Jerry Willard. But he's not a bad guy. One fan posted, "Pete Rose in the Phillies booth "he threw a c**k high fastball". 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 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?" Hey, wait a minute, Francisco, where are you going? "[19], By 2006, his total had increased to 53.33%. His run support wasnt that good every year, but by and large it was better than I wouldve guessed. None had ever fallen below 30 percent. "I told our third baseman, Steve Braun, to watch for a bunt," says Blyleven, "but Spanky laid a perfect one down. Blyleven recorded 3,701 career strikeouts, the fifth-most in MLB history. "Thanks everyone for coming, and good night. Calico Jack (Suwinski) is Back for the Attack. It was his second world championship. At 6 feet 3 inches, with long arms and large hands, he throws. he asks. 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. . Blyleven got so upset with his role in Pittsburgh that he walked out on the Pirates for 10 days early in 1980. Wes Ferrell won three games after his age-30 season. Phoenix, AZ 85004 Fine pitchers, but a definite step down from what had come before. Hes going in. Blyleven made his major league debut at age 19 for the Twins. None spent as many years as low on BBWAA ballots as Blyleven. Francisco the busboy? The Twins ran short of pitching early, the crusher coming on June 1, when Luis Tiant was put on the disabled list. Well, its that murky third factorthe luck/pitch-to-the-score/sunspots one. Because of his competitive streak, Blyleven says things he probably shouldn't, and he usually says them with a biting wit. The curveball has been around for ages and has taken many forms throughout the history of baseball. 4.9. If you had to pick one starting pitcher to serve as in/out line for induction, Id go with Stan Coveleski. 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. Enough to make your knees buckle. And those TWENTY no-decisions on the WORLD CHAMPION Pittsburgh Pirates are probably a record of sorts. 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. ", During a lull at the banquet, Scheinblum talks about Blyleven. A renowned curveball pitcher, Blyleven was also a two-time All-Star and World Series champion. Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven, who happened to be pitching coach for the Netherlands, didn't like what he saw during his team's loss to Puerto Rico. Do we have $225? A little more than three years ago he was in an automobile accident that put him in a wheelchair for life and left him unable to speak clearly. However, Blyleven's early career with the Twins was not always pleasant as he was hounded by critics and fans. The list of 1-0 CG SHO, required the Play Index. Bert Blyleven grew up in Garden Grove, Calif., less than 10 miles from Anaheim Stadium. So it seems only fitting that Blyleven is something of a yakker. Blyleven has a different grip on his yakker than most, but, then, he has been more successful than most. He keeps a collection of baseball memorabilia in his study. Most people familiar with Blyleven's case for the HOF know that he stands fifth all-time in strikeouts. As a player, Blyleven did not have the best reputation. 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. He was 17-5 for the Angels last season, allowing only 14 home runs. He began teaching the pitch to himself, learning to throw a drop in junior high. the fastest reactions and most direct routes in the (Thanks, Ron, wherever you are.) Nolan Ryan and Bert Blyleven had the tightest rotation and velocity combination," Schmidt was quoted as saying in a recent Associated Press story. [2] From 1996 to 2020, he was a color analyst for Minnesota Twins television broadcasts.[3]. 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. "I know that stuff sounds silly," says Smith. He also tied for third in shutouts, with four, and for fourth in complete games, with 12. At the Blyleven the biggest celebrity, literally and figuratively, is Lou Ferrigno, television's erstwhile Incredible Hulk. Collectibles; Books & Magazines; Entertainment Memorabilia; Cell Phones . In the early days it was fashionable to deny that a curveball actually curved, many scientists even claiming it was nothing but an optical illusion. 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).. After the game Howard said, "He's got a fine arm. . My dad built a mound in the backyard and had a canvas hung behind a horseshoe pit. There were players rolling around on the floor, laughing. The Baseball Hall of Shame II first clued me in to some of those stories. The Blyleven tribe includes Kimberly, 10; wife Patty; Timothy, 3; Bert; Todd, 12; and Thomas, 17 months. Ten years ago he took Twins owner Calvin Griffith to arbitration, and Griffith screamed. [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. Buyer pays for return shipping. 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. This likely hurt him in the early Cooperstown voting. 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. "I saw him when he was 19 and I've seen him now," Howser says. background-image:unset; 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. ", Last year Blyleven was 4-0 with a 1.44 ERA against the American League West champion Royals. When youre constantly winning 15 or more games a year, you dont need too many 20-win seasons to make this list. You don't need this. "I open the bidding at $200. Nolan Ryan and Bert Blyleven had the tightest rotation and velocity combination," Schmidt was quoted as saying in a recent Associated Press story. 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 Also, he felt that Tanner was pulling him from games too quickly. "I have here a ball autographed by Sandy Koufax, a pretty fair pitcher. Mary Scheinblum bids $150; do I hear $175?" I have some sympathy for that approach, but ultimately remain agnostic. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Take his 1974 season, when he went 17-17 despite a tremendous ERA+ of 142. 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. "And here's a ball signed by the 1984 Cleveland Indians. He won fewer games than he should have, right? Joe worked on the railroads in Saskatoon and Regina and moved to California in 1955. Even Hall of Fame players marveled at Blylevens curve. Koosman's catcher in his Mets days, J.C. Martin, once said that Koosman could throw his 11-5 curveball "any time.". 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. 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. He made his debut on June 5, 1970 playing for the Minnesota Twins as a pitcher. The likelihood, in percent, that an outfielder will be 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. 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. It's also nice of Blyleven to host this tournament. and 32 degrees. Or 40 percent. Fansboth at home and at road gamescarried signs to the games saying "Circle me Bert". Escape Velocity takes the average of a player's batted ball velocities subtracted from 88. Many (especially in THT-land) will call it luck. Others will call it pitching to the score. In those years he was 59-66 (.472) at the break and 53-38 (.582) afterwards. Yes, he rubbed up his hands, went down for the bat, and it wasn't there!". time of a pitcher's first movement or pitch release. No two curveballs have the same rotation speed, velocity toward the hitter, arm delivery angle, or break. 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. How quickly, in seconds, a catcher can get the ball out He's referring to neckties. [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. 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. You've got to be kidding. Given his temperamental behaviour and (more happily) reputation as a practical jokester as a player, which have carried over somewhat into an occasionally prickly demeanor as a broadcaster, I wonder if Blylevens early debut in the majors is partially to blame for his personalitys lack of leavening. If I see anymore, I'll fall in love." background-color:#ba3434; And he couldn't help it if he was injured. "Here's a ball autographed by the 1957 Milwaukee Braves. But since no one close to 280 wins showed up after Blyleven, it helped him rise up over the years. There's the looping 12-6 curveball, which drops off the table just as the hitter thinks he has a read on it. [9], Following an incident in which Blyleven blatantly gave the finger to a television camera obviously focused on him during one of the Rangers' rare nationally broadcast games,[10] he was dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first four-team blockbuster deal in Major League Baseball history on December 8, 1977, that also involved the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets and a total of 11 players changing teams. But the injuries may have been a blessing in disguise, because they made him a better pitcher. He took quiet pride in Todd's 10-point game, a performance that reminded one of a young Jack Sikma. 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. After just 21 minor league starts, he found himself called up to the Majors at age 19 on June 2, 1970. 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). 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. Hmmm, no cork in it. "An autographed picture of Fernando Valenzuela. Arguments for inducting Bert Blyleven into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Although under-appreciated during his playing career, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011his second-to-last year of eligibility. When you cant lift your arm for two days after throwing, you cant do any more.. 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. player has saved over his peers. 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). After Blyleven, the only 200-game winners to appear in the next five years were Rick Reuschel and Frank Tanana. Subscriptions support ongoing public baseball research and analysis in an increasingly proprietary environment. Popular categories from this store. A Pirate fan friend named Mike Emeigh told me about Blylevens early-1980 walkout. Upon his return, he was plagued by chronic stomach ulcers and a torn rotator cuff. Stand behind a tree 60 feet away and Ill whomp you with an optical illusion, challenged Dizzy Dean. 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 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. [citation needed], MLB Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson said of Blyleven: "[his curveball] was nasty, I'll tell you that. After his first year of Baseball Hall of Fame eligibility in 1998, Blyleven was widely considered to be the best eligible pitcher not yet enshrined. One of the nicknames for a curveball is a "yakker." Statcast defines a 'hard-hit ball' as one hit with an Enjoy this run through the 10 best curveballs in the history of baseball. ", Says Mike Ferraro, a K.C. Blyleven has a memento from each of his teams, a ball for every win and a replica of the 1979 Series trophy. So how does he earn a spot on this list? The Mets got from the Braves Willie Montaez and from the Rangers Tom Grieve and Ken Henderson who was sent to New York to complete the transaction three months later on March 15, 1978. "O.K., I've got a ball here signed by Henry Aaron. Blyleven's curve breaks so quickly and so far that some batters swear they can hear it change direction. Blyleven and his Villa Park neighbors could probably win the American League West. Autographed in English. How to separate run support from that murky third factor? Blyleven was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2011 after receiving 79.7% of the vote on his 14th attempt. He always goes out and buys me a new one. I have to ask him, 'Bert, what would you throw if you had my stuff?' When I first discovered Retrosheet eons ago, the first thing I wanted to do was look at Blylevens run support. Possessing both a screwball and a curveball to go with a deceptive palmball, Cuellar was nearly untouchable in the prime of his career. He learned that his name actually was Rik Aalbert Blijleven after obtaining a copy of his birth certificate in order to get married.[30]. Tom Waddell. 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. That was where I learned to throw and control the pitch.. 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. On a recent afternoon Blyleven went to see Todd play basketball for his seventh-grade team. 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. Thats especially the case for the guys who finished near the top of the list (and where Blyleven would be if he didnt weirdly have those 17 missing wins). Bert Blyleven, in August of 1986, pitching with the Minnesota Twins against the Angels. Gary Carter, Rich Gossage, Jim Rice, and Bruce Sutter have all gotten in, after initially finishing under 50 percent. All Win Expectancy, Leverage Index, Run Expectancy, and Fans Scouting Report data licenced from TangoTiger.com. His wife, Patty, has a sneaking suspicion that he wanted the panda for himself as much as for their four children, Todd, 12, Kimberly, 10, Timothy, 3, and Thomas, 17 months. Given another five years of success, Blyleven will have Hall of Fame credentials. After I ran off the mound, I looked over at the St. Louis' dugout. If youre going to try to adjust Blylevens record by his run support, you actually have to focus on his run support. Communication. "Bert's always doing things for people," he says. A Bolt is any run where the Sprint Speed (defined as Hmmm, I wanted the color TV. He later wished he could have erased the 3-2 fastball he threw to the first batter he faced, Lee Maye. The Rangers received Al Oliver and Nelson Norman from the Pirates and Jon Matlack from the Mets. It showed that of the last 20 guys elected to Cooperstown by the BBWAA (as of then), none had ever received 20 percent or lower of the vote in any election they were up for. 30 day returns. 5.0. 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. The Orioles legend has four 20-win seasons, a World Series title and a Cy Young Award to his name. He knows how to pitch. Stanky quit on his own. It gives the opposition fits when thrown properly. In honor of Blyleven, Id like to rip off the column format pioneered here at THT by Bossman Studes, who used to run a regular Ten things I didnt know last week feature. "Mets Get Ken Henderson, Outfielder, From Rangers,", "From 1908 to 2018, Recorded no decision, as Starter, sorted by greatest number of games in a single season matching the selected criteria", "Indians' Blyleven The Subject Of Angel Trade Talks", "Ponson to play for Netherlands in World Classic", How a Part-Time Blogger Changed the Face of Baseball's Hall of Fame, The Official Site of Major League Baseball: News: Major League Baseball News, "Henderson, Rice elected to Hall of Fame", Alomar and Blyleven elected to Hall of Fame, Gallery Blyleven inducted into Twins Hall of Fame, Twins to immortalize Blyleven by retiring No. That just leaves the years in his apparent prime, from 1970-77, when he won 17 fewer games than youd expect. Blyleven debuted in major league baseball in 1970, right at the end of a great run of workhorse pitchers. At which point Richie Scheinblum yells across the room to his wife, "We already have a Koufax ball!" I wondered how anyone could pitch 7,000 innings like Cy Young. "When they asked us who wanted to play in the Instructional League in the fall of '69, I was the first one to raise my hand," he says.
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