Popular categories from this store. "Bob Boone is building a house over there, Enos Cabell lives in those hills." Sold to me for $25. Uh, okay, Dean Chance). And those TWENTY no-decisions on the WORLD CHAMPION Pittsburgh Pirates are probably a record of sorts. A Pirate fan friend named Mike Emeigh told me about Blylevens early-1980 walkout. "Aw bleep, that was for him [Griffith] and his family." 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. "And then he went down." He always goes out and buys me a new one. So it seems only fitting that Blyleven is something of a yakker. In 2007, Blyleven's total dipped to 47.7% (75% is the minimum required for admission to the Hall). "I would like to say to my family, to my fans, to all the Puerto Rican people and . Blyleven was recently inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame after recording over 3,700 strikeouts in his career. Blyleven, an intense competitor, wants it. Stanky quit on his own. How to separate run support from that murky third factor? Aside from that, he never led the league. There once was a rookie hitter who didnt need to be convinced the curve was something more than an optical illusion. Note that since the Neyer Board discussion ten years ago, things have already shifted. Many (especially in THT-land) will call it luck. They just started throwing me the curveball.. In 2008, he received 336 votes, or 61.9% of the vote. have been very good to me, I like the way Pat manages, I think we've got a good, young club, and I'd like to be a part of a winning team in Cleveland. 1.18 ERA 184 Fastball Speed 165 Regular Speed 160 Slowball Speed 10 Left Curve 6 Right Curve 9 Drop Rating 54 Endurance Bio Born Rik Aalbert Blyleven on April 6, 1951 in Zeist, Holland. 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). There's the looping 12-6 curveball, which drops off the table just as the hitter thinks he has a read on it. And as for Reggie Jackson, well, hed just as soon take the day off as hit against Blyleven, who struck him out 47 times and held him to a .214 career average. "When they asked us who wanted to play in the Instructional League in the fall of '69, I was the first one to raise my hand," he says. Almost everybody says this of Blyleven: "He wants the ball." Given his temperamental behaviour and (more happily) reputation as a practical jokester as a player, which have carried over somewhat into an occasionally prickly demeanor as a broadcaster, I wonder if Blylevens early debut in the majors is partially to blame for his personalitys lack of leavening. [2] From 1996 to 2020, he was a color analyst for Minnesota Twins television broadcasts.[3]. How hard, in miles per hour, a fielder throws the ball. No player who had debuted on the ballot since 1970 had a vote total that low and later won election to the Hall. My dad built a mound in the backyard and had a canvas hung behind a horseshoe pit. Blyleven married Patricia Ann Whitehead, a friend from high school, during his second season in the majors, and they have raised a happy family. "O.K., we've got a golf bag and a dozen balls. He went out and used it to dominate high school hitters, and by age 19 found himself winning 10 games in the major leagues as a rookie for the Minnesota Twins, the start to a career that would last until he was 41. able to make a catch on an individual batted ball. I also wish we were in the other division.". "I have to say this for him, though. See all categories. Call it sunspots for all I care, it ain't run support. It's one of the hardest things in sports to execute. Bert Blyleven. A renowned curveball pitcher, Blyleven was also a two-time All-Star and World Series champion. He's also not afraid to throw inside to a hitter. If you went back further, you could find guys whod risen up: Billy Williams, Luis Aparicio, Bob Lemon. He pitched a no-hitter, was chosen to a pair of All-Star teams and also won two World Series Championships. 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! His breaking ball was literally untouchable. See details. "But I thought it was kind of nice. Thats the question. The Twins responded by trading him to the Texas Rangers. He was drafted straight out of high school by the Minnesota Twins in the third round in 1969. His run support wasnt that good every year, but by and large it was better than I wouldve guessed. Blyleven missed the entire 1991 season following rotator cuff surgery. Ted Williams called Pascual's curveball the "most feared curveball in the American League for 18 years. Tanner is almost universally beloved, so Blyleven came out as the bad guy in Pittsburgh, especially after Tanner called him "Cryleven." The only thing Blyleven hates more than pitch counts is the use of . His wife, Patty, has a sneaking suspicion that he wanted the panda for himself as much as for their four children, Todd, 12, Kimberly, 10, Timothy, 3, and Thomas, 17 months. These arent items I learned in the last week, but they are things I found out during the course of Blylevens seemingly never-ending Cooperstown candidacy. A banquet in a Riviera dining room follows the golf tournament, and Blyleven, nattily dressed in a camel's hair sports coat, navy blue trousers, blue shirt and uncut tie, is the master of ceremonies. Vin Scully and Jerry Doggett would be describing Koufaxs curve that he threw off that high mound, Blyleven recalled. And now he has a little more command. Blyleven, 33, is such a cutup, in fact, that he recently cut off his five-year-old beard. All rights reserved. "I just don't think he knew how to use me." "But I'll be grateful to him for one thing in particular. Around (over?) Terrys reaction was to swing straight down, like he was chopping the plate with an axe. 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. 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. "I thank the baseball writers of America for, I'm going to say, finally getting it right. Blyleven starred on the Santiago High School baseball team, also running cross country to build up his stamina and leg strength. by Retrosheet. At least his induction might open the door for more worthy candidates, certainly Jimm Kaat is this mans superior as an MLB pitcher. Even the guys who didnt completely implode aged poorly. In 2010, Blyleven had 74.2% of the votes, missing admission to the Hall of Fame by only 5 votes (0.8%).[22]. She says, "So now we'll have two.". You cant do a simplistic, reductionistic system. The lone hit in that game was a bunt single by slow-footed Ed Kirkpatrick in the fifth inning. But he's not a bad guy. Gary Carter, Rich Gossage, Jim Rice, and Bruce Sutter have all gotten in, after initially finishing under 50 percent. "We have those long, strong fingers," he says. raw numbers and as a measurement against average. I know this sounds terrible, but who does Bert pitch for these days?". In the last part of his careerhis second go-around in Minnesota and his final seasons in Californiahe came out eight games ahead. I checked all pitchers with at least 25 SHO from 1920-2011. 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. When you cant lift your arm for two days after throwing, you cant do any more.. http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/forgotten-pennant-push-jim-kaat-1967/, interesting article. Spanky, we love you.". Bert Blyleven Statcast, Visuals & Advanced Metrics | MLB.com | baseballsavant.com Bert Blyleven P | B/T: R/R | 6' 3" 207LBS | Age: 71 Draft: 1969 | Rd: 3, #55, Minnesota Twins | Santiago HS (Garden Grove, CA) Stats Standard Splits Game Logs Minors Batting Pitching Fielding Visuals Standard MLB Pitching Statistics He also tied for third in shutouts, with four, and for fourth in complete games, with 12. He would continue to play for six different teams for the next 22 years . The Mets got from the Braves Willie Montaez and from the Rangers Tom Grieve and Ken Henderson who was sent to New York to complete the transaction three months later on March 15, 1978. 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. Just take a look at who emerged in baseball from 1959 to 1970. Now, does that really seem like an answer to the question of run support? 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. He's fifth on the active list in shutouts, sixth in strikeouts, eighth in victories and eighth in innings pitched. After Blyleven, the only 200-game winners to appear in the next five years were Rick Reuschel and Frank Tanana. Here you go. It was during this second stint with Minnesota that Blyleven became the tenth member of the 3,000-strikeout club in 1986 and won a second World Series title in 1987. Blyleven has reigned as the curveball champion longer than either Pascual or Koufax. 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. 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.". However, the velocity on his fastball adding to the effectiveness of his curveball. Kid Nichols is the all-time champ. Who? He left in the eighth to a standing ovation from the Municipal Stadium faithful, 8,239 strong. He played three seasons for the California Angels before retiring. Lets back up for a second. 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. One of seven children, Bert grew up in Garden Grove as American as, well, Dutch apple pie. ", Says Mike Ferraro, a K.C. That was where I learned to throw and control the pitch.. Blyleven's curve breaks so quickly and so far that some batters swear they can hear it change direction. From 1984-89, he went 95-71 with a 115 ERA+. If you go through the above, he comes out to 298-239 for his career, ever so incredibly shy of 300. Jerry Koosman was a two-time, all-star for the New York Mets and, like most lefties, relied heavily on his curveball for success. For a pitcher it is the average of his softest 50% of batted balls allowed. Fansboth at home and at road gamescarried signs to the games saying "Circle me Bert". "Then we'd sneak down into the dugouts and grab whatever we couldresin bags and broken bats. Blyleven and his Villa Park neighbors could probably win the American League West. Blyleven was one of baseball's most notorious dugout pranksters during his playing days. 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. Communication. The kids see how hard he works. He learned that his name actually was Rik Aalbert Blijleven after obtaining a copy of his birth certificate in order to get married.[30]. 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. Blyleven, who has a seven handicap, is teamed with a couple of Cadillac dealers and an attorney, a zany Mormon named Tom Anthony. I have some sympathy for that approach, but ultimately remain agnostic. When you divide his career into sections, it veers wildly. Saved him a lot of pain." With all of the talk of some players not getting the votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America for entry into the Hall of Fame because of allegations and admissions regarding illegal substance abuse, pitcher Bert Blyleven, who became a member of the Hall earlier this month . 48 is from a one-hitter Blyleven threw against the Kansas City Royals on May 24, 1973. Adrian Devine, Tommy Boggs and Eddie Miller were traded from the Rangers to the Braves. 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. "Thirty-one of them must have left by the third inning." Jerry Willard. Wes Ferrell won three games after his age-30 season. Also, he felt that Tanner was pulling him from games too quickly. How quickly, in seconds, a catcher can get the ball out Blyleven is rightPhil Seghi looks uncannily like Chief Wahoo. The left-hander won over 200 games and struck out over 2,500 batters in his 18-year MLB career. Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt became something of an expert on the curveball during his career. "Here's a ball autographed by the 1957 Milwaukee Braves. "Bert's always doing things for people," he says. Koosman was also an crucial piece to the Mets improbable World Series Championship in 1969. It wasn't until he got married in 1971 that he noticed on his birth certificate that he's really Rik Aalbert. This year he is 4-6, with a 2.97 ERA. From the moment he came to the major leagues, as a 19-year-old with the Minnesota Twins in 1970, he has been considered a great talent. Though his age-28 season, Blyleven tossed 2,624 innings, more than anyone since Pete Alexander. Then he filled out, picked up some speed on his fastball and wowed batters in rookie and A ball. Blyleven dominated batters for more than two decades with one of the best curveballs the game has ever seen and an underappreciated fastball. Blyleven, 38, has won 271 major league games with one of baseball's best curves and a variety of offspeed pitches. This is a free article. The curveball has been around for ages and has taken many forms throughout the history of baseball. See all categories. 1 fairway at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Carter only had one really low year, and it was never as low as Blyleven. Shipping speed. When The Chicken brought his act to Cleveland, pitchers (from left) Ernie Camacho, Blyleven, Luis Aponte and Mike Jeffcoat were his plucky backups. Then there are three guys over 280 winsTommy John, Jim Kaat, and Blyleven himself. "A Carl Yastrzemski bat. Blyleven's first two full seasons back with the Twins produced major league records for home runs allowed in a single season (50) and in back-to-back seasons (96). It's like the fellow at the golf tournament said. Here he is, a workhorse with superlative ERAs and a world-renown curveball, but he only made the All-Star team twice, in 1973 and 1985. That game happened to feature a. On September 22, 1977, just two weeks after being sidelined with a groin injury, Blyleven no-hit the California Angels 60 at Anaheim Stadium. Digging a little deeper into the numbers, it looks like it really was just luck, because Blyleven was at his best when it counted the most. "There's not a lot of dropoff in his stuff. Arguments for inducting Bert Blyleven into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. 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. Bert Blyleven grew up in Garden Grove, Calif., less than 10 miles from Anaheim Stadium. So did Steve Busby, Jeff Conine, Bill Singer, John Smiley, and Ron Fairly. The bullpen page for Hal Newhouser lists the 16 liveballers who won 150 games before turning 30 years old, but I feel a bit odd citing that, since Im the guy that put that info there in the first place.