bert blyleven fastball speed bert blyleven fastball speed

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. When he beat the Twins for Texas on July 26, 1976, Blyleven didn't mince words. Do I hear $275? "O.K., we've got a golf bag and a dozen balls. (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). ", Bert also inherited a love of the Dodgers from his father; he worshiped two in particular, Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale. Everything keyed off the fastball, but I could throw it at any time in the count, 3-2, bases loaded, I could throw it and throw it where I wanted, he said. 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. His fastball overpowered hitters and was clearly the pitch he relied on most heavily. Nice. Blyleven made his major league debut at age 19 for the Twins. And now he has a little more command. When Blyleven and Sutcliffe were together in Cleveland, their teammates had to be on constant lookout for pranks. "O.K., I've got a ball here signed by Henry Aaron. At 6 feet 3 inches, with long arms and large hands, he throws. Nearly a decade later while an Indian, he flipped the bird to fans in Baltimore. Koufax combined his rising fast ball with an overhand 12-6 curveball that embarrassed hitters. That means isolating it. 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 left in the eighth to a standing ovation from the Municipal Stadium faithful, 8,239 strong. He may have been the best pitcher in the history of baseball. become a hit. You don't need this. Roberto Alomar, Pat Gillick and Bert Blyleven on stage during a press conference during the 2011 Hall of Fame Weekend. Blyleven has put on more than his share in the past, for a variety of causes, and this is his second of the current off-season. He has always hovered around .500: 10-9, 16-15, 17-17 twice. An inveterate practical joker, Blyleven likes to snip cravats. ", Last year Blyleven was 4-0 with a 1.44 ERA against the American League West champion Royals. Blyleven went to the California Angels in 1989 and pitched a 2.73 ERA for a 17-5 record in his first season, but he missed the entire 1991 season following rotator cuff surgery. After I ran off the mound, I looked over at the St. Louis' dugout. He pitched for the MLB All-Stars in the 1993 World Port Tournament in Rotterdam. That just leaves the years in his apparent prime, from 1970-77, when he won 17 fewer games than youd expect. But because Kirkpatrick can see and hear, he watches and listens as Blyleven moves into the final part of the evening's program. That game happened to feature a. Then he filled out, picked up some speed on his fastball and wowed batters in rookie and A ball. "We left one month-old piece in there, and I think Chris ate it." And I said, 'Yes.' Maye hit it out of the park. Now he owes the Indians and the city of Cleveland something in return.". Gary Carter, Rich Gossage, Jim Rice, and Bruce Sutter have all gotten in, after initially finishing under 50 percent. the ERA scale, A measurement of a player's top running speed, expressed He was drafted straight out of high school by the Minnesota Twins in the third round in 1969. And he couldn't help it if he was injured. pitch. Blyleven became disgruntled with the Pirates and threatened to retire during the 1980 season if he was not traded. He has all the stats of a potential Hall of Famer. The Twins responded by trading him to the Texas Rangers. He never surrendered more than 24 home runs in any year before, and after the 198687 campaigns, he averaged 21 allowed homers per season over the course of his career. Call it sunspots for all I care, it ain't run support. When you divide his career into sections, it veers wildly. The curveball of the '50s belonged to Camilio Pascual. The incident occurred when Rose was commentating on a Phillies game last year and sharing a story when he said . Lets back up for a second. Kid Nichols is the all-time champ. Anything below 88mph is considered 0. The team finishes at 3-under and out of hunt. The First Annual Blyleven Celebrity Golf Classic, to benefit Students Against Drunk Driving and the Orange County Trauma Society, is under way. 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. All rights reserved. However, Blyleven's early career with the Twins was not always pleasant as he was hounded by critics and fans. 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. [29] During a 2006 broadcast, Blyleven forgot the name of the movie and had to be reminded of it by a technician in the broadcast booth. See details. xBA measures the likelihood that a batted ball will Nicknamed "the Barber," Sal Maglie commanded the corners of the plate as well as any pitcher in the history of baseball. Most people familiar with Blyleven's case for the HOF know that he stands fifth all-time in strikeouts. [4] His family moved to Melville, Saskatchewan, when Blyleven was two years old before ultimately settling in Garden Grove, California, in 1957 when Blyleven was five years old. I assumed Blyleven had no chance with the current BBWAA. It's one of the hardest things in sports to execute. See all categories. This likely hurt him in the early Cooperstown voting. Joe's brother, Cor, had gone to the U.S. before the war, and because it was easier to enter from Canada than from Holland, the Blylevens emigrated to Saskatchewan when Bert was two. "I thank the baseball writers of America for, I'm going to say, finally getting it right. Those stats hit me in the face. "Doug DeCinces lives over here," says Blyleven. He came back in 1992 but was mostly unproductive, going 8-12 with a 4.74 ERA. 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. He's fifth on the active list in shutouts, sixth in strikeouts, eighth in victories and eighth in innings pitched. Statcast refers to the spin that contributes to movement Born in the Netherlands but raised in Southern California, Blyleven would spend many evenings listening to Vin Scullys radio description of what may have been the greatest curveball ever in the game. Vin Scully and Jerry Doggett would be describing Koufaxs curve that he threw off that high mound, Blyleven recalled. This semicelebrity affair at Riviera was the second off-season charity event Bert has sponsored. 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. attempt. 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. With the power of the internet, Lederers persistenceand, oh yeah, Blylevens own solid casehell have a nice weekend in upstate New York this year. For instance, in the middle of his careerthe Pirate/Indian yearshe comes out even with the murky third element. It gives the opposition fits when thrown properly. Id say 95 percent of that mysterious third element is luck, but does that mean its never anything else? For a pitcher it is the average of his softest 50% of batted balls allowed. Now look at Blylevens careerpitching in tough spots wasnt his problem. It was the last out of the inning. Blyleven left 28 tickets for family and friends for that night's game, which turned out to be . The Indians are happy to have him. Actually, the best spelling of his name appears on one of his license plates: BLY11. Julio Franco, who had been arrested the previous winter for possession of a gun without a permit, received a toy pistol. Free shipping for many products! Blyleven thinks little of drugs, pitch count. "Aw bleep, that was for him [Griffith] and his family." 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. Blyleven has always had trouble with his name. This is Anthony's first time on a golf course in 10 years, and second time ever. 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. And those TWENTY no-decisions on the WORLD CHAMPION Pittsburgh Pirates are probably a record of sorts. That was where I learned to throw and control the pitch.. I practiced it by myself. Thats surprising. "Thanks everyone for coming, and good night. (Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) "I always played for my island," Alomar said in his induction speech. Or 40 percent. "But I'll be grateful to him for one thing in particular. Blyleven appeared as himself in the 1990 James Belushi film Taking Care of Business. ", Says Mike Ferraro, a K.C. able to make a catch on an individual batted ball. 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 I have some sympathy for that approach, but ultimately remain agnostic. Now, does that really seem like an answer to the question of run support? Blyleven has a memento from each of his teams, a ball for every win and a replica of the 1979 Series trophy. Heck, Manny Trillo made four. I threw him an 0-2 curve and it snapped. 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. Take his 1974 season, when he went 17-17 despite a tremendous ERA+ of 142. He's referring to neckties. Play-by-play data prior to 2002 was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted There are any number of reasons, starting with the fact that early in his career Blyleven relied too much on his ability to overpower hitters, especially late in the game. He must have had terrible run support. Like the first time, it doesn't go well, as he allows two runs in two innings and the NL wins, 6-1. Blyleven, just 19, was called up to replace him. 5.0. 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 . 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. Robin Roberts hung on a long time but was a shell of himself for many years. Bert was a terrific pitchera dominating pitcher. A dozen of his 1-0 complete game shutouts came from 1970-77. He currently ranks 5th all-time in strikeouts, 9th all-time in shutouts, and 27th all-time in wins. "I visualized the dropping motion.". Blyleven was happy to oblige. one base to another, like Home To First. They have a right to act any way they like.". 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. One of the nicknames for a curveball is a "yakker." As a player, Blyleven did not have the best reputation. That, of course, would belong to Sandy Koufax. The ones better than him who are not in would make legitimate candidates. He throws it a little differently than most pitchers, holding the ball so that every finger except his pinky is touching a seam. His breaking ball was literally untouchable. "Then we'd sneak down into the dugouts and grab whatever we couldresin bags and broken bats. He has to have it. 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. Rik Aalbert Blyleven was born in Zeist, a municipality in Utrecht, Netherlands, the son of Johannes Cornelius and Jannigje Blijleven. But since no one close to 280 wins showed up after Blyleven, it helped him rise up over the years. The difference between the two projections should be what his run support cost him. Fortunately for him, life wasnt going to throw him that curve, and he now has his place in history. "This is for a free membership to Racquetball World. In 22 seasons, Blyleven had more than 3,700 career strikeouts, including more than 2,000 of those in 11 seasons with the Twins. Buyer pays for return shipping. outfield. Wes Ferrell won three games after his age-30 season. "There were 32 scouts in the stands at the start," he recalls. Just take a look at who emerged in baseball from 1959 to 1970. However, the velocity on his fastball adding to the effectiveness of his curveball. It's also nice of Blyleven to host this tournament. Fansboth at home and at road gamescarried signs to the games saying "Circle me Bert". "I think the world of Chuck Tanner," says Blyleven now. Others will call it pitching to the score. All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, [21] In 2009, he gained only two votes, for a total of 338, 62.7%. 1996-2023 DIY Baseball LLC All Rights Reserved. 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). I have to ask him, 'Bert, what would you throw if you had my stuff?' window.". Bert Blyleven is one of the great command pitchers in baseball history! "If you gave baseball people their choice among Dan Petry, Jack Morris and Blyleven, Blyleven would probably be third," says Hal McRae, Kansas City's longtime designated hitter. 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. Don Drysdale was done two weeks after his 33rd birthday. "I would like to say to my family, to my fans, to all the Puerto Rican people and . Many (especially in THT-land) will call it luck. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1997 Fleer Star Stickers Baseball #10 - Bert Blyleven - Minnesota Twins at the best online prices at eBay! See all categories. OK, now lets figure out what Blylevens record should be based on pythaging his actual RA/9IP and his actual run support. background-image:unset; The only problem was that his name was published as "Blylevan," which is the way the Twins spelled it in those days. It wasn't until he got married in 1971 that he noticed on his birth certificate that he's really Rik Aalbert. It was his second world championship. It has also appeared as Ricalbert and Ribalbert. No one had much success with Blylevens curveball, in part because he had complete control over it. 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. 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. See details. }, Cronkite School at ASU One of the most remarkable things about Blyleven's career marks is that, of the active pitchers who rank ahead of him (Nolan Ryan, Don Sutton, Tom Seaver, Steve Carlton, Tommy John, Jerry Koosman and Phil Niekro), the youngest is nearly five years older than he is. His run support wasnt that good every year, but by and large it was better than I wouldve guessed. Many years ago, I figured this out for the careers of nearly 200 pitchers, and only three did this bad (Tim Keefe and Curt Simmons both at 18, and Dizzy Trout the champion at 22). "[His curveball] was nasty, I'll tell you thatenough to make your knees buckle. 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. Nolan Ryan is widely considered one of the most dominant pitchers in the history of Major League Baseball. 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. Bert Blyleven grew up in Garden Grove, Calif., less than 10 miles from Anaheim Stadium. The Pirates won the World Series in 1979 and Blyleven went 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in the Fall Classic after throwing a complete game in Game 3 of the NLCS. How high/low, in degrees, a ball was hit by a batter. Thats the question. [15] Blyleven was unhappy playing for the lackluster Indians and forced a trade back to the Twins,[16] where he passed the 3,000-strikeout mark and helped the Twins to a 1987 World Series victory. I'm thrilled to see Blyleven in the HOF. All Rights Reserved. Autographed in English. Blyleven, 33, is such a cutup, in fact, that he recently cut off his five-year-old beard. Others will call it pitching to the score. "But if you had to have one pitcher to beat us, Blyleven would be the choice. Last year he had 19 wins, seven losses and a dozen ties. Blyleven left 28 tickets for family and friends for that night's game, which turned out to be . You cant do a simplistic, reductionistic system. The Rangers received Al Oliver and Nelson Norman from the Pirates and Jon Matlack from the Mets. "What other team gets to wear a picture of its general manager on its jacket?" 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. The Blyleven tribe includes Kimberly, 10; wife Patty; Timothy, 3; Bert; Todd, 12; and Thomas, 17 months. of his glove and to the base on a stolen base or pickoff Normally that would be a random fact, but here it goes to the heart of things. I've had a nice life since, and tried my best never to look back. A doting daddy, Blyleven likes to spend time with his sons Timothy (above) and Thomas. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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. Contact SABR, LnRiLWhlYWRpbmcuaGFzLWJhY2tncm91bmR7cGFkZGluZzowfQ==, LnRiLWZpZWxke21hcmdpbi1ib3R0b206MC43NmVtfS50Yi1maWVsZC0tbGVmdHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOmxlZnR9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1jZW50ZXJ7dGV4dC1hbGlnbjpjZW50ZXJ9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1yaWdodHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOnJpZ2h0fS50Yi1maWVsZF9fc2t5cGVfcHJldmlld3twYWRkaW5nOjEwcHggMjBweDtib3JkZXItcmFkaXVzOjNweDtjb2xvcjojZmZmO2JhY2tncm91bmQ6IzAwYWZlZTtkaXNwbGF5OmlubGluZS1ibG9ja311bC5nbGlkZV9fc2xpZGVze21hcmdpbjowfQ==, LnRiLWNvbnRhaW5lciAudGItY29udGFpbmVyLWlubmVye3dpZHRoOjEwMCU7bWFyZ2luOjAgYXV0b30gLndwLWJsb2NrLXRvb2xzZXQtYmxvY2tzLWNvbnRhaW5lci50Yi1jb250YWluZXJbZGF0YS10b29sc2V0LWJsb2Nrcy1jb250YWluZXI9Ijc2YjllMTlhZWJkNzhiNDY3YjA0YzY0YWNmZTMzMTY3Il0geyBwYWRkaW5nOiAwOyB9IC50Yi1jb250YWluZXIgLnRiLWNvbnRhaW5lci1pbm5lcnt3aWR0aDoxMDAlO21hcmdpbjowIGF1dG99IC53cC1ibG9jay10b29sc2V0LWJsb2Nrcy1jb250YWluZXIudGItY29udGFpbmVyW2RhdGEtdG9vbHNldC1ibG9ja3MtY29udGFpbmVyPSI2MTUxNjNjMzhiZWIyYmNmMmJkYzYwNzc3YjRlYzA5NyJdIHsgYmFja2dyb3VuZDogcmdiYSggMjQ4LCAyNDgsIDI0OCwgMSApO3BhZGRpbmc6IDI1cHg7IH0gLnRiLWNvbnRhaW5lciAudGItY29udGFpbmVyLWlubmVye3dpZHRoOjEwMCU7bWFyZ2luOjAgYXV0b30udGItZmllbGRzLWFuZC10ZXh0W2RhdGEtdG9vbHNldC1ibG9ja3MtZmllbGRzLWFuZC10ZXh0PSIzNDA5YzIzMzFiZTU0NmI3MDllZDAzNjZjM2E2ZTU2ZiJdIHsgbWFyZ2luLXRvcDogMTBweDsgfSBoNS50Yi1oZWFkaW5nW2RhdGEtdG9vbHNldC1ibG9ja3MtaGVhZGluZz0iNmI5ZjkyN2NlYzE1MGQ4NzcxZDUxMmJhNmM3M2ZkODgiXSAgeyBwYWRkaW5nLWJvdHRvbTogMTBweDsgfSAgaDUudGItaGVhZGluZ1tkYXRhLXRvb2xzZXQtYmxvY2tzLWhlYWRpbmc9IjZiOWY5MjdjZWMxNTBkODc3MWQ1MTJiYTZjNzNmZDg4Il0gYSAgeyB0ZXh0LWRlY29yYXRpb246IG5vbmU7IH0gLnRiLWZpZWxkcy1hbmQtdGV4dFtkYXRhLXRvb2xzZXQtYmxvY2tzLWZpZWxkcy1hbmQtdGV4dD0iNjNjMmRjYjgwOTJmODQxZmEzMWQ5NGQ0NjIxZmE5MGEiXSB7IHBhZGRpbmctYm90dG9tOiAxNXB4OyB9IC50Yi1maWVsZHMtYW5kLXRleHRbZGF0YS10b29sc2V0LWJsb2Nrcy1maWVsZHMtYW5kLXRleHQ9IjM5N2Y2NGE2OTM5ZWI1YmFmYzkzNDg4MWI2Y2EyODU4Il0geyB0ZXh0LWRlY29yYXRpb246IHVuZGVybGluZTsgfSAudGItZmllbGRzLWFuZC10ZXh0W2RhdGEtdG9vbHNldC1ibG9ja3MtZmllbGRzLWFuZC10ZXh0PSIzOTdmNjRhNjkzOWViNWJhZmM5MzQ4ODFiNmNhMjg1OCJdIHAgeyB0ZXh0LWRlY29yYXRpb246IHVuZGVybGluZTsgfSAudGItZmllbGRzLWFuZC10ZXh0W2RhdGEtdG9vbHNldC1ibG9ja3MtZmllbGRzLWFuZC10ZXh0PSI1OTEzYTIxOTY1MTlkMzU2OTEzNTNkMDE5MWY0Y2FjNiJdIHsgdGV4dC1kZWNvcmF0aW9uOiB1bmRlcmxpbmU7IH0gLnRiLWZpZWxkcy1hbmQtdGV4dFtkYXRhLXRvb2xzZXQtYmxvY2tzLWZpZWxkcy1hbmQtdGV4dD0iNTkxM2EyMTk2NTE5ZDM1NjkxMzUzZDAxOTFmNGNhYzYiXSBwIHsgdGV4dC1kZWNvcmF0aW9uOiB1bmRlcmxpbmU7IH0gIGg2LnRiLWhlYWRpbmdbZGF0YS10b29sc2V0LWJsb2Nrcy1oZWFkaW5nPSI5YTc1ODZhYTc0YzRhMGUyODkyOWE4M2YxNTVmZDBhNyJdIGEgIHsgdGV4dC1kZWNvcmF0aW9uOiBub25lOyB9ICBoNi50Yi1oZWFkaW5nW2RhdGEtdG9vbHNldC1ibG9ja3MtaGVhZGluZz0iN2Q0MDJmYjg2YjMxYTFmNmRmMWQwNDEwZDg2NjI3YmEiXSBhICB7IHRleHQtZGVjb3JhdGlvbjogbm9uZTsgfSAudGItY29udGFpbmVyIC50Yi1jb250YWluZXItaW5uZXJ7d2lkdGg6MTAwJTttYXJnaW46MCBhdXRvfSAud3AtYmxvY2stdG9vbHNldC1ibG9ja3MtY29udGFpbmVyLnRiLWNvbnRhaW5lcltkYXRhLXRvb2xzZXQtYmxvY2tzLWNvbnRhaW5lcj0iNmI0YzA2YjU4Yjc4YTQxNTdjMjNjZGQzOTRiNGZmNjkiXSB7IHBhZGRpbmc6IDAgMCAxMHB4IDA7IH0gIGg2LnRiLWhlYWRpbmdbZGF0YS10b29sc2V0LWJsb2Nrcy1oZWFkaW5nPSIwNjFjMTJhMzA3MmI3NGRmM2ExOWZlY2Y5ZjE2MDZmNyJdIGEgIHsgdGV4dC1kZWNvcmF0aW9uOiBub25lOyB9IC50Yi1maWVsZFtkYXRhLXRvb2xzZXQtYmxvY2tzLWZpZWxkPSJlYzI4OWVkZTg1NjU3MmE3ZDFiMGI2NGE3NjFmYmIxZCJdIHsgZm9udC1zaXplOiAxNnB4O3RleHQtYWxpZ246IGxlZnQ7IH0gIC50Yi1maWVsZFtkYXRhLXRvb2xzZXQtYmxvY2tzLWZpZWxkPSJlYzI4OWVkZTg1NjU3MmE3ZDFiMGI2NGE3NjFmYmIxZCJdIGEgeyB0ZXh0LWRlY29yYXRpb246IG5vbmU7IH0gLnRiLWZpZWxkcy1hbmQtdGV4dFtkYXRhLXRvb2xzZXQtYmxvY2tzLWZpZWxkcy1hbmQtdGV4dD0iZjQ4MDk2YTNmYjE0YmUwYzdkOWRjYzkyNDc1MzBkMjAiXSB7IHBhZGRpbmctYm90dG9tOiAxMHB4OyB9IEBtZWRpYSBvbmx5IHNjcmVlbiBhbmQgKG1heC13aWR0aDogNzgxcHgpIHsgLnRiLWNvbnRhaW5lciAudGItY29udGFpbmVyLWlubmVye3dpZHRoOjEwMCU7bWFyZ2luOjAgYXV0b30udGItY29udGFpbmVyIC50Yi1jb250YWluZXItaW5uZXJ7d2lkdGg6MTAwJTttYXJnaW46MCBhdXRvfS50Yi1jb250YWluZXIgLnRiLWNvbnRhaW5lci1pbm5lcnt3aWR0aDoxMDAlO21hcmdpbjowIGF1dG99ICAgLnRiLWNvbnRhaW5lciAudGItY29udGFpbmVyLWlubmVye3dpZHRoOjEwMCU7bWFyZ2luOjAgYXV0b30gICB9IEBtZWRpYSBvbmx5IHNjcmVlbiBhbmQgKG1heC13aWR0aDogNTk5cHgpIHsgLnRiLWNvbnRhaW5lciAudGItY29udGFpbmVyLWlubmVye3dpZHRoOjEwMCU7bWFyZ2luOjAgYXV0b30udGItY29udGFpbmVyIC50Yi1jb250YWluZXItaW5uZXJ7d2lkdGg6MTAwJTttYXJnaW46MCBhdXRvfS50Yi1jb250YWluZXIgLnRiLWNvbnRhaW5lci1pbm5lcnt3aWR0aDoxMDAlO21hcmdpbjowIGF1dG99ICAgLnRiLWNvbnRhaW5lciAudGItY29udGFpbmVyLWlubmVye3dpZHRoOjEwMCU7bWFyZ2luOjAgYXV0b30gICB9IA==, 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. Two words Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson used to describe Bert Blyleven's curveball: "nasty" and "knee-buckling.". Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1971 Topps Bert Blyleven #26 Rookie Minnesota Twins at the best online prices at eBay! 28, "Longtime Twins broadcaster Bert Blyleven hangs up the mic", June 2, 1976: Minneapolis Tribune column on Blyleven's trade to Texas Rangers. "I just don't think he knew how to use me." Known for his terrific curveball, pitcher Bert Blyleven won 287 games over a 22-year major league career. 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. There were players rolling around on the floor, laughing. coach who was Blyleven's manager in Cleveland for half a season, "He should win 30 games with the stuff he's got. 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. Actually, Blyleven was suffering from a groin pull and eventually took himself out of the game. The question arose: Is there any way to adjust his W-L record by his run support? "A Carl Yastrzemski bat. Jerry Willard. The Twins ran short of pitching early, the crusher coming on June 1, when Luis Tiant was put on the disabled list. Paige has a unique ability to blow hitters away and come right back and make them look foolish. I know this sounds terrible, but who does Bert pitch for these days?". It's like the fellow at the golf tournament said. How hard, in miles per hour, a pitch is thrown. Francisco, come up here. ". In all likelihood, Bert Blyleven is the best pitcher not in the Hall of Fame. 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.