Vida Blue dies, Former MVP lefty Vida Rochelle Blue Jr has died at the age of 73
The left-handed former MVP Vida Blue passed away at the age of 73, according to the Athletics.
Vader Blue has had a more successful career than most players, according to a statement from the A’s. I’m sorry to hear about your friend.
Blue, a three-time World Series champion and six-time All-Star, played in the major leagues for 17 seasons, 15 of which were spent in the Bay Area. Blue moved from Kansas City to Oakland after the 1967 season and made his track debut at age 19 in 1969. In his first two major league seasons, Blue only threw 80 2/3 innings, but when he was given a full-time assignment at age 21 in the 1971 campaign, Blue had an outstanding performance.
In 1971, Blue played 312 innings over 39 games with the A’s and posted a microscopic 1.82 ERA, 83 percent better than the league average as measured by ERA+, while a 2.20 FIP matched Blue’s dazzling numbers. During his remarkable season, Blue led the league with eight shutouts and also posted league-highs in ERA, FIP, strikeout percentage and WHIP. Of course, the performance for the Blues not only earned him his first All-Star performance of his career, but he also won the Cy Young Award and the American League MVP Award.
Blue would play six more seasons in Oakland and post a 3.10 ERA and 3.25 FIP while averaging over 250 innings per season. He made two more All-Star appearances, finished in the top seven of the AL Cy Young Awards three times and received two MVP votes during that time before moving to San Francisco in 1978 at age 28. part of the A’s’ three consecutive World Series titles between 1972 and 1974.
Blue’s first season in San Francisco was another remarkable one, posting a 2.79 ERA and 2.68 FIP, finishing in the top three in the Cy Young Awards poll, becoming his fourth All-Star, and winning No. 12. National League MVP voting. He played three more seasons in San Francisco, making two more All-Star appearances in the process, before playing two seasons with the Kansas City Royals. Blue returned to San Francisco in 1985 and averaged a 3.82 ERA in 287 2/3 innings from 1985 to 1986 before retiring at the end of the 1986 season.
Overall, Blue finished his career with 209 wins, a 3.27 ERA, and 2,175 strikeouts in 3,343 1/3 innings. After he finished his career, Blue remained an integral part of Bay Area baseball thanks to his philanthropic efforts and his dedication to promoting the game in the United States and abroad. At MLB Trade Rumors, our condolences go out to his family, friends and all who are mourning his passing today.