Mike Cuellar was one of the filthiest breaking ball pitchers the game has ever seen. Being close to his 100th win is. So why did this happen to Blyleven? 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. References & ResourcesI checked Paper of Record for some of the items in No. 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. Blyleven became disgruntled with the Pirates and threatened to retire during the 1980 season if he was not traded. 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. Carter only had one really low year, and it was never as low as Blyleven. A couple of years ago when he was on the disabled list and back home, he came to watch my son Monte pitch. 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: Uh, okay, Dean Chance). Cleveland president Gabe Paul said, "Bert Blyleven isn't going anywhere. 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. O.K., I bid $300. The Pirates also acquired John Milner from the Mets. (Also, Dean Chance? The Indians are happy to have him. I wanted 300 wins, 5,000 innings, and 4,000 strikeouts, he admits, but after shoulder surgery in spring training in 1993, I would pitch four or five innings and my body would say no more. and 32 degrees. I have to ask him, 'Bert, what would you throw if you had my stuff?' He learned that his name actually was Rik Aalbert Blijleven after obtaining a copy of his birth certificate in order to get married.[30]. Neal Heaton got a Gourmet Nosepicker. 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. Thanks for the link at WGOM, by the way. So far Blyleven has won 20 only once, in 1973, when he lost 17. The Orioles legend has four 20-win seasons, a World Series title and a Cy Young Award to his name. This was especially pronounced in his first seven full seasons, 1971-77, when he was in his prime. In 1996, Blyleven became a television color analyst for the Twins, calling games for WCCO-TV and Midwest Sports Channel (later Fox Sports North). "It was an off year for ties," says Blyleven. "Two pitchers that I know about who held it the way I do," says Blyleven, "were Koufax and Bob Feller.". So did Steve Busby, Jeff Conine, Bill Singer, John Smiley, and Ron Fairly. Catfish Hunter lasted only a few months more. When announcing partner Bremer attempted to circle fans with the telestrator, he drew geometric forms that were non-circular, and Blyleven and fans started to jostle Bremer with phrases like "Rhombus me, Dick" or "Triangle me, Dick". Then there are three guys over 280 winsTommy John, Jim Kaat, and Blyleven himself. Rice benefited from an orchestrated movement by the Boston press corps. Nicknamed "the Barber," Sal Maglie commanded the corners of the plate as well as any pitcher in the history of baseball. July 16, 1985: For the second time Blyleven pitches in an All-Star Game. He wound up completing 242 games and throwing 60 shutouts, the two numbers of which he is most proud. Despite retiring at age 30, Sandy Koufax recorded 2,396 strikouts, won four World Series Championships and three Cy Young Awards. "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. Its that second wind that makes his career numbers impressive. 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. Despite winning 17 fewer games than he should have in his pre-Pittsburgh years, Blyleven can still claim to be one of only 16 men in the liveball era to win 150 games before turning 30. It's one of the hardest things in sports to execute. "[His curveball] was nasty, I'll tell you thatenough to make your knees buckle. window.". Blyleven went on to win the game 2-1, allowing five hits in seven innings and retiring the outsized Howard all three times he faced him. The First Annual Blyleven Celebrity Golf Classic, to benefit Students Against Drunk Driving and the Orange County Trauma Society, is under way. In the early days it was fashionable to deny that a curveball actually curved, many scientists even claiming it was nothing but an optical illusion. For instance, he referred to Paul and Phil Seghi, the Indians' general manager, as "two old men sitting up in the booth playing checkers." His 20 no decisions in 1979 are the most by an MLB starting pitcher in a season, dating back to at least 1908.[13]. background-image:unset; The evening is winding down, and there are only a few more souvenirs left to be auctioned. Shipping speed. Blyleven was inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame in 2002[25] and was chosen to the fan-elected "Wendy's- Minnesota Twins All-Metrodome Team" on July 28, 2009. I threw him an 0-2 curve and it snapped. Arguments for inducting Bert Blyleven into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. 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. It was his second world championship. Plus, he keeps us loose.". That was where I learned to throw and control the pitch.. He generally did better in the second half of the year. and, on certain types of batted balls, Sprint Speed. The only problem was that his name was published as "Blylevan," which is the way the Twins spelled it in those days. I checked all pitchers with at least 25 SHO from 1920-2011. [23] "It's been 14 years of praying and waiting," he said on a conference call from Fort Myers, Florida. Blyleven has often been labeled a troublemaker. Fortunately for him, life wasnt going to throw him that curve, and he now has his place in history. The story goes that he was tearing up the Grapefruit League, leading his wife to ask if she should begin house hunting in his new major-league city. His breaking ball was literally untouchable. Now he owes the Indians and the city of Cleveland something in return.". Bert Blyleven grew up in Garden Grove, Calif., less than 10 miles from Anaheim Stadium. (Lou Sauritch/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) Shop That year, he pitched 293.2 innings and completed 24 games, a feat that has not been repeated since. Monte tried to throw a curve, and something in his elbow snapped. 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 . I practiced it by myself. Nolan Ryan and Bert Blyleven had the tightest rotation and velocity combination," Schmidt was quoted as saying in a recent Associated Press story. This semicelebrity affair at Riviera was the second off-season charity event Bert has sponsored. However, his election was a slow curve that was thrown to Blyleven, not being elected by the Baseball Writers Association of America until his 14thseason of eligibility despite 287 victories and 3,701 strikeouts. 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. He blanked Milwaukee on four hits in his first start, followed by a three-hit shutout at Kansas City five days later. Wes Ferrell won three games after his age-30 season. Blue 90672, raise your hand. My dad built a mound in the backyard and had a canvas hung behind a horseshoe pit. You have a half-dozen 300 game winnersGaylord Perry, Phil Niekro, Steve Carlton, Don Sutton, Nolan Ryan, and Tom Seaver. Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn, Lew Burdette, Joe Adcock, Eddie Mathews. Sold for $150. 48 is from a one-hitter Blyleven threw against the Kansas City Royals on May 24, 1973. Do I hear $275? From 1970-77, Blyleven went 122-113 despite an ERA+ of 134. That, of course, would belong to Sandy Koufax. Paige has a unique ability to blow hitters away and come right back and make them look foolish. window") of the runner is at least 30 ft/sec. When youre constantly winning 15 or more games a year, you dont need too many 20-win seasons to make this list. 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. Statcast refers to the spin that contributes to movement How hard, in miles per hour, a pitch is thrown. Two words Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson used to describe Bert Blyleven's curveball: "nasty" and "knee-buckling.". 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. How is a batter supposed to hit a curveball when he constantly has to be ready for the 100 mile per hour heater? It's hard to say anything based on one game, but he looks like he's got a great future ahead of him.". But he did. 5.0. 16, worn by Ron Theobald. But Gossage and Sutter are relievers, and the Hall is still trying to figure them out. Who has blue ticket 92594? Koufax combined his rising fast ball with an overhand 12-6 curveball that embarrassed hitters. 300, a la Early Wynn. A Pirate fan friend named Mike Emeigh told me about Blylevens early-1980 walkout. 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. He played three seasons for the California Angels before retiring. His career was put on hold by a stint with the United States Armed Forces. 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. Blyleven starred on the Santiago High School baseball team, also running cross country to build up his stamina and leg strength. I still kid him about it.". Roberto Alomar, Pat Gillick and Bert Blyleven on stage during a press conference during the 2011 Hall of Fame Weekend. The house has lots of toys, some for the kids, some for Bert. 122), his five one-hitters, his eight two-hitters and his five three-hitters. Rik Aalbert Blyleven was born in Zeist, the Netherlands on April 6, 1951. According to Matt Welch of Reason Magazine, "there had long been a strong case that the Dutch-born curveballista was the most deserving player on the outside of Cooperstown looking in. 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). Poor Terry. You've got to be kidding. by Retrosheet. OK, now lets figure out what Blylevens record should be based on pythaging his actual RA/9IP and his actual run support. Bert was a terrific pitchera dominating pitcher.
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