And he couldn't help it if he was injured. Even Hall of Fame players marveled at Blylevens curve. It's like the fellow at the golf tournament said. Corrales got a bullwhip. "It finally ended when I was out in the back of the house, pulling weeds. A renowned curveball pitcher, Blyleven was also a two-time All-Star and World Series champion. Then he filled out, picked up some speed on his fastball and wowed batters in rookie and A ball. 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. The list of 1-0 CG SHO, required the Play Index. Bert Blyleven: Pitching History and The Hall of Fame How much spin, in revolutions per minute, a pitch was A .264 career batter, Kennedy hit .120 in 25 at bats against Blyleven, collecting three hits while striking out five times. He earned the moniker "Frying Dutchman" by frequently setting fire to his teammates' shoelaces, a practical joke known as a "hot foot". 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. Blyleven recorded 3,701 career strikeouts, the fifth-most in MLB history. Communication. 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. I have to ask him, 'Bert, what would you throw if you had my stuff?' [2] From 1996 to 2020, he was a color analyst for Minnesota Twins television broadcasts.[3]. Saved him a lot of pain." "I know that stuff sounds silly," says Smith. Koufax combined his rising fast ball with an overhand 12-6 curveball that embarrassed hitters. The day is cold and drizzly and awfully close to miserable, and if the setting didn't happen to include palm trees and the swell Riviera clubhouse, one might think one were in. "Hey, Bert, where'd you get the weather?" Others will call it pitching to the score. What have we got here? I'm thrilled to see Blyleven in the HOF. "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. Essentially a two-pitch hurler (curveball and fastball) thus far in his career, Blyleven developed an offspeed pitch during spring training in 1971, and the results were immediate. 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. Lets back up for a second. "It was nice of him to come anyway," says Blyleven. Jack Brickhouse, a Chicago Cubs broadcaster, described the pitches Paige threw as "not quite legal but not quite illegal.". Bert Blyleven grew up in Garden Grove, Calif., less than 10 miles from Anaheim Stadium. Well, his curveball was good enough to strike out 27 batters in a nine-inning game at Class D Bristol and followed that up with a 24-strikeout performance. Bert Blyleven discusses how the game has changed 12/01/2021 at 1:19 PM 12/01/2021 at 1:19 PM The 5 greatest seasons for Twins pitchers 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. People in and out the game lauded Blyleven for having the games best curveball, but he was also temperamental. "He knows how to finish a game now," says Indian pitching coach Don McMahon. and, on certain types of batted balls, Sprint Speed. He pitched in eight postseason games and went 5-1 with a 2.47 ERA. 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. 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. His heart is invariably in the right placeit's just that his foot sometimes ends up in his mouth. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2011 . Bert Blyleven - Society for American Baseball Research 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. ", During a lull at the banquet, Scheinblum talks about Blyleven. Maye hit it out of the park. 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. Blyleven is the winning pitcher in Game 3 of the NLCS and Game 5 (pitching in relief) of the World Series. On June 5, 1970, Rigney gave Blyleven his first start, against the Washington Senators. Known for his terrific curveball, pitcher Bert Blyleven won 287 games over a 22-year major league career. What makes his statistics even more impressive is that he missed five starts after he broke a bone in his right foot; while shagging flies in the Milwaukee outfield in May, he stepped on a ball hiding in the grass. Tom Waddell. A Bolt is any run where the Sprint Speed (defined as Blyleven wanted $85,000, which seems like a piddling sum now, and the Twins were offering $65,000. But he's not a bad guy. To answer the question, I went to my usual modus operandi: I looked at recent historical trends. When The Chicken brought his act to Cleveland, pitchers (from left) Ernie Camacho, Blyleven, Luis Aponte and Mike Jeffcoat were his plucky backups. 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. He took quiet pride in Todd's 10-point game, a performance that reminded one of a young Jack Sikma. Many new voters had entered the mix, and old ones passed on. He also became a baseball fan. That upset Blyleven, especially because he has given of himself to Cleveland. Don Drysdale was done two weeks after his 33rd birthday. CLEVELAND'S NETHERLANDS-BORN STAR, PITCHER BERT BLYLEVEN, PUTS HIS PEDAL TO THE METAL ON THE FIELD AND OFF, 2023 ABG-SI LLC. 4.9. 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 . 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. The worst election by any of 20 guys who had gone on to election was one time Tony Perez finished exactly one vote shy of 50 percent. He currently ranks 5th all-time in strikeouts, 9th all-time in shutouts, and 27th all-time in wins. Blyleven set the record that still stands with 50 gopher balls in 1986, and then topped the league again with 46 in 1987. He had looked up the records of Walter Johnson and Cy Young when he was young. I wanted to be like him, he said. Bert Blyleven - Baseball-Reference.com 1997 Fleer Star Stickers Baseball #10 - Bert Blyleven - Minnesota Twins Collectibles; Books & Magazines; Entertainment Memorabilia; Cell Phones . Wait a minute. [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. Hes going in. Like the first time, it doesn't go well, as he allows two runs in two innings and the NL wins, 6-1. If you had to pick one starting pitcher to serve as in/out line for induction, Id go with Stan Coveleski. 30 day returns. He just hasn't played on too many clubs that scored a lot of runs for him.". Of course, it's never as nice as the one he cut.". However, Blyleven's early career with the Twins was not always pleasant as he was hounded by critics and fans. In the last part of his careerhis second go-around in Minnesota and his final seasons in Californiahe came out eight games ahead. He still he ranks fifth all-time in that department. Bert Blyleven - Wikipedia How is a batter supposed to hit a curveball when he constantly has to be ready for the 100 mile per hour heater? The question arose: Is there any way to adjust his W-L record by his run support? But bleep them. Blyleven went out and bought gifts for everyone. "I know Ed thinks the world of him.". "I think the world of Chuck Tanner," says Blyleven now. 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. "O.K., we've got a golf bag and a dozen balls. Maglie's numbers are not overly impressive due to his stint in the Mexican League that got him banned from Major League Baseball. You've got work to do. 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. thrown with. Add in assorted aces Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, Catfish Hunter, Mickey Lolich, Luis Tiant, and thats some list. From 1970-77, Blyleven went 122-113 despite an ERA+ of 134. The Baseball Analysts: Optimal Fastball-Changeup Speed Separation *Examining the Past, Present, and Future* Lineup Card Rich Lederer Baseball Beat Patrick Sullivan Change-Up Jeremy Greenhouse Touching Bases Dave Allen F/X Visualizations Sky Andrecheck Behind the Scoreboard Marc Hulet Around the Minors Al Doyle Past Times So why did this happen to Blyleven? Rik Aalbert Blyleven was born in Zeist, the Netherlands on April 6, 1951. 1971 Topps Bert Blyleven #26 Rookie Minnesota Twins | eBay 5.0. Blyleven has a memento from each of his teams, a ball for every win and a replica of the 1979 Series trophy. Kennedy got the message. Blyleven pitched very well for the Indians in the strike year of 1981 (11-7, 2.89 ERA), but in the first game after play resumed, he hurt his right elbow. As a player, Blyleven did not have the best reputation. 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. My dad built a mound in the backyard and had a canvas hung behind a horseshoe pit. Wes Ferrell won three games after his age-30 season. Ball No. Shipping speed. If he underachieved because of his own personal failings, then why was he so successful when things entirely depended on him? According to baseball-reference Cy Young won 195 games befroe his age 30 season. No. How far, in feet, a runner is ranging off the bag at the Blyleven starred on the Santiago High School baseball team, also running cross country to build up his stamina and leg strength. The First Annual Blyleven Celebrity Golf Classic, to benefit Students Against Drunk Driving and the Orange County Trauma Society, is under way. Ten years ago he took Twins owner Calvin Griffith to arbitration, and Griffith screamed. It's also nice of Blyleven to host this tournament. Former Twins pitcher Bert Blyleven on 1987 World Series, today's game And once he came up, he stuck around. Autographed in English. This year he is 4-6, with a 2.97 ERA. 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. 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. On a recent afternoon Blyleven went to see Todd play basketball for his seventh-grade team. I'll have to admit that was a hell of a curveball.". If anyones curious, heres a list of the most 1-0 CG SHO for post-Walter Johnson pitchers: Nice lead for Blyleven. "[19] Still, it was not until his 14th year of eligibility, in 2011, that he was elected; he received 79.7% of the vote. He generally did better in the second half of the year. The house has lots of toys, some for the kids, some for Bert. And I said, 'Yes.' In his seven losses, the Indians scored only six runs. He chatted up all the passing foursomes and made sure the volunteer marshals switched holes so they wouldn't get bored. A couple of years ago when he was on the disabled list and back home, he came to watch my son Monte pitch. Cleveland president Gabe Paul said, "Bert Blyleven isn't going anywhere. US $3.00Standard Shipping. Look at his hits to innings pitched [8.10 per nine innings], his walks to strikeouts [7.02 strikeouts and 2.47 walks per nine innings] and his ERA. exit velocity of 95 mph or higher. Aside from that, he never led the league. Fansboth at home and at road gamescarried signs to the games saying "Circle me Bert". 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. All UZR (ultimate zone rating) calculations are provided courtesy of Mitchel Lichtman. Look again at that list of young big winners. His career was put on hold by a stint with the United States Armed Forces. Blyleven was one of baseball's most notorious dugout pranksters during his playing days. Hal Newhouser barely won 200 games. For two years we paid him a good salary, and he did nothing because he was hurt. Blyleven is rightPhil Seghi looks uncannily like Chief Wahoo. "Bert got six of mine last year," says DiBiasio. 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. 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! Chris Bando, who loves pizza, was given an almost-empty pizza box. He later wished he could have erased the 3-2 fastball he threw to the first batter he faced, Lee Maye. "But if you had to have one pitcher to beat us, Blyleven would be the choice. Mike Jeffcoat. "Golf is my life," Anthony keeps saying. But Blyleven is still a big kid at heart. Roberto Alomar, Pat Gillick and Bert Blyleven on stage during a press conference during the 2011 Hall of Fame Weekend. How to separate run support from that murky third factor? a batted-ball event with a launch angle between eight If the pitchers were different, the results were the same. 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. In Texas, Blyleven got blamed for something he never did. He also won a World Series in 1979 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was his second world championship. Thanks, Bob. Bert Blyleven's curveball is his claim to fame - Twin Cities (Lou Sauritch/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) Shop 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. 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. Those who throw it refer to it as The Hammer, The Yakker, even Public Enemy No. 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates, .avia-section.av-k6v62xgq-c0812a68936ee67ed4883eaa9d35be9b{ Bert Blyleven - BR Bullpen 555 N. Central Ave. #416 Major League and Minor League Baseball data provided by Major League Baseball. Twins analyst Bert Blyleven on Houston Astros scandal: 'Everyone Nice. 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's being serious, although whimsy soon bubbles to the surface. Even alone Blyleven is a terror, whether he's giving a hotfoot, tying clothes in knots, cutting neckties or pulling down McMahon's pants. I do. MLB Advanced Media, LP. He's referring to neckties. Blessed with one of the greatest curveballs the game has ever seen, Blyleven stands among the elite in several statistical categories, ranking fifth all-time in strikeouts (3,701), ninth in games started (685) and shutouts (60), and 24th in wins (287). All rights reserved. Gary Carter, Rich Gossage, Jim Rice, and Bruce Sutter have all gotten in, after initially finishing under 50 percent. If you think you just heard some big names, listen to these. ", Royals manager Dick Howser is also a Blyleven fan. "And then he went down." Blyleven went to the California Angels in 1989 and pitched a 2.73 ERA for a 175 record in his first season; he led the league for his third and final time in shutouts (5). 122), his five one-hitters, his eight two-hitters and his five three-hitters. He ran cross-country and played basketball and baseball at Santiago High School, and the baseball scouts began to come around. If I see anymore, I'll fall in love." Blyleven started the season in Triple A. Richie Scheinblum? He made his debut on June 5, 1970 playing for the Minnesota Twins as a pitcher. He won his first World Series with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979. Despite retiring at age 30, Sandy Koufax recorded 2,396 strikouts, won four World Series Championships and three Cy Young Awards. In between, while a Pirate in 1980, Blyleven jumped the team in midseason, flying to his home in California and demanding a trade. Blyleven has often been labeled a troublemaker. It wasn't until he got married in 1971 that he noticed on his birth certificate that he's really Rik Aalbert. He has to have it. Well, its that murky third factorthe luck/pitch-to-the-score/sunspots one. He got him to fly out. Call it sunspots for all I care, it ain't run support. ++ (FREE SHIPPING) at the best online prices at eBay! Who has blue ticket 92594? I wondered how anyone could pitch 7,000 innings like Cy Young. 1974 Topps Baseball #98 Bert Blyleven Minnesota Twins V.g. ++ (Free Robin Roberts hung on a long time but was a shell of himself for many years. Blyleven, Bert | Baseball Hall of Fame Bert Blyleven Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com Bert Blyleven Position: Pitcher Bats: Right Throws: Right 6-3 , 200lb (190cm, 90kg) Born: April 6, 1951 in Zeist, Netherlands nl More bio, uniform, draft, salary info Hall of Fame 2x All-Star 2x World Series 28 28 28 22 22 22 28 28 Says Roy Smith, a rookie pitcher who dressed next to Blyleven last season, "Because his stuff is so good, it really doesn't do me any good to ask him what he throws to certain hitters. The likelihood, in percent, that an outfielder will be [5] One of seven children, his parents anglicized their names to Joe and Jenny, with Rik Aalbert becoming simply "Bert". He needed elbow surgery in '82 after throwing only 20 innings, and in '83 he missed most of the last two months with a right shoulder injury. About 10 years ago, there was a debate at the late, great Rob Neyer Message Board about Blylevens Hall of Fame chances.