discussion ten years ago, things have already shifted. The Pirates won by the same score in Game 5 of the World Series, as Blyleven earned the decision with four shutout innings of relief. 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). window.". A Tom Murphy autographed glove. The lone hit in that game was a bunt single by slow-footed Ed Kirkpatrick in the fifth inning. Robin Roberts hung on a long time but was a shell of himself for many years. Being close to his 100th win is. However, during his time in the Mexican League, he was coached by Dolph Lugue, a curveball mastermind, which helped him rely on the pitch upon returning to the majors. From 1970-77, Blyleven went 122-113 despite an ERA+ of 134. In the end, he fell virtually inches short of what would have been an unquestioned Hall of Fame career, just missing 300 wins (13 shy), 5,000 innings (30 shy), and 4,000 strikes (299 shy). He retired following that season with a career 287250 record with 3,701 strikeouts and a 3.31 ERA. Major League and Minor League Baseball data provided by Major League Baseball. "It was nice of him to come anyway," says Blyleven. In his second stint in Minnesota, Bert Blyleven helped the Twins win the 1987 World Series and won his 250th career game a year later. The only thing Blyleven hates more than pitch counts is the use of . Richie, you don't even exercise. She says, "So now we'll have two.". The First Annual Blyleven Celebrity Golf Classic, to benefit Students Against Drunk Driving and the Orange County Trauma Society, is under way. He came back in 1992 but was mostly unproductive, going 812 with a 4.74 ERA. Now, does that really seem like an answer to the question of run support? During his time with the Angels, the fire extinguisher in the team's clubhouse at Angel Stadium read: "In case of Blyleven: Pull". But he's not a bad guy. As a player, Blyleven did not have the best reputation. Also, while I think Blyleven is a better pitcher than Kaat, I wrote a column on Kaat years ago arguing in 1967 he had the greatest stretch run by a pitcher ever in a pennant race: Heres a list, with how much theyd won before the big 3-0: Its easy to forget how young Blyleven debuted, just two months past his 19th birthday. 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.". If you grew up in the 1980s, you likely have a major memory of Blyleventhe guy who gave up all those homers. Well, if its not luck, youre saying in so many words that the guy choked or lacked mental toughness. That may not mean much to you, but Ron Theobald is the only man in baseball history to go into the on-deck circle without his bat. 300. 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. [18] He returned in his role for 2013 and 2017.[2]. 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. He's now 200-173. 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates, .avia-section.av-k6v62xgq-c0812a68936ee67ed4883eaa9d35be9b{ The curveball of the '50s belonged to Camilio Pascual. 16, worn by Ron Theobald. He pitched in eight postseason games and went 5-1 with a 2.47 ERA. Many new voters had entered the mix, and old ones passed on. Thats the question. Possessing both a screwball and a curveball to go with a deceptive palmball, Cuellar was nearly untouchable in the prime of his career. So far Blyleven has won 20 only once, in 1973, when he lost 17. Now, in the previous paragraph there are three things going on: 1) Blyleven's RA/9IP, 2) his run support, and 3) well, a third factor that's hard to define. In 1973, he pitched nine shutouts, the most of any AL pitcher that season. "My friends and I used to wait until they turned the lights out in the park," he says. He got him to fly out. A couple of years ago when he was on the disabled list and back home, he came to watch my son Monte pitch. Bert was an Instructional League Twin at 18 in 1969 and a Pittsburgh playoff winner at 28 in '79. Blyleven has often been labeled a troublemaker. That was the. For some reason it has taken Blyleven 3,422 innings, 468 games, 195 wins, 15 years and four teams to be appreciated. "I saw him when he was 19 and I've seen him now," Howser says. He was 17-5 for the Angels last season, allowing only 14 home runs. You don't need this. Heck, Manny Trillo made four. Angels pitcher Bert Blyleven throws a pitch during a game against the Baltimore Orioles on May 3, 1990 . Many (especially in THT-land) will call it luck. 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. Free shipping for many products! There aren't many higher compliments than that for any pitcher. After I ran off the mound, I looked over at the St. Louis' dugout. A Batted Ball Event represents any batted ball that 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).. Stand behind a tree 60 feet away and Ill whomp you with an optical illusion, challenged Dizzy Dean. He was drafted straight out of high school by the Minnesota Twins in the third round in 1969. He had looked up the records of Walter Johnson and Cy Young when he was young. The incident occurred when Rose was commentating on a Phillies game last year and sharing a story when he said . Many (especially in THT-land) will call it luck. Shipping speed. 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. "We've got some baseball memorabilia donated to us by the players," Blyleven says, "and the money will go to help Ed Kirkpatrick back there. 28, "Longtime Twins broadcaster Bert Blyleven hangs up the mic", June 2, 1976: Minneapolis Tribune column on Blyleven's trade to Texas Rangers. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1973 Topps Set-Break #199 Bert Blyleven EX-EXMINT *GMCARDS* at the best online prices at eBay! And quite well, thank you. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Terry Kennedy was a young player with St. Louis. Other; Seller feedback (2,522,561) s***c (1508 . Yet last year was the first time he ever got a vote for the Cy Young Award. But the injuries may have been a blessing in disguise, because they made him a better pitcher. If you go through the above, he comes out to 298-239 for his career, ever so incredibly shy of 300. He later wished he could have erased the 3-2 fastball he threw to the first batter he faced, Lee Maye. Naturally, he sinks all the birdie putts. At which point Richie Scheinblum yells across the room to his wife, "We already have a Koufax ball!" Bert Blyleven was a big part of that championship season and went 1-1 in the World Series. A range-based metric of skill that shows how many outs a Nice. he asks. and 32 degrees. Nice. 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. Bert Blyleven grew up in Garden Grove, Calif., less than 10 miles from Anaheim Stadium. He took quiet pride in Todd's 10-point game, a performance that reminded one of a young Jack Sikma. He is very much at ease on the podium as he describes various raffle prizes, calls off winning numbers and awards golf trophies. It was this way when hitters faced Blyleven, as former San Diego catcher Terry Kennedy can attest. In 15 years with four teams he has 195 wins and a 3.00 ERA. O.K., I bid $300. One fan posted, "Pete Rose in the Phillies booth "he threw a c**k high fastball". This semicelebrity affair at Riviera was the second off-season charity event Bert has sponsored. For a pitcher it is the average of his softest 50% of batted balls allowed. . Bert Blyleven addresses the ball. Blyleven was the epitome of dominant. Blyleven was one of baseball's most notorious dugout pranksters during his playing days. That just leaves the years in his apparent prime, from 1970-77, when he won 17 fewer games than youd expect. as Active Spin. The Twins responded by trading him to the Texas Rangers. 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 guys who were real cheap during the season got real cheap gifts," he says. See all categories. A 1971 Milwaukee Brewers uniform, No. "A Carl Yastrzemski bat. After just 21 minor league starts, he found himself called up to the Majors at age 19 on June 2, 1970. Who does Bert pitch for these days? One of his best friends is Richie Scheinblum, the former outfielder for six big league teams, who as a Kansas City Royal battled Rod Carew for the batting title in 1972. 5.0. No takers? 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. "Somebody had a sign that read, 'We drove 660 miles from Detroit Lakes,' I . "Then we'd sneak down into the dugouts and grab whatever we couldresin bags and broken bats. That way I know he won't lose it on me like he did that one time. "Here's something special. I wondered how anyone could pitch 7,000 innings like Cy Young. For a batter, Best Speed is an average of 50% of his hardest hit balls. 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. What have we got here? He won fewer games than he should have, right? "I thank the baseball writers of America for, I'm going to say, finally getting it right. Blyleven also won so many games because he was a great workhorse. 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. 4.9. He responded with a flippant gesture. Blyleven dominated batters for more than two decades with one of the best curveballs the game has ever seen and an underappreciated fastball. A Pirate fan friend named Mike Emeigh told me about Blylevens early-1980 walkout. 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. 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. Statcast defines a 'hard-hit ball' as one hit with an Anything below 88mph is considered 0. See all categories. Rik Aalbert (Bert) Blyleven [1951] Bert Blyleven was and still is the only native Dutchman to have made a successful career, as measured by quality of play, in American professional baseball. thrown with. Finally we'd make like we were playing the outfield and jump over the fence in left.". He also tied for third in shutouts, with four, and for fourth in complete games, with 12. The Baseball Hall of Shame II first clued me in to some of those stories. Before the game Blyleven went over to the lineup card and changed the spelling of his name from "Blylevan." He may have been the best pitcher in the history of baseball. How far off the mound, in feet, a pitcher releases the 122), his five one-hitters, his eight two-hitters and his five three-hitters. It wasn't until he got married in 1971 that he noticed on his birth certificate that he's really Rik Aalbert. June 14, 1985: Bert Blyleven achieves a career milestone as he collects his 200th career win, defeating the A's, 6-1. His career was put on hold by a stint with the United States Armed Forces. of his glove and to the base on a stolen base or pickoff able to make a catch on an individual batted ball. Blyleven has ridden the curve to a career ERA of 3.00. [14] The Pirates traded him to the Cleveland Indians on December 9, 1980. Rik Aalbert Blyleven was born in Zeist, the Netherlands on April 6, 1951. I'll have to admit that was a hell of a curveball.". "I just don't think he knew how to use me." Adrian Devine, Tommy Boggs and Eddie Miller were traded from the Rangers to the Braves. Then he filled out, picked up some speed on his fastball and wowed batters in rookie and A ball. 1971 TOPPS # 26 BERT BLYLEVEN NICE CARD. So it seems only fitting that Blyleven is something of a yakker. See details. However, ESPN.com columnist Jayson Stark said, "No player has everand again, that word is 'ever'had his Hall of Fame candidacy helped more by the sabermetrics boom than Blyleven. background-color:#ba3434; 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. 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? Just take a look at who emerged in baseball from 1959 to 1970. In the Florida Instructional League championship game, he beat the Indians 1-0 and was featured in a story in that year's Dec. 1 issue of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED. [1] He serves as the pitching coach for the Netherlands national baseball team, having done so in the 2009, 2013 and 2017 and 2023 World Baseball Classic. This list is composed based not just on the nastiness of the curveball but also on how effectively it was used along with the pitcher's other weapons. There's the looping 12-6 curveball, which drops off the table just as the hitter thinks he has a read on it. Blyleven's display includes his one no-hitter (win No. Of course, it's never as nice as the one he cut.". Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1974 TOPPS BASEBALL #98 BERT BLYLEVEN MINNESOTA TWINS V.G. 1 fairway at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. 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. Call it sunspots for all I care, it aint run support. Then theres the guy with six straight 20-win seasons (Fergie Jenkins) and the pitcher with eight 20-win seasons (Jim Palmer). Blyleven is the winning pitcher in Game 3 of the NLCS and Game 5 (pitching in relief) of the World Series. Heres how it looks year-by-year, and again, this is based on his real run support and RA/9IP: Recording 17 fewer wins than expected is historically bad. So why did this happen to Blyleven? Rik Aalbert Blyleven was born in Zeist, a municipality in Utrecht, Netherlands, the son of Johannes Cornelius and Jannigje Blijleven. Blyleven has a different grip on his yakker than most, but, then, he has been more successful than most. He will do anything to get it. Vin Scully and Jerry Doggett would be describing Koufaxs curve that he threw off that high mound, Blyleven recalled. "What other team gets to wear a picture of its general manager on its jacket?" He began teaching the pitch to himself, learning to throw a drop in junior high. Bert was a terrific pitchera dominating pitcher. When youre constantly winning 15 or more games a year, you dont need too many 20-win seasons to make this list. 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. The list of 1-0 CG SHO, required the Play Index. "We left one month-old piece in there, and I think Chris ate it." A batted ball with the perfect combination of exit Does it really seem that if you give him a slight increase in run support his wins will shoot up?
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