Shipping speed. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1973 Topps Set-Break #199 Bert Blyleven EX-EXMINT *GMCARDS* at the best online prices at eBay! Or 40 percent. 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. Blyleven had his problems from 1982 to early 1984, but he recovered, aging better than anyone not named Maddux on that list. Blyleven has reigned as the curveball champion longer than either Pascual or Koufax. Blyleven's third batter was Frank Howard. "O.K., we've got a golf bag and a dozen balls. 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. Anything below 88mph is considered 0. [8] He pitched well with the Rangers, posting a 2.76 ERA. ", Blyleven raises every bid, and, finally, he says, "Sold to me. In 1996, Blyleven became a television color analyst for the Twins, calling games for WCCO-TV and Midwest Sports Channel (later Fox Sports North). He is very much at ease on the podium as he describes various raffle prizes, calls off winning numbers and awards golf trophies. Hmmm, I wanted the color TV. For instance, he referred to Paul and Phil Seghi, the Indians' general manager, as "two old men sitting up in the booth playing checkers." (Lou Sauritch/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) Shop [7] Unhappy with his salary there, Blyleven was traded (along with teammate Danny Thompson) to the Texas Rangers in a six-player deal on June 1, 1976. How far, in feet, a runner is ranging off the bag at the Blyleven was a terrific pitchera dominating pitcher," Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson once said. One of the nicknames for a curveball is a "yakker." Nice. In the '60s, Koufax had it. He has all the stats of a potential Hall of Famer. 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. Blyleven, like so many Hall of Fame players, was driven to succeed. "Then we'd sneak down into the dugouts and grab whatever we couldresin bags and broken bats. The difference between the two projections should be what his run support cost him. Blyleven was one of baseball's most notorious dugout pranksters during his playing days. Monte tried to throw a curve, and something in his elbow snapped. The third pitch was a hard check swing. Blyleven left 28 tickets for family and friends for that night's game, which turned out to be . Even though he put more miles on his arm in his 20s then nearly all of them, he kept on going. How quickly, in seconds, a catcher can get the ball out xBA measures the likelihood that a batted ball will He must have had terrible run support. Solving Major League Baseball's Young Person Problem Bert Blyleven grew up in Garden Grove, Calif., less than 10 miles from Anaheim Stadium. Patty came out and said, 'Don't you think you should go back?' Please note the delivery estimate is greater than 13 business days. When the Angels came to nearby Anaheim in 1966, Bert didn't switch his allegiance, although he did become one of the stadium rats. BBTF's Newsblog Discussion :: Blyleven thinks little of drugs, pitch count [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. Hey, these names might not seem too important now, but someday. Do I hear $2? That year, he pitched 293.2 innings and completed 24 games, a feat that has not been repeated since. [18] He returned in his role for 2013 and 2017.[2]. Actually, the best spelling of his name appears on one of his license plates: BLY11. How is a batter supposed to hit a curveball when he constantly has to be ready for the 100 mile per hour heater? Bert Blyleven. Even alone Blyleven is a terror, whether he's giving a hotfoot, tying clothes in knots, cutting neckties or pulling down McMahon's pants. When The Chicken brought his act to Cleveland, pitchers (from left) Ernie Camacho, Blyleven, Luis Aponte and Mike Jeffcoat were his plucky backups. 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. Known for his terrific curveball, pitcher Bert Blyleven won 287 games over a 22-year major league career. Normally a guy entering the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot with 287 wins is pretty impressive. Blyleven has a different grip on his yakker than most, but, then, he has been more successful than most. 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. 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. Even the guys who didnt completely implode aged poorly. 10 things I didn't know about Bert Blyleven | The Hardball Times Gary Carter, Rich Gossage, Jim Rice, and Bruce Sutter have all gotten in, after initially finishing under 50 percent. raw numbers and as a measurement against average. Joe worked on the railroads in Saskatoon and Regina and moved to California in 1955. 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. "I just don't think he knew how to use me." Paige has a unique ability to blow hitters away and come right back and make them look foolish. Other; Seller feedback (2,522,561) s***c (1508 . There were players rolling around on the floor, laughing. Blyleven was the epitome of dominant. A Batted Ball Event represents any batted ball that time of a pitcher's first movement or pitch release. A .264 career batter, Kennedy hit .120 in 25 at bats against Blyleven, collecting three hits while striking out five times. A doting daddy, Blyleven likes to spend time with his sons Timothy (above) and Thomas. He began teaching the pitch to himself, learning to throw a drop in junior high. [14] The Pirates traded him to the Cleveland Indians on December 9, 1980. Until last year, fate had not been overly kind to Blyleven. The stuff, and no nonsense - Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com At 6 feet 3 inches, with long arms and large hands, he throws. And once he came up, he stuck around. Spanky, we love you.". 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. If you go through the above, he comes out to 298-239 for his career, ever so incredibly shy of 300. The Baseball Analysts: Optimal Fastball-Changeup Speed Separation Ill be looking for it, Chris, and will pass the link on; youve got more than a few fans over at the WGOM. All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, Ill be home soon. Blyleven dominated batters for more than two decades with one of the best curveballs the game has ever seen and an underappreciated fastball. That just leaves the years in his apparent prime, from 1970-77, when he won 17 fewer games than youd expect. 1979 - Blyleven goes 12-5 on 37 starts and the Pirates win the World Series. Not many of these around. Sold for $200. 300. From 1970-77, Blyleven went 122-113 despite an ERA+ of 134. able to make a catch on an individual batted ball. And let's not forget the classic knee-buckling curveball that has made countless hitters look foolish. 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. What we're talking about here is a humongous stuffed panda, and he's auctioning off the bear at the banquet. and, on certain types of batted balls, Sprint Speed. "Thanks everyone for coming, and good night. Nolan Ryan is widely considered one of the most dominant pitchers in the history of Major League Baseball. "I have to say this for him, though. Looking it up, in his 37 starts, the Twins scored 151 runs, 4.1/game. Bert Blyleven's Top 10 moments - MLB.com The Baseball Analysts: The Case for Bert Blyleven: A Late Convert Joins When youre constantly winning 15 or more games a year, you dont need too many 20-win seasons to make this list. 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. The Indians are happy to have him. The Rangers received Al Oliver and Nelson Norman from the Pirates and Jon Matlack from the Mets. 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. Do I hear $275? They have a right to act any way they like.". Only 16 other pitchers have at least 3,000 career strikeouts. A curveball can also be thrown with some velocity in an attempt jam a hitter. by Retrosheet. 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. Phone: 602.496.1460 Fine pitchers, but a definite step down from what had come before. Enough to make your knees buckle. His breaking ball was literally untouchable. See all categories. The Pitching Prime of Bert Blyleven of Indians One of his best friends is Richie Scheinblum, the former outfielder for six big league teams, who as a Kansas City Royal battled Rod Carew for the batting title in 1972. Upon his return, he was plagued by chronic stomach ulcers and a torn rotator cuff. He says, "Mister Paul and Mister Seghi [Mister?] Call it sunspots for all I care, it ain't run support. Blyleven did not know his correct name until he was about to get married. Two words Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson used to describe Bert Blyleven's curveball: "nasty" and "knee-buckling.". he asks. People in and out the game lauded Blyleven for having the games best curveball, but he was also temperamental. Statcast defines a 'hard-hit ball' as one hit with an "Matlack, Milner Go In FourTeam Trade,", Durso, Joseph. There are 16 names, but only one 300-game winner. O.K., I bid $300. The list of 1-0 CG SHO, required the Play Index. one base to another, like Home To First. Koosman was also an crucial piece to the Mets improbable World Series Championship in 1969. 555 N. Central Ave. #416 The Baseball Hall of Shame II first clued me in to some of those stories. Blyleven reaches rare mark with 250th win | Baseball Hall of Fame 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?" In Texas, Blyleven got blamed for something he never did. "My friends and I used to wait until they turned the lights out in the park," he says. Brown ticket 58456? In 22 seasons, Blyleven had more than 3,700 career strikeouts, including more than 2,000 of those in 11 seasons with the Twins. At that time only 15 to 20 percent of the electorate supported him. He knows how to pitch. Blyleven was inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame in 2002[25] and was chosen to the fan-elected "Wendy's- Minnesota Twins All-Metrodome Team" on July 28, 2009. 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. the fastest reactions and most direct routes in the "[17], Blyleven was a pitching coach for the Netherlands in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. "We have those long, strong fingers," he says. Call it sunspots for all I care, it aint run support. 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. He currently resides in Fort Myers, Florida. "What other team gets to wear a picture of its general manager on its jacket?" "With his hands and wrist, he could throw that damn thing without any seams and it would curve," says Corrales. "[24] Blyleven was the first Dutch-born player inducted, and his Hall of Fame plaque depicts him with a Minnesota Twins cap. "[19] Still, it was not until his 14th year of eligibility, in 2011, that he was elected; he received 79.7% of the vote. He eventually came back after nearly two weeks. 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. According to baseball-reference Cy Young won 195 games befroe his age 30 season. 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. Blyleven set the record that still stands with 50 gopher balls in 1986, and then topped the league again with 46 in 1987. If youre going to try to adjust Blylevens record by his run support, you actually have to focus on his run support. Who has blue ticket 92594? Blyleven threw two different styles of curveballs, the most unique one being the drop that he held across the seams, a grip that is said to have been mastered only by him, Bob Feller and, Koufax. Blyleven wanted $85,000, which seems like a piddling sum now, and the Twins were offering $65,000. Esteban Loaiza made two. (Thanks, Ron, wherever you are.) He got him to fly out. Collectibles; Books & Magazines; Entertainment Memorabilia; Cell Phones . 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. The evening is winding down, and there are only a few more souvenirs left to be auctioned. It was this way when hitters faced Blyleven, as former San Diego catcher Terry Kennedy can attest. One of his trademarks was circling fans with the telestrator on screen. He always goes out and buys me a new one. See details. Subscriptions support ongoing public baseball research and analysis in an increasingly proprietary environment. Thats doesnt sould too bad. But because Kirkpatrick can see and hear, he watches and listens as Blyleven moves into the final part of the evening's program. shouts someone from a passing golf cart. Given another five years of success, Blyleven will have Hall of Fame credentials. BASEBALL'S DUTCH TREAT - Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com Only two of them won 30 games after their age 30 seasonJim Palmer and Bob Fellerand none did it after age 32. For years he thought his first name was Rikaalbert. "Bert's always doing things for people," he says. 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. Francisco, come up here. Blyleven, 38, has won 271 major league games with one of baseball's best curves and a variety of offspeed pitches. If you enjoyed it, consider subscribing to Baseball Prospectus. Bert Blyleven Stats, Fantasy & News | MLB.com Bert Blyleven: Pitching History and The Hall of Fame Stop asking old baseball players about the game - Sports Illustrated ", Says Mike Ferraro, a K.C. The Hulk, whose wife wonders where the galleries are, quits after two holes because his shoes are wet. In 2010, Blyleven had 74.2% of the votes, missing admission to the Hall of Fame by only 5 votes (0.8%).[22]. 1971 Topps Bert Blyleven #26 Rookie Minnesota Twins | eBay Expected Weighted On-base Average (xwOBA). Steve Farr. 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.