But thats the problem, you had to go way back. We do. Many out there in THTs readerland believe its all just luck and random variation, and we may as well do away with W-L records. Aside from that, he never led the league. 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. My dad built a mound in the backyard and had a canvas hung behind a horseshoe pit. coach who was Blyleven's manager in Cleveland for half a season, "He should win 30 games with the stuff he's got. Bert knew what had happened right away and got Monte's elbow in a bucket of ice. The list of 1-0 CG SHO, required the Play Index. 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. Prospectus Q&A: Bert Blyleven - Baseball Prospectus Bert Blyleven - BR Bullpen Blyleven left 28 tickets for family and friends for that night's game, which turned out to be . If the pitchers were different, the results were the same. If you go through the above, he comes out to 298-239 for his career, ever so incredibly shy of 300. After just 21 minor league starts, he found himself called up to the Majors at age 19 on June 2, 1970. Francisco the busboy? Note that since the Neyer Board discussion ten years ago, things have already shifted. "O.K., I've got a ball here signed by Henry Aaron. and, on certain types of batted balls, Sprint Speed. No player who had debuted on the ballot since 1970 had a vote total that low and later won election to the Hall. Escape Velocity takes the average of a player's batted ball velocities subtracted from 88. 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. Maglie's numbers are not overly impressive due to his stint in the Mexican League that got him banned from Major League Baseball. http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/forgotten-pennant-push-jim-kaat-1967/, interesting article. Dutch-American baseball player (born 1951), Cleveland Guardians Opening Day starting pitchers, Los Angeles Angels Opening Day starting pitchers, List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual shutout leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders, List of Texas Rangers Opening Day starting pitchers, List of Major League Baseball career hit batsmen leaders, List of Major League Baseball career shutout leaders, List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders, "Twins' Bert Blyleven, a Fort Myers resident, moves from broadcast booth", "HOFers have long history with World Baseball Classic", "Wednesday's game marked Bert Blyleven's last Twins broadcast", "Bert Blyleven Society for American Baseball Research", "Sports of The Times; Blyleven And His Beard", -NY Times article Alomar and Blyleven elected to hall of fame, 1/5/11, "Blyleven traded to Texas in six-player transaction", Former Indians Blyleven, Alomar Elected to Hall of Fame, Durso, Joseph. 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. "We have a beautiful cutlery set. 1996-2023 DIY Baseball LLC All Rights Reserved. Julio Franco, who had been arrested the previous winter for possession of a gun without a permit, received a toy pistol. 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. 1973 Topps Set-Break #199 Bert Blyleven EX-EXMINT *GMCARDS* Look again at that list of young big winners. This led to a fundraising campaign with the Parkinson's Foundation and a sponsorship with the Minnesota Lottery. He's celebrity chairman of the 65 Roses Club for Cystic Fibrosis there. Blyleven is well above the Coveleski line, regardless of how you slice his record. The left-hander won over 200 games and struck out over 2,500 batters in his 18-year MLB career. Bert Blyleven Twins 2022 Topps Gilded Collection 1X Case 18X Box Break Stanky quit on his own. Jump is a Statcast metric that shows which players have He will do anything to get it. "I told our third baseman, Steve Braun, to watch for a bunt," says Blyleven, "but Spanky laid a perfect one down. Many (especially in THT-land) will call it luck. Major League and Minor League Baseball data provided by Major League Baseball. Blyleven left 28 tickets for family and friends for that night's game, which turned out to be . "It finally ended when I was out in the back of the house, pulling weeds. background-color:#ba3434; Add in assorted aces Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, Catfish Hunter, Mickey Lolich, Luis Tiant, and thats some list. Blue 90672, raise your hand. He won fewer games than he should have, right? After Blyleven, the only 200-game winners to appear in the next five years were Rick Reuschel and Frank Tanana. June 14, 1985: Bert Blyleven achieves a career milestone as he collects his 200th career win, defeating the A's, 6-1. Blyleven thinks little of drugs, pitch count. This past baseball season he merely cut up American League batters, finishing as the third-leading vote getter in the Cy Young Award balloting, behind relievers Willie Hernandez and Dan Quisenberry. All Rights Reserved. For instance, he referred to Paul and Phil Seghi, the Indians' general manager, as "two old men sitting up in the booth playing checkers." He eventually came back after nearly two weeks. Here you go. Blyleven proceeded to finish Pittsburgh's sweep of Cincinnati in the National League Championship Series, pitching a complete game in the Pirates' 7-1 triumph in Game 3. 1 fairway at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Blyleven recorded 3,701 career strikeouts, the fifth-most in MLB history. by Retrosheet. "We have those long, strong fingers," he says. He throws it a little differently than most pitchers, holding the ball so that every finger except his pinky is touching a seam. How far off the mound, in feet, a pitcher releases the I have to ask him, 'Bert, what would you throw if you had my stuff?' 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). Jack Brickhouse, a Chicago Cubs broadcaster, described the pitches Paige threw as "not quite legal but not quite illegal.". A doting daddy, Blyleven likes to spend time with his sons Timothy (above) and Thomas. On June 5, 1970, Rigney gave Blyleven his first start, against the Washington Senators. Blyleven has often been labeled a troublemaker. "A Carl Yastrzemski bat. OK, now lets figure out what Blylevens record should be based on pythaging his actual RA/9IP and his actual run support. become a hit. In the world of baseballan image comes to mind here of a white planet with red seams and American League president Bobby Brown's signature on itlabels are very easy to put on and very hard to take off. }, Cronkite School at ASU Take his 1974 season, when he went 17-17 despite a tremendous ERA+ of 142. He can't speak Dutch, but to this day he still understands a little of it. Baseball '90 PREVIEW : ONE PITCH FROM STARDOM : Speed is not enough. In 555 N. Central Ave. #416 He has all the stats of a potential Hall of Famer. ", Blyleven wraps up the evening. Terry Kennedy was a young player with St. Louis. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. In 1996, Blyleven became a television color analyst for the Twins, calling games for WCCO-TV and Midwest Sports Channel (later Fox Sports North). (And the difference between Blylevens actual record and the second projection quantifies that murky third factor, but well get back to that in a second). Though his age-28 season, Blyleven tossed 2,624 innings, more than anyone since Pete Alexander. Who? Rik Aalbert [Bert] Blyleven - New Netherland Institute [18] He returned in his role for 2013 and 2017.[2]. 122), his five one-hitters, his eight two-hitters and his five three-hitters. I practiced it by myself. . 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. Terrys reaction was to swing straight down, like he was chopping the plate with an axe. The only thing Blyleven hates more than pitch counts is the use of . Blyleven's display includes his one no-hitter (win No. 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. 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. This was especially pronounced in his first seven full seasons, 1971-77, when he was in his prime. 1971 TOPPS # 26 BERT BLYLEVEN NICE CARD. When The Chicken brought his act to Cleveland, pitchers (from left) Ernie Camacho, Blyleven, Luis Aponte and Mike Jeffcoat were his plucky backups. In 22 seasons, Blyleven had more than 3,700 career strikeouts, including more than 2,000 of those in 11 seasons with the Twins. You don't need this. Then theres the guy with six straight 20-win seasons (Fergie Jenkins) and the pitcher with eight 20-win seasons (Jim Palmer). Ted Williams called Pascual's curveball the "most feared curveball in the American League for 18 years. But nobody really cared. An inveterate practical joker, Blyleven likes to snip cravats. Half of them blew their arms out right after turning 30. The Indians are happy to have him. Twins analyst Bert Blyleven on Houston Astros scandal: 'Everyone Bert Blyleven - The RBI Baseball Database Scheinblum's son, Monte, who's active in SADD at Villa Park High School in Villa Park, Calif., asked Blyleven if he'd help him organize a tournament. Uh, okay, Dean Chance). window.". Statcast refers to the spin that contributes to movement After the game Howard said, "He's got a fine arm. 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). i surely did my campaigning for blyleven too back in the day. Thats the question. That was where I learned to throw and control the pitch.. He chatted up all the passing foursomes and made sure the volunteer marshals switched holes so they wouldn't get bored. outfield. And he couldn't help it if he was injured. he asks. Only nine? "Two pitchers that I know about who held it the way I do," says Blyleven, "were Koufax and Bob Feller.". Blyleven, 38, has won 271 major league games with one of baseball's best curves and a variety of offspeed pitches. 30 day returns. Heck, Matt Lawton made two All-Star games. 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). "And here's a ball signed by the 1984 Cleveland Indians. Blyleven had pitched only 21 games in the minors; by comparison, Dwight Gooden, last year's 19-year-old sensation, needed 38 games before he was brought up to the Mets. In 1985 he again led the American League in shutouts with five. ", In a list full of "Uncle Charlies" (a common nickname for a curveball), Doc Gooden's deuce is "Lord Charles.". 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. Brian yeah, if you look at pre-1920 guys its really nuts. Thats it? "I would like to say to my family, to my fans, to all the Puerto Rican people and . I checked all pitchers with at least 25 SHO from 1920-2011. As a player, Blyleven did not have the best reputation. Enjoy this run through the 10 best curveballs in the history of baseball. He won 287 games, 27th-most all-time, and pitched 4,970 innings, 14th-most all-time. Autographed in English. Blyleven became disgruntled with the Pirates and threatened to retire during the 1980 season if he was not traded. All rights reserved. So far Blyleven has won 20 only once, in 1973, when he lost 17. "[19] Still, it was not until his 14th year of eligibility, in 2011, that he was elected; he received 79.7% of the vote. A Pirate fan friend named Mike Emeigh told me about Blylevens early-1980 walkout. Hes going in. 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).. ", Blyleven raises every bid, and, finally, he says, "Sold to me. Actually, the best spelling of his name appears on one of his license plates: BLY11. "There were 32 scouts in the stands at the start," he recalls. Bert Blyleven | Baseball Wiki | Fandom Chris Bando, who loves pizza, was given an almost-empty pizza box. In Texas, Blyleven got blamed for something he never did. If anyones curious, heres a list of the most 1-0 CG SHO for post-Walter Johnson pitchers: Nice lead for Blyleven. Now he throws an excellent change, an occasional slider, an assortment of fastballs and, of course, his curve. Bert Blyleven was a big part of that championship season and went 1-1 in the World Series. Even alone Blyleven is a terror, whether he's giving a hotfoot, tying clothes in knots, cutting neckties or pulling down McMahon's pants. 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. Bert Blyleven, who was actually born Rik Aalbert Blijleven, was a Major League Baseball player who pitched for the Minnesota Twins (1970-1976), Texas Rangers (1976-1977), Pittsburgh Pirates (1978-1980), Cleveland Indians (1981-1985), Minnesota Twins (1985-1988), and California Angels (1989-1990, 1992). How far, in feet, a fielder or runner has traveled on a 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. Now look at Blylevens careerpitching in tough spots wasnt his problem. So how does he earn a spot on this list? the ERA scale, A measurement of a player's top running speed, expressed 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. All UZR (ultimate zone rating) calculations are provided courtesy of Mitchel Lichtman. produces a result. He played three seasons for the California Angels before retiring. 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. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1974 TOPPS BASEBALL #98 BERT BLYLEVEN MINNESOTA TWINS V.G. Known for his terrific curveball, pitcher Bert Blyleven won 287 games over a 22-year major league career. Popular categories from this store. The curveball has been around for ages and has taken many forms throughout the history of baseball. 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. Nice. His miniature car is a favorite. Alomar, Blyleven and Gillick are inducted into the Hall of Fame 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. 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. Ill be home soon. Yet last year was the first time he ever got a vote for the Cy Young Award. 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. Anything below 88mph is considered 0. One of seven children, Bert grew up in Garden Grove as American as, well, Dutch apple pie. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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. Jerry Koosman was a two-time, all-star for the New York Mets and, like most lefties, relied heavily on his curveball for success. 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. What we're talking about here is a humongous stuffed panda, and he's auctioning off the bear at the banquet. [27], On September 2, 2020, Blyleven broadcast his final game for the Twins.[28]. Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt became something of an expert on the curveball during his career. 1997 Fleer Star Stickers Baseball #10 - Bert Blyleven - Minnesota Twins There, he got a job straightening bumpers and brought his family down the next year. 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. 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. 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. Blyleven often looked back and saw players in the opposing dugout covering their face with their gloves as they laughed at a hitter who had ducked out of the way of a curve that had broken sharply across the heart of the plate, many of them ending up one of Blylevens strikeout victims. Let's look at some of the names. 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. There once was a rookie hitter who didnt need to be convinced the curve was something more than an optical illusion. Born: April 6, 1951 in Zeist, Netherlands nl Draft: Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 3rd round of the 1969 MLB June Amateur Draft from Santiago HS (Garden Grove, CA).. High School: Santiago HS (Garden Grove, CA) Last Game: October 4, 1992 (Age 41-181d) He's fifth on the active list in shutouts, sixth in strikeouts, eighth in victories and eighth in innings pitched. 4.9. In 2007, Blyleven's total dipped to 47.7% (75% is the minimum required for admission to the Hall). Catfish Hunter lasted only a few months more. The 'Widowmaker' comes to Twins fantasy camp and MDs become MVPs 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. He's referring to neckties. He got him to fly out. "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second When the Angels came to nearby Anaheim in 1966, Bert didn't switch his allegiance, although he did become one of the stadium rats. (Lou Sauritch/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) Shop Brett Butler was presented with an autographed picture of his favorite soap opera star. One of his trademarks was circling fans with the telestrator on screen. Bert was a terrific pitchera dominating pitcher. He would continue to play for six different teams for the next 22 years . Mike Jeffcoat. His answer told you all you need to know about the major-league curveball: Dont bother. Does it really seem that if you give him a slight increase in run support his wins will shoot up? 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! Around (over?) "This is for a free membership to Racquetball World. The ones better than him who are not in would make legitimate candidates. Calico Jack (Suwinski) is Back for the Attack. He learned that his name actually was Rik Aalbert Blijleven after obtaining a copy of his birth certificate in order to get married.[30]. "Thanks everyone for coming, and good night. MLB Advanced Media, LP. Brown ticket 58456? Until last year, fate had not been overly kind to Blyleven. time of a pitcher's first movement or pitch release. [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. His fastball overpowered hitters and was clearly the pitch he relied on most heavily. Patty came out and said, 'Don't you think you should go back?' Blyleven dominated batters for more than two decades with one of the best curveballs the game has ever seen and an underappreciated fastball. He knows how to pitch. The umpire called it a strike and Jamie backed out and it looked to me like he kind of laughed a little bit. "[His curveball] was nasty, I'll tell you thatenough to make your knees buckle. In between, while a Pirate in 1980, Blyleven jumped the team in midseason, flying to his home in California and demanding a trade. 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. Blyleven has reigned as the curveball champion longer than either Pascual or Koufax. The stuff, and no nonsense - Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com How high/low, in degrees, a ball was hit by a batter. He pitched in eight postseason games and went 5-1 with a 2.47 ERA. At which point Richie Scheinblum yells across the room to his wife, "We already have a Koufax ball!" With the power of the internet, Lederers persistenceand, oh yeah, Blylevens own solid casehell have a nice weekend in upstate New York this year. A range-based metric of skill that shows how many outs a It's hard to say anything based on one game, but he looks like he's got a great future ahead of him.". 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 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. Blyleven method: work hard, laugh harder - Orange County Register Blyleven no-hits Angels in homecoming | Baseball Hall of Fame 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. He came back in 1992 but was mostly unproductive, going 8-12 with a 4.74 ERA. He tried out for the Twins again in the spring of 1993, but did not make the squad, which made his retirement official. "He's a great guy," says Judy Kirkpatrick. They have a right to act any way they like.". Bert Blyleven. He must have had terrible run support. Blyleven cared more that everyone was having a good time. Nearly a decade later while an Indian, he flipped the bird to fans in Baltimore. But because Kirkpatrick can see and hear, he watches and listens as Blyleven moves into the final part of the evening's program. Watching him, one of his partners said, "He seems like a great guy. The tournament follows a scramble format, in which all four team members play from the same lie, as determined by the foursome's best previous shot. Not many of these around. Sold for $200. A .264 career batter, Kennedy hit .120 in 25 at bats against Blyleven, collecting three hits while striking out five times. 1. Those who try to hit it show far more respect, calling it Lord Charles or Uncle Charlie. No matter what you call it, 150 years or so after Cummings or Goldsmith threw the first one, it is still the pitch that separates major-league hitters from the rest.