He's being serious, although whimsy soon bubbles to the surface. Blyleven's commentary was occasionally risqu for a baseball broadcast but provided interesting and friendly conversation between him and play-by-play announcer Dick Bremer. Blyleven left 28 tickets for family and friends for that night's game, which turned out to be . [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. Blue 90672, raise your hand. "Thanks everyone for coming, and good night. Kid Nichols is the all-time champ. Go figure. That upset Blyleven, especially because he has given of himself to Cleveland. 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. Who the hell wanted this old-timer in the HOF anyways? outfield. 5.0. ", Not only does Blyleven pitch for the Indians, he actually likes being an Indian. 1996-2023 DIY Baseball LLC All Rights Reserved. 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. In Texas, Blyleven got blamed for something he never did. In 1986, he. In 22 seasons, Blyleven had more than 3,700 career strikeouts, including more than 2,000 of those in 11 seasons with the Twins. So it seems only fitting that Blyleven is something of a yakker. There once was a rookie hitter who didnt need to be convinced the curve was something more than an optical illusion. For instance, he referred to Paul and Phil Seghi, the Indians' general manager, as "two old men sitting up in the booth playing checkers." What we're talking about here is a humongous stuffed panda, and he's auctioning off the bear at the banquet. After just 21 minor league starts, he found himself called up to the Majors at age 19 on June 2, 1970. You cant do a simplistic, reductionistic system. "I thank the baseball writers of America for, I'm going to say, finally getting it right. 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. Carter only had one really low year, and it was never as low as Blyleven. He says, "Mister Paul and Mister Seghi [Mister?] 2001 Major League Baseball contraction plan, 1998 Major League Baseball home run record chase, The last night of the New York Yankees dynasty (2001), Chicago Cubs end the Billy Goat curse (2016), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bert_Blyleven&oldid=1142574454, American expatriate baseball players in Canada, Major League Baseball players from the Netherlands, Major League Baseball players with retired numbers, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, October 4,1992,for theCalifornia Angels, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 05:13. 300. Blyleven cared more that everyone was having a good time. produces a result. I'll have to admit that was a hell of a curveball.". [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. No two curveballs have the same rotation speed, velocity toward the hitter, arm delivery angle, or break. See details. And I could throw it over at any time, any count."[6]. 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. player has saved over his peers. 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. For $675.". He retired following that season with a career 287250 record with 3,701 strikeouts and a 3.31 ERA. 30 day returns. Other; Seller feedback (2,522,561) s***c (1508 . His 2.74 career ERA with the Rangers remains the best in team history. When you divide his career into sections, it veers wildly. In 1985 he again led the American League in shutouts with five. He also won a World Series in 1979 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He learned that his name actually was Rik Aalbert Blijleven after obtaining a copy of his birth certificate in order to get married.[30]. The Twins ran short of pitching early, the crusher coming on June 1, when Luis Tiant was put on the disabled list. For two years we paid him a good salary, and he did nothing because he was hurt. "Here's a ball autographed by the 1957 Milwaukee Braves. Terrys reaction was to swing straight down, like he was chopping the plate with an axe. 19 7-4 over the Twins on the last day of the season. July 16, 1985: For the second time Blyleven pitches in an All-Star Game. 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. So far Blyleven has won 20 only once, in 1973, when he lost 17. Stand behind a tree 60 feet away and Ill whomp you with an optical illusion, challenged Dizzy Dean. I have to ask him, 'Bert, what would you throw if you had my stuff?' 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. A curveball can also be thrown with some velocity in an attempt jam a hitter. Bah! One fan posted, "Pete Rose in the Phillies booth "he threw a c**k high fastball". Actually, given that the park factor was 104, Blylevens run support was nearly league average; 96% of league average to be precise. He always goes out and buys me a new one. Blyleven is rightPhil Seghi looks uncannily like Chief Wahoo. But nobody really cared. The answer is 11. Blyleven left 28 tickets for family and friends for that night's game, which turned out to be . Fansboth at home and at road gamescarried signs to the games saying "Circle me Bert". 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. Shipping speed. of his glove and to the base on a stolen base or pickoff He earned the moniker "Frying Dutchman" by frequently setting fire to his teammates' shoelaces, a practical joke known as a "hot foot". Blyleven did not know his correct name until he was about to get married. He can't speak Dutch, but to this day he still understands a little of it. 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. Poor Terry. Id say 95 percent of that mysterious third element is luck, but does that mean its never anything else? His 20 no decisions in 1979 are the most by an MLB starting pitcher in a season, dating back to at least 1908.[13]. Add in assorted aces Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, Catfish Hunter, Mickey Lolich, Luis Tiant, and thats some list. In 15 years with four teams he has 195 wins and a 3.00 ERA. "[17], Blyleven was a pitching coach for the Netherlands in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. "I know Ed thinks the world of him.". I know this sounds terrible, but who does Bert pitch for these days?". Blyleven has reigned as the curveball champion longer than either Pascual or Koufax. Look at Blyleven in that 1974 campaign. The lone hit in that game was a bunt single by slow-footed Ed Kirkpatrick in the fifth inning. Joe worked on the railroads in Saskatoon and Regina and moved to California in 1955. Who has blue ticket 92594? 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. Although under-appreciated during his playing career, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011his second-to-last year of eligibility. Blyleven became the first Dutch-born player to earn induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. 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. So how does he earn a spot on this list? xwOBA is formulated using exit velocity, launch angle Bert was a terrific pitchera dominating pitcher. And so he ended his career, waiting and wondering if he would get into the Hall of Fame. And those TWENTY no-decisions on the WORLD CHAMPION Pittsburgh Pirates are probably a record of sorts. [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. Ted Williams called Pascual's curveball the "most feared curveball in the American League for 18 years. There are 16 names, but only one 300-game winner. 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. 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". 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. For years he thought his first name was Rikaalbert. "I visualized the dropping motion.". 1 fairway at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. On a recent afternoon Blyleven went to see Todd play basketball for his seventh-grade team. . He's also not afraid to throw inside to a hitter. One of seven children, Bert grew up in Garden Grove as American as, well, Dutch apple pie. I remember talking to scout Jesse Flores and Ed Roebuck, the pitcher, about the rotation. He knows how to pitch. Blyleven has often been labeled a troublemaker. Watching him, one of his partners said, "He seems like a great guy. Others will call it pitching to the score. He blanked Milwaukee on four hits in his first start, followed by a three-hit shutout at Kansas City five days later. That year, he pitched 293.2 innings and completed 24 games, a feat that has not been repeated since. Phoenix, AZ 85004 (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). (Lou Sauritch/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) Shop On the second-to-last weekend of the season, the Indian players had a little party to adjourn their kangaroo court. thrown with. "Hello, ball," he says, in homage to Art Carney as Ed Norton. Afterward he issued these immortal words: "I knew I'd never win the Cy Young Award, so I was trying to be Fireman of the Year.". After the game Howard said, "He's got a fine arm. The no-hitter was his final start as a Ranger; not until Cole Hamels during the 2015 season would a pitcher be traded after pitching a no-hitter in his most recent start for the team that traded him. Possessing both a screwball and a curveball to go with a deceptive palmball, Cuellar was nearly untouchable in the prime of his career. Bert Blyleven Statcast, Visuals & Advanced Metrics | MLB.com | baseballsavant.com Bert Blyleven P | B/T: R/R | 6' 3" 207LBS | Age: 71 Draft: 1969 | Rd: 3, #55, Minnesota Twins | Santiago HS (Garden Grove, CA) Stats Standard Splits Game Logs Minors Batting Pitching Fielding Visuals Standard MLB Pitching Statistics Autographed in English. Neal Heaton got a Gourmet Nosepicker. His heart is invariably in the right placeit's just that his foot sometimes ends up in his mouth. 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. Blyleven also won so many games because he was a great workhorse. Bert Blyleven was a big part of that championship season and went 1-1 in the World Series.
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