Position: Starting Pitcher Bats: Right Throws: Right 6-3, 200lb (190cm, 90kg) . "What other team gets to wear a picture of its general manager on its jacket?" Brian yeah, if you look at pre-1920 guys its really nuts. A doting daddy, Blyleven likes to spend time with his sons Timothy (above) and Thomas. That was where I learned to throw and control the pitch.. [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. "But I thought it was kind of nice. Bert was an Instructional League Twin at 18 in 1969 and a Pittsburgh playoff winner at 28 in '79. Who does Bert pitch for these days? "[17], Blyleven was a pitching coach for the Netherlands in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. 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. Bert Blyleven, in August of 1986, pitching with the Minnesota Twins against the Angels. When he beat the Twins for Texas on July 26, 1976, Blyleven didn't mince words. player has saved over his peers. "The guys who were real cheap during the season got real cheap gifts," he says. Jack Brickhouse, a Chicago Cubs broadcaster, described the pitches Paige threw as "not quite legal but not quite illegal.". Only two of them won 30 games after their age 30 seasonJim Palmer and Bob Fellerand none did it after age 32. How far, in feet, a fielder or runner has traveled on a She says, "So now we'll have two.". However, during his time in the Mexican League, he was coached by Dolph Lugue, a curveball mastermind, which helped him rely on the pitch upon returning to the majors. "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. 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. 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. Free shipping for many products! About 10 years ago, there was a debate at the late, great Rob Neyer Message Board about Blylevens Hall of Fame chances. I'll have to admit that was a hell of a curveball.". They had a profound disagreement over how often Blyleven should pitch; he wanted to go every fourth game, and Tanner gave him the ball every fifth. Blyleven did not know his correct name until he was about to get married. All rights reserved. "O.K., I've got a ball here signed by Henry Aaron. 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. When youre constantly winning 15 or more games a year, you dont need too many 20-win seasons to make this list. An inveterate practical joker, Blyleven likes to snip cravats. I wanted 300 wins, 5,000 innings, and 4,000 strikeouts, he admits, but after shoulder surgery in spring training in 1993, I would pitch four or five innings and my body would say no more. In 2007, Blyleven's total dipped to 47.7% (75% is the minimum required for admission to the Hall). Those who throw it refer to it as The Hammer, The Yakker, even Public Enemy No. Like the first time, it doesn't go well, as he allows two runs in two innings and the NL wins, 6-1. Now, does that really seem like an answer to the question of run support? Blyleven starred on the Santiago High School baseball team, also running cross country to build up his stamina and leg strength. 122), his five one-hitters, his eight two-hitters and his five three-hitters. 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. So far Blyleven has won 20 only once, in 1973, when he lost 17. [2] From 1996 to 2020, he was a color analyst for Minnesota Twins television broadcasts.[3]. Please note the delivery estimate is greater than 13 business days. Communication. He had thought all his life his given name was "Rikaalbert". He's now 200-173. 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. Many (especially in THT-land) will call it luck. To me, that was the characteristic that made him an unquestionable HOFer. 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). People in and out the game lauded Blyleven for having the games best curveball, but he was also temperamental. 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. See details. He must have had terrible run support. He won fewer games than he should have, right? This is a free article. [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. 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. Ron Necciai is one of the most dominating pitchers that never materialized in the Major Leagues. How is a batter supposed to hit a curveball when he constantly has to be ready for the 100 mile per hour heater? Nolan Ryan and Bert Blyleven had the tightest rotation and velocity combination," Schmidt was quoted as saying in a recent Associated Press story. "Bert's always doing things for people," he says. He began teaching the pitch to himself, learning to throw a drop in junior high. 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. But someone with a far greater mind than any scientist put the optical illusion theory to rest. Even the guys who didnt completely implode aged poorly. Take his 1974 season, when he went 17-17 despite a tremendous ERA+ of 142. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2011 . 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). become a hit. And I said, 'Yes.' For instance, in the middle of his careerthe Pirate/Indian yearshe comes out even with the murky third element. Yet last year was the first time he ever got a vote for the Cy Young Award. 300. Though his age-28 season, Blyleven tossed 2,624 innings, more than anyone since Pete Alexander. Blyleven mingled easily with the other parents. See details. So why did this happen to Blyleven? Actually, given that the park factor was 104, Blylevens run support was nearly league average; 96% of league average to be precise. 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. How much spin, in revolutions per minute, a pitch was With all of the talk of some players not getting the votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America for entry into the Hall of Fame because of allegations and admissions regarding illegal substance abuse, pitcher Bert Blyleven, who became a member of the Hall earlier this month . 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. In fact, he never came close. You've got to be kidding. He wound up completing 242 games and throwing 60 shutouts, the two numbers of which he is most proud. He tried out for the Twins again in the spring of 1993, but did not make the squad, which made his retirement official. It was this way when hitters faced Blyleven, as former San Diego catcher Terry Kennedy can attest. 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. Of course, it's never as nice as the one he cut.". He has all the stats of a potential Hall of Famer. Brett Butler was presented with an autographed picture of his favorite soap opera star. Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 3rd round of the 1969 amateur draft. The list of 1-0 CG SHO, required the Play Index. Bert was a terrific pitchera dominating pitcher. In the '60s, Koufax had it. Anything below 88mph is considered 0. Free shipping for many products! xBA measures the likelihood that a batted ball will His 20 no decisions in 1979 are the most by an MLB starting pitcher in a season, dating back to at least 1908.[13]. Almost everybody says this of Blyleven: "He wants the ball." There's the looping 12-6 curveball, which drops off the table just as the hitter thinks he has a read on it. 1. 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. (Lou Sauritch/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) Shop And quite well, thank you. Add in assorted aces Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, Catfish Hunter, Mickey Lolich, Luis Tiant, and thats some list. "Brought it in from Cleveland," comes the host's reply. background-color:#ba3434; The house has lots of toys, some for the kids, some for Bert. If you had to pick one starting pitcher to serve as in/out line for induction, Id go with Stan Coveleski. [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. ". You cant do a simplistic, reductionistic system. From the moment he came to the major leagues, as a 19-year-old with the Minnesota Twins in 1970, he has been considered a great talent. He played three seasons for the California Angels before retiring. The evening is winding down, and there are only a few more souvenirs left to be auctioned. 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. ", During a lull at the banquet, Scheinblum talks about Blyleven. The Indians are happy to have him. Brown ticket 58456? A curveball can also be thrown with some velocity in an attempt jam a hitter. the fastest reactions and most direct routes in the As a player, Blyleven did not have the best reputation. "Bert got six of mine last year," says DiBiasio. Blyleven, an intense competitor, wants it. On June 5, 1970, Rigney gave Blyleven his first start, against the Washington Senators. 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. You've got work to do. Around (over?) 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. I'm thrilled to see Blyleven in the HOF. So it seems only fitting that Blyleven is something of a yakker. Bert (Blyleven) was a terrific pitcher - a dominating pitcher." After the 1977 season, he was traded to the Pirates in a rare four-team trade. In 1996, Blyleven became a television color analyst for the Twins, calling games for WCCO-TV and Midwest Sports Channel (later Fox Sports North). Even Hall of Fame players marveled at Blylevens curve. That just leaves the years in his apparent prime, from 1970-77, when he won 17 fewer games than youd expect. From 1984-89, he went 95-71 with a 115 ERA+. If anyones curious, heres a list of the most 1-0 CG SHO for post-Walter Johnson pitchers: Nice lead for Blyleven. Enjoy this run through the 10 best curveballs in the history of baseball. Aside from that, he never led the league. Upon being traded to the Cleveland Indians, Blyleven initially struggled with injuries, but then enjoyed a late-career resurgence, finishing third in the Cy Young Award voting in back-to-back years, with Cleveland in 1984 and also the following 1985 season that he split between the Indians and Twins. by Handedness, 10 things I didnt know about Bert Blyleven, http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/forgotten-pennant-push-jim-kaat-1967/. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Nearly a decade later while an Indian, he flipped the bird to fans in Baltimore. Julio Franco, who had been arrested the previous winter for possession of a gun without a permit, received a toy pistol. The likelihood, in percent, that an outfielder will be Blyleven's display includes his one no-hitter (win No. "We've got some baseball memorabilia donated to us by the players," Blyleven says, "and the money will go to help Ed Kirkpatrick back there. "Then we'd sneak down into the dugouts and grab whatever we couldresin bags and broken bats. Steve Farr. Shipping speed. 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). If you enjoyed it, consider subscribing to Baseball Prospectus. Yeah, over his career. But bleep them. Angels pitcher Bert Blyleven throws a pitch during a game against the Baltimore Orioles on May 3, 1990 . Fansboth at home and at road gamescarried signs to the games saying "Circle me Bert". Even though he put more miles on his arm in his 20s then nearly all of them, he kept on going. 1979 - Blyleven goes 12-5 on 37 starts and the Pirates win the World Series. Most people familiar with Blyleven's case for the HOF know that he stands fifth all-time in strikeouts. Bert Blyleven is one of the great command pitchers in baseball history! [5] One of seven children, his parents anglicized their names to Joe and Jenny, with Rik Aalbert becoming simply "Bert". What have we got here? 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! For $675.". Now look at Blylevens careerpitching in tough spots wasnt his problem. He always goes out and buys me a new one. At 6 feet 3 inches, with long arms and large hands, he throws. 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. Blyleven started the season in Triple A. A renowned curveball pitcher, Blyleven was also a two-time All-Star and World Series champion. After I ran off the mound, I looked over at the St. Louis' dugout. A Tom Murphy autographed glove. 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. In 1986, he. The left-hander won over 200 games and struck out over 2,500 batters in his 18-year MLB career. "[20] Specifically, according to Welch, "the president and chief investment officer of Lederer & Associates Investment Counsel in Long Beach, California, a guy by the name of Rich Lederer, began spending some of his off-hours writing analysis on the Interwebs about Blyleven's overlooked case. 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). In those years he was 59-66 (.472) at the break and 53-38 (.582) afterwards. Thereupon he drives the addressee 250 yards straight down the middle of the No. Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt became something of an expert on the curveball during his career. Blyleven was one of baseball's most notorious dugout pranksters during his playing days. During the winter there are many of these Monday events in the Los Angeles area. Well, if its not luck, youre saying in so many words that the guy choked or lacked mental toughness. xwOBA is formulated using exit velocity, launch angle I wanted to be like him, he said. Blyleven is the winning pitcher in Game 3 of the NLCS and Game 5 (pitching in relief) of the World Series. 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. He may have been the best pitcher in the history of baseball. velocity and launch angle. Blyleven became the first Dutch-born player to earn induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The lone hit in that game was a bunt single by slow-footed Ed Kirkpatrick in the fifth inning. Collectibles; Books & Magazines; Entertainment Memorabilia; Cell Phones . How far, in feet, a runner is ranging off the bag at the 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. "I just don't think he knew how to use me." Blyleven has reigned as the curveball champion longer than either Pascual or Koufax. Last year he had 19 wins, seven losses and a dozen ties. The in/out line for the Hall has never been 300 wins. I checked all pitchers with at least 25 SHO from 1920-2011. 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 . Communication. Ted Williams called Pascual's curveball the "most feared curveball in the American League for 18 years. Lets back up for a second. "And here's a ball signed by the 1984 Cleveland Indians. Shipping speed. 1996-2023 DIY Baseball LLC All Rights Reserved. Hmmm, maybe I should bid on it. Blyleven cared more that everyone was having a good time. outfield. "I know Ed thinks the world of him.". Then there are three guys over 280 winsTommy John, Jim Kaat, and Blyleven himself. "I told our third baseman, Steve Braun, to watch for a bunt," says Blyleven, "but Spanky laid a perfect one down. Blyleven got so upset with his role in Pittsburgh that he walked out on the Pirates for 10 days early in 1980. The curveball has been around for ages and has taken many forms throughout the history of baseball. In Blyleven's first spring training with the Twins, manager Bill Rigney watched him throw batting practice and yelled to his pitching coach, Marv Grissom, "Get him out of there. Blyleven recorded 3,701 career strikeouts, the fifth-most in MLB history. He's being serious, although whimsy soon bubbles to the surface. The Dodgers were ready to draft him in the first round in 1969, but in one of his last high school games, Blyleven got shelled. Many (especially in THT-land) will call it luck. And those TWENTY no-decisions on the WORLD CHAMPION Pittsburgh Pirates are probably a record of sorts. On the second-to-last weekend of the season, the Indian players had a little party to adjourn their kangaroo court. "We left one month-old piece in there, and I think Chris ate it." See all categories. It's like the fellow at the golf tournament said. Cleveland president Gabe Paul said, "Bert Blyleven isn't going anywhere. Enough to make your knees buckle. Naturally, he sinks all the birdie putts. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1974 TOPPS BASEBALL #98 BERT BLYLEVEN MINNESOTA TWINS V.G. June 14, 1985: Bert Blyleven achieves a career milestone as he collects his 200th career win, defeating the A's, 6-1. Blyleven was born in the Netherlands, one of only nine major leaguers to have been born in Holland as of 2020 (several major leaguers were born in the Kingdom of the Netherlands outside Holland). One of seven children, Bert grew up in Garden Grove as American as, well, Dutch apple pie. 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! Says Corrales, "You love sending a guy like that every fifth day, and he's a great influence on a young ball club. For two years we paid him a good salary, and he did nothing because he was hurt. Blyleven married Patricia Ann Whitehead, a friend from high school, during his second season in the majors, and they have raised a happy family. "[19] Still, it was not until his 14th year of eligibility, in 2011, that he was elected; he received 79.7% of the vote. 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. Popular categories from this store. 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). a batted-ball event with a launch angle between eight "A Carl Yastrzemski bat. Jerry Koosman was a two-time, all-star for the New York Mets and, like most lefties, relied heavily on his curveball for success. And he was still a workhorse, completing 24 games in 1985, the last AL pitcher to top 20. Camilo Pascual threw only two pitches, his fastball and his nasty overhand curveball, so as one can imagine those pitches were dominant. Statcast refers to the spin that contributes to movement "O.K., we've got a golf bag and a dozen balls. Fine pitchers, but a definite step down from what had come before. Joe worked on the railroads in Saskatoon and Regina and moved to California in 1955. It's hard to say anything based on one game, but he looks like he's got a great future ahead of him.". When you cant lift your arm for two days after throwing, you cant do any more.. Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn, Lew Burdette, Joe Adcock, Eddie Mathews. Sold for $150. "I think the world of Chuck Tanner," says Blyleven now. Thats the question. Thanks, Bob. Not many of these around. Sold for $200. Do I hear $275? (Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) "I always played for my island," Alomar said in his induction speech. The ones worse than him who are in are generally mistakes. "And then he went down." (Thanks, Ron, wherever you are.) He also won a World Series in 1979 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Then theres Blyleven. And he couldn't help it if he was injured. as Active Spin. Its that second wind that makes his career numbers impressive. Fortunately for him, life wasnt going to throw him that curve, and he now has his place in history. raw numbers and as a measurement against average. A couple of years ago when he was on the disabled list and back home, he came to watch my son Monte pitch. I remember talking to scout Jesse Flores and Ed Roebuck, the pitcher, about the rotation. 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. Well, its that murky third factorthe luck/pitch-to-the-score/sunspots one. Blyleven has a memento from each of his teams, a ball for every win and a replica of the 1979 Series trophy. But he's not a bad guy. And so he ended his career, waiting and wondering if he would get into the Hall of Fame. He tied for second in the league in wins and was second in winning percentage (.731), third in ERA (2.87) and fourth in strikeouts (170). The umpire called it a strike and Jamie backed out and it looked to me like he kind of laughed a little bit. 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. There were players rolling around on the floor, laughing. One of his trademarks was circling fans with the telestrator on screen. Because of his competitive streak, Blyleven says things he probably shouldn't, and he usually says them with a biting wit. Blyleven set the record that still stands with 50 gopher balls in 1986, and then topped the league again with 46 in 1987. Saved him a lot of pain." Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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. After all, 17 wins in eight years is a lot. Free local pickup from Brooklyn, New York, United States. For a pitcher it is the average of his softest 50% of batted balls allowed. Or 40 percent. 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. Blyleven, who has a seven handicap, is teamed with a couple of Cadillac dealers and an attorney, a zany Mormon named Tom Anthony. play. 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. This semicelebrity affair at Riviera was the second off-season charity event Bert has sponsored. 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.
