The team finishes at 3-under and out of hunt. When he was younger, his stuff was so good that he didn't need a changeup or pinpoint control. "We have a beautiful cutlery set. 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. According to baseball-reference Cy Young won 195 games befroe his age 30 season. window.". He won 287 games, 27th-most all-time, and pitched 4,970 innings, 14th-most all-time. ", Blyleven raises every bid, and, finally, he says, "Sold to me. A doting daddy, Blyleven likes to spend time with his sons Timothy (above) and Thomas. The curveball has been around for ages and has taken many forms throughout the history of baseball. pitch. After Blyleven, the only 200-game winners to appear in the next five years were Rick Reuschel and Frank Tanana. That way I know he won't lose it on me like he did that one time. "Here's something special. One of seven children, Bert grew up in Garden Grove as American as, well, Dutch apple pie. ", Not only does Blyleven pitch for the Indians, he actually likes being an Indian. Pittsburgh thought so little of him that it traded him and Manny Sanguillen to Cleveland after the '80 season for Victor Cruz, Bob Owchinko, Rafael Vasquez and Gary Alexander. 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. I do. Why did Blyleven only make it twice? He pitched in eight postseason games and went 5-1 with a 2.47 ERA. "Golf is my life," Anthony keeps saying. Being close to his 100th win is. When The Chicken brought his act to Cleveland, pitchers (from left) Ernie Camacho, Blyleven, Luis Aponte and Mike Jeffcoat were his plucky backups. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. But he's not a bad guy. xBA measures the likelihood that a batted ball will Statcast defines a 'hard-hit ball' as one hit with an by Handedness, 10 things I didnt know about Bert Blyleven, http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/forgotten-pennant-push-jim-kaat-1967/. Joe worked on the railroads in Saskatoon and Regina and moved to California in 1955. Stanky quit on his own. Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn, Lew Burdette, Joe Adcock, Eddie Mathews. Sold for $150. Roberto Alomar, Pat Gillick and Bert Blyleven on stage during a press conference during the 2011 Hall of Fame Weekend. He tried out for the Twins again in the spring of 1993, but did not make the squad, which made his retirement official. There's the looping 12-6 curveball, which drops off the table just as the hitter thinks he has a read on it. 5.0. He won fewer games than he should have, right? Kennedy got the message. About 10 years ago, there was a debate at the late, great Rob Neyer Message Board about Blylevens Hall of Fame chances. Bert Blyleven. Blyleven was one of baseball's most notorious dugout pranksters during his playing days. When you cant lift your arm for two days after throwing, you cant do any more.. "This is for a free membership to Racquetball World. "Bert's always doing things for people," he says. 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. 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. (Thanks, Ron, wherever you are.) Corrales got a bullwhip. 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. He wound up completing 242 games and throwing 60 shutouts, the two numbers of which he is most proud. 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. Thats surprising. Terrys reaction was to swing straight down, like he was chopping the plate with an axe. "I just don't think he knew how to use me." However, Blyleven's early career with the Twins was not always pleasant as he was hounded by critics and fans. Fortunately for him, life wasnt going to throw him that curve, and he now has his place in history. 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. and play-by-play data provided by Sports Info Solutions. Free shipping for many products! Expected Weighted On-base Average (xwOBA). This year he is 4-6, with a 2.97 ERA. I've had a nice life since, and tried my best never to look back. 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 On September 22, 1977, just two weeks after being sidelined with a groin injury, Blyleven no-hit the California Angels 60 at Anaheim Stadium. 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. That, of course, would belong to Sandy Koufax. Blyleven mingled easily with the other parents. Cleveland president Gabe Paul said, "Bert Blyleven isn't going anywhere. Others will call it pitching to the score. No two curveballs have the same rotation speed, velocity toward the hitter, arm delivery angle, or break. After getting his 18th win, Blyleven talked Cleveland Manager Pat Corrales into letting him pitch again with only three days' rest, and he won No. Blyleven and his Villa Park neighbors could probably win the American League West. Now look at Blylevens careerpitching in tough spots wasnt his problem. "And here's a ball signed by the 1984 Cleveland Indians. Esteban Loaiza made two. Only nine? 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". Shipping speed. In his first season, his sharp curveball helped him to ten victories, and he was named AL Rookie Pitcher of the Year by The Sporting News. Koosman's catcher in his Mets days, J.C. Martin, once said that Koosman could throw his 11-5 curveball "any time.". And quite well, thank you. Blyleven was a terrific pitchera dominating pitcher," Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson once said. Half of them blew their arms out right after turning 30. Do I hear $275? And now he has a little more command. Updated: Saturday, March 4, 2023 3:30 AM ET, Park Factors He really helped the 1976 Rangers make a run for the pennant. [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. And then when everybody was gone, we'd go out to the mound and make believe. 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. Blyleven, like so many Hall of Fame players, was driven to succeed. . A couple of years ago when he was on the disabled list and back home, he came to watch my son Monte pitch. ", During a lull at the banquet, Scheinblum talks about Blyleven. So close he might hang for No. But someone with a far greater mind than any scientist put the optical illusion theory to rest. Or 40 percent. 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! ++ (FREE SHIPPING) at the best online prices at eBay! the fastest reactions and most direct routes in the Blyleven sat out most of the 1982 season with an elbow injury and struggled again in 1983, but he came back in 1984 with one of his best seasons: a 197 record with a 2.87 ERA. 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. Most people familiar with Blyleven's case for the HOF know that he stands fifth all-time in strikeouts. 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. Bert Blyleven. Thanks, Bob. 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. He may have been the best pitcher in the history of baseball. CLEVELAND'S NETHERLANDS-BORN STAR, PITCHER BERT BLYLEVEN, PUTS HIS PEDAL TO THE METAL ON THE FIELD AND OFF Steve Wulf TABLE OF CONTENTS ORIGINAL LAYOUT Bert Blyleven addresses the ball.. "I have to say this for him, though. 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). 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. 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! Richie, you don't even exercise. [8] He pitched well with the Rangers, posting a 2.76 ERA. The in/out line for the Hall has never been 300 wins. Normally that would be a random fact, but here it goes to the heart of things. It's one of the hardest things in sports to execute. The Indians are happy to have him. "And then he went down." If the pitchers were different, the results were the same. Blyleven went out and bought gifts for everyone. 30 day returns. Communication. While down with an arm injury in 1982, Blyleven coached a Little League team, and gave the kids chewing tobacco so theyd look more like real pros. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. If you grew up in the 1980s, you likely have a major memory of Blyleventhe guy who gave up all those homers. "We have those long, strong fingers," he says. Again last season he got embroiled in a couple of controversies. Now he owes the Indians and the city of Cleveland something in return.". Blyleven, an intense competitor, wants it. "We left one month-old piece in there, and I think Chris ate it." and, on certain types of batted balls, Sprint Speed. He keeps a collection of baseball memorabilia in his study. On July 16, 2011, the Minnesota Twins formally retired Blyleven's number.[26]. Says Corrales, "You love sending a guy like that every fifth day, and he's a great influence on a young ball club. [21] In 2009, he gained only two votes, for a total of 338, 62.7%. "But I'll be grateful to him for one thing in particular. Blyleven said the Twins then played on the road in Detroit and there was a Twins fan with a sign, asking to be circled. Many (especially in THT-land) will call it luck. 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) Let's look at some of the names. But those were entire careers. 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. He has had only one 20-win season, in 1973, the first year of the DH, when 12 American League pitchers won 20 or more. Go figure. A range-based metric of skill that shows how many outs a And I could throw it over at any time, any count."[6]. By this approach, Blyleven comes out nine wins behind. 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. Who? 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. "Bob Boone is building a house over there, Enos Cabell lives in those hills." Well, its that murky third factorthe luck/pitch-to-the-score/sunspots one. He chatted up all the passing foursomes and made sure the volunteer marshals switched holes so they wouldn't get bored. Patty came out and said, 'Don't you think you should go back?' Fansboth at home and at road gamescarried signs to the games saying "Circle me Bert". "Brought it in from Cleveland," comes the host's reply. Take his 1974 season, when he went 17-17 despite a tremendous ERA+ of 142. Nolan Ryan and Bert Blyleven had the tightest rotation and velocity combination," Schmidt was quoted as saying in a recent Associated Press story. Hmmm, I wanted the color TV. Brown ticket 58456? Bert Blyleven addresses the ball. 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. In the middle of the 1976 season, he was traded to the Texas Rangers, where he threw a no-hitter in his final start for the team. Kid Nichols is the all-time champ. See all categories. One fan posted, "Pete Rose in the Phillies booth "he threw a c**k high fastball". 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. 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. 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 He had thought all his life his given name was "Rikaalbert". No two curveballs have the same rotation speed, velocity toward the hitter, arm delivery angle, or break. A .264 career batter, Kennedy hit .120 in 25 at bats against Blyleven, collecting three hits while striking out five times. [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. Heck, Manny Trillo made four. 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. Ron Necciai is one of the most dominating pitchers that never materialized in the Major Leagues. 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. Blyleven got so upset with his role in Pittsburgh that he walked out on the Pirates for 10 days early in 1980. [23] "It's been 14 years of praying and waiting," he said on a conference call from Fort Myers, Florida. Blyleven received only 17.55% of the vote for Hall of Fame admission in 1998 (his first year of eligibility), and his vote total dropped to 14.1% in 1999. of his glove and to the base on a stolen base or pickoff No. My dad built a mound in the backyard and had a canvas hung behind a horseshoe pit. And I said, 'Yes.' If youre a fan of sabermetrics, and of internet-based populism, this weekends induction ceremony is thus a double victoryone for Blyleven and one for Lederer. How quickly, in seconds, a catcher can get the ball out [11][12] With the Pirates, he led the team in ERA, strikeouts, and complete games in 1978, and he helped them to a World Series victory in 1979. Lets back up for a second. I used to say about myself that I knew the day I would have to grow up and get a real job- it was the day, in Babe Ruth League in Seattle in the summer of 1957, when a guy named Ron Waara threw me a curveball that scared the living daylights out of me. Popular categories from this store. 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. 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. A renowned curveball pitcher, Blyleven was also a two-time All-Star and World Series champion. So it seems only fitting that Blyleven is something of a yakker. "[19] Still, it was not until his 14th year of eligibility, in 2011, that he was elected; he received 79.7% of the vote. "One curve I'll always remember was when I was pitching for Pittsburgh, Blyleven once recalled. "He knows how to finish a game now," says Indian pitching coach Don McMahon. Other; Seller feedback (2,522,561) s***c (1508 . Nice. He must have had terrible run support. A 1971 Milwaukee Brewers uniform, No. "Matlack, Milner Go In FourTeam Trade,", Durso, Joseph. This isn't a tournament along the ropes of, say, the Hope or the Crosby. Ted Williams called Pascual's curveball the "most feared curveball in the American League for 18 years. It's hard to say anything based on one game, but he looks like he's got a great future ahead of him.". Bert Blyleven Stats by Baseball Almanac. Arguments for inducting Bert Blyleven into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. So why did this happen to Blyleven? 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. Jack Brickhouse, a Chicago Cubs broadcaster, described the pitches Paige threw as "not quite legal but not quite illegal.". No player who had debuted on the ballot since 1970 had a vote total that low and later won election to the Hall. 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. Blyleven recorded 3,701 career strikeouts, the fifth-most in MLB history. Blyleven missed the entire 1991 season following rotator cuff surgery. 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. He left in the eighth to a standing ovation from the Municipal Stadium faithful, 8,239 strong. The one who didn't give up on him was Jesse Flores Sr. of Minnesota, and the Twins made Blyleven their third pick that June. Heres the chart showing how he shakes out year-by-year by this system: Looking at it above, how come he didnt win more games when pitching so great in the early part of his career? "Thanks everyone for coming, and good night. Escape Velocity takes the average of a player's batted ball velocities subtracted from 88. But Blyleven debuted on a ballot near the end of a stretch of 11 consecutive years with at least one 300-game winner up for nomination. You cant do a simplistic, reductionistic system. How much did this cost him? 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. 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. 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. But bleep them. Blyleven started the season in Triple A. The likelihood, in percent, that an outfielder will be Nolan Ryan is widely considered one of the most dominant pitchers in the history of Major League Baseball. After I ran off the mound, I looked over at the St. Louis' dugout. Blyleven became disgruntled with the Pirates and threatened to retire during the 1980 season if he was not traded. There, he got a job straightening bumpers and brought his family down the next year. No one had much success with Blylevens curveball, in part because he had complete control over it. His 2.74 career ERA with the Rangers remains the best in team history. If I see anymore, I'll fall in love." He would continue to play for six different teams for the next 22 years . The difference between the two projections should be what his run support cost him. He argued vehemently with the official scorer and later phoned the league office when outfielder George Vukovich wasn't given an error on a play on which two earned runs scored. Actually, the best spelling of his name appears on one of his license plates: BLY11. His father, Joe, was a handyman who, during World War II, hid his future father-in-law from the Nazis so he wouldn't be put in a concentration camp. [18] He returned in his role for 2013 and 2017.[2]. Blyleven has often been labeled a troublemaker. That was where I learned to throw and control the pitch.. Like the first time, it doesn't go well, as he allows two runs in two innings and the NL wins, 6-1. He currently ranks 5th all-time in strikeouts, 9th all-time in shutouts, and 27th all-time in wins. Blyleven has ridden the curve to a career ERA of 3.00. 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. In 2007, Blyleven's total dipped to 47.7% (75% is the minimum required for admission to the Hall). outfield. It's like the fellow at the golf tournament said. Fine pitchers, but a definite step down from what had come before. Who does Bert pitch for these days? Anything below 88mph is considered 0. 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. A Pirate fan friend named Mike Emeigh told me about Blylevens early-1980 walkout. Adrian Devine, Tommy Boggs and Eddie Miller were traded from the Rangers to the Braves. "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. See details. 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. Nice. Nolan Ryan and Bert Blyleven had the tightest rotation and velocity combination," Schmidt was quoted as saying in a recent Associated Press story. And he couldn't help it if he was injured. Id say 95 percent of that mysterious third element is luck, but does that mean its never anything else? 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. 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. 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. }, Cronkite School at ASU Although under-appreciated during his playing career, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011his second-to-last year of eligibility. 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). Calico Jack (Suwinski) is Back for the Attack. "Thirty-one of them must have left by the third inning." 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. Rik Aalbert (Bert) Blyleven [1951] Bert Blyleven was and still is the only native Dutchman to have made a successful career, as measured by quality of play, in American professional baseball. Blue 90672, raise your hand. He earned the moniker "Frying Dutchman" by frequently setting fire to his teammates' shoelaces, a practical joke known as a "hot foot". Autographed in English. It was his second world championship. Blyleven, 33, is such a cutup, in fact, that he recently cut off his five-year-old beard. That was the. Play-by-play data prior to 2002 was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted From 1970-77, Blyleven went 122-113 despite an ERA+ of 134. 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)..
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