Vida Blue

Vida Rochelle Blue (July 28, 1949-) completed two of the six games he pitched in the 1970 season, throwing a one-hit 2-0 shutout against the Kansas City Royals followed by 6-0 no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins merely ten days later. The Kansas City Athletics selected Blue in the second round of the 1967 MLB June Amateur Draft and he chose to play baseball despite numerous college football scholarship offers to play quarterback. Vida was a unique, hard-throwing left-hander who utilized his blazing fastball, his hard breaking curve and change-up that would buckle your knees. All-time hits leader, Pete Rose, referred to Blue as the hardest throwing left hander he ever faced. In 1971, Vida paced the Oakland A’s and the American League as he went 24-8 with a league leading eight shutouts and 1.82 ERA as he marched to the AL Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player Award. He earned his first of six All-Star Game appearances and was also named The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year in 1971, which he won again in 1978. In 1972, he led the A’s to their first of three consecutive World Series titles (1972-1974) despite only posting a 6-10 record. Vida’s 17-year career with the A’s (1969-1977), the San Francisco Giants (1978-1981, 1985-1986) and the Kansas City Royals (1982-1983) was marred by confirmed rumors of drug use and even cost him a year ban from baseball as well as a year in prison. Vida Blue finished his career with a 209-161 record, struck out 2,175 batters and posted a 3.27 career ERA over 502 games, 143 complete games and 37 shutouts. In the playoffs, Blue went 1-5 with 47 strikeouts and a 4.31 ERA in 17 postseason appearances.