Corrales feels the secret of Blyleven's curve is not in the grip but in his big, strong hands. When he beat the Twins for Texas on July 26, 1976, Blyleven didn't mince words. Fansboth at home and at road gamescarried signs to the games saying "Circle me Bert". He's also not afraid to throw inside to a hitter. 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. Blyleven had his problems from 1982 to early 1984, but he recovered, aging better than anyone not named Maddux on that list. And those TWENTY no-decisions on the WORLD CHAMPION Pittsburgh Pirates are probably a record of sorts. As Blyleven wanders into earshot, Scheinblum says, "Of course, I feel very strongly that a person born in a foreign country should not be allowed to play in the major leagues.". Blyleven mingled easily with the other parents. 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. Given another five years of success, Blyleven will have Hall of Fame credentials. You've got to be kidding. Blyleven's curve breaks so quickly and so far that some batters swear they can hear it change direction. His breaking ball was literally untouchable. window.". People in and out the game lauded Blyleven for having the games best curveball, but he was also temperamental. (Thanks, Ron, wherever you are.) Blyleven, just 19, was called up to replace him. 1971 TOPPS # 26 BERT BLYLEVEN NICE CARD. Koufax combined his rising fast ball with an overhand 12-6 curveball that embarrassed hitters. Julio Franco, who had been arrested the previous winter for possession of a gun without a permit, received a toy pistol. Maye hit it out of the park. Call it sunspots for all I care, it ain't run support. 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. Bert Blyleven timeline: A lifetime of baseball - Star Tribune [5] One of seven children, his parents anglicized their names to Joe and Jenny, with Rik Aalbert becoming simply "Bert". On the second-to-last weekend of the season, the Indian players had a little party to adjourn their kangaroo court. Contact SABR, LnRiLWhlYWRpbmcuaGFzLWJhY2tncm91bmR7cGFkZGluZzowfQ==, LnRiLWZpZWxke21hcmdpbi1ib3R0b206MC43NmVtfS50Yi1maWVsZC0tbGVmdHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOmxlZnR9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1jZW50ZXJ7dGV4dC1hbGlnbjpjZW50ZXJ9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1yaWdodHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOnJpZ2h0fS50Yi1maWVsZF9fc2t5cGVfcHJldmlld3twYWRkaW5nOjEwcHggMjBweDtib3JkZXItcmFkaXVzOjNweDtjb2xvcjojZmZmO2JhY2tncm91bmQ6IzAwYWZlZTtkaXNwbGF5OmlubGluZS1ibG9ja311bC5nbGlkZV9fc2xpZGVze21hcmdpbjowfQ==, 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, https://sabr.org/sites/default/files/Blyleven-Bert.png, /wp-content/uploads/2020/02/sabr_logo.png, an eight-hit, complete-game victory, 7-1, on October 5. Or 40 percent. The stuff, and no nonsense - Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com Arguments for inducting Bert Blyleven into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Then theres Blyleven. Most people familiar with Blyleven's case for the HOF know that he stands fifth all-time in strikeouts. Communication. Chris Bando, who loves pizza, was given an almost-empty pizza box. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1971 Topps Bert Blyleven #26 Rookie Minnesota Twins at the best online prices at eBay! 1971 Topps Bert Blyleven #26 Rookie Minnesota Twins | eBay And he was still a workhorse, completing 24 games in 1985, the last AL pitcher to top 20. Lets back up for a second. She says, "So now we'll have two.". That's why he gave up so many solo shots late in games - he was throwing his pitch with a comfortable lead and didn't care if the batter knew it was coming. in "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second 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. Monte tried to throw a curve, and something in his elbow snapped. He says, "Mister Paul and Mister Seghi [Mister?] Upon his return, he was plagued by chronic stomach ulcers and a torn rotator cuff. 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. The list of 1-0 CG SHO, required the Play Index. 5.0. 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. Roberto Alomar, Pat Gillick and Bert Blyleven on stage during a press conference during the 2011 Hall of Fame Weekend. How fast, in miles per hour, a ball was hit by a batter. But bleep them. "It was nice of him to come anyway," says Blyleven. The evening is winding down, and there are only a few more souvenirs left to be auctioned. He also won a World Series in 1979 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. That was where I learned to throw and control the pitch.. In the last part of his careerhis second go-around in Minnesota and his final seasons in Californiahe came out eight games ahead. He's fifth on the active list in shutouts, sixth in strikeouts, eighth in victories and eighth in innings pitched. Yes, he rubbed up his hands, went down for the bat, and it wasn't there!". Fine pitchers, but a definite step down from what had come before. 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 . Normally a guy entering the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot with 287 wins is pretty impressive. The Pirates won the World Series in 1979 and Blyleven went 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in the Fall Classic after throwing a complete game in Game 3 of the NLCS. Rik Aalbert Blyleven was born in Zeist, a municipality in Utrecht, Netherlands, the son of Johannes Cornelius and Jannigje Blijleven. Blyleven was one of baseball's most notorious dugout pranksters during his playing days. Who the hell wanted this old-timer in the HOF anyways? Enough to make your knees buckle. He won fewer games than he should have, right? So close he might hang for No. He is very much at ease on the podium as he describes various raffle prizes, calls off winning numbers and awards golf trophies. Even alone Blyleven is a terror, whether he's giving a hotfoot, tying clothes in knots, cutting neckties or pulling down McMahon's pants. That year, he pitched 293.2 innings and completed 24 games, a feat that has not been repeated since. [29] During a 2006 broadcast, Blyleven forgot the name of the movie and had to be reminded of it by a technician in the broadcast booth. ", Not only does Blyleven pitch for the Indians, he actually likes being an Indian. He knows how to pitch. They have a right to act any way they like.". Only 16 other pitchers have at least 3,000 career strikeouts. A Tom Murphy autographed glove. . Blyleven went to the California Angels in 1989 and pitched a 2.73 ERA for a 175 record in his first season; he led the league for his third and final time in shutouts (5). Bert Blyleven's Top 10 moments - MLB.com [27], On September 2, 2020, Blyleven broadcast his final game for the Twins.[28]. "Golf is my life," Anthony keeps saying. 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. There were players rolling around on the floor, laughing. Tom Waddell. Let's look at some of the names. Then theres the guy with six straight 20-win seasons (Fergie Jenkins) and the pitcher with eight 20-win seasons (Jim Palmer). He really helped the 1976 Rangers make a run for the pennant. But since no one close to 280 wins showed up after Blyleven, it helped him rise up over the years. That may not mean much to you, but Ron Theobald is the only man in baseball history to go into the on-deck circle without his bat. (Lou Sauritch/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) Shop At which point Richie Scheinblum yells across the room to his wife, "We already have a Koufax ball!" Terry Kennedy was a young player with St. Louis. "I thank the baseball writers of America for, I'm going to say, finally getting it right. "I have here a ball autographed by Sandy Koufax, a pretty fair pitcher. Mary Scheinblum bids $150; do I hear $175?" Brian yeah, if you look at pre-1920 guys its really nuts. The Baseball Analysts: Optimal Fastball-Changeup Speed Separation Especially back in those days, a pitchers win-loss record really mattered. "The guys who were real cheap during the season got real cheap gifts," he says. He played three seasons for the California Angels before retiring. Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt became something of an expert on the curveball during his career. Jump is a Statcast metric that shows which players have "There's not a lot of dropoff in his stuff. But nobody really cared. Nicknamed "the Barber," Sal Maglie commanded the corners of the plate as well as any pitcher in the history of baseball. The Mets got from the Braves Willie Montaez and from the Rangers Tom Grieve and Ken Henderson who was sent to New York to complete the transaction three months later on March 15, 1978. The Pirates won by the same score in Game 5 of the World Series, as Blyleven earned the decision with four shutout innings of relief. His fastball overpowered hitters and was clearly the pitch he relied on most heavily. 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. Escape Velocity takes the average of a player's batted ball velocities subtracted from 88. This likely hurt him in the early Cooperstown voting. That, of course, would belong to Sandy Koufax. From 1984-89, he went 95-71 with a 115 ERA+. He got him to fly out. Others will call it pitching to the score. That just leaves the years in his apparent prime, from 1970-77, when he won 17 fewer games than youd expect. Its that second wind that makes his career numbers impressive. So did Steve Busby, Jeff Conine, Bill Singer, John Smiley, and Ron Fairly. He's being serious, although whimsy soon bubbles to the surface. A batted ball with the perfect combination of exit Other; Seller feedback (2,522,561) s***c (1508 . Blyleven has always had trouble with his name. The kids see how hard he works. Weve already figured out what Blylevens record should be based on pythaging his RA/9IP and league-average run support. "O.K., we've got a golf bag and a dozen balls. He won 287 games, 27th-most all-time, and pitched 4,970 innings, 14th-most all-time. xBA measures the likelihood that a batted ball will 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. The likelihood, in percent, that an outfielder will be Blessed with one of the greatest curveballs the game has ever seen, Blyleven stands among the elite in several statistical categories, ranking fifth all-time in strikeouts (3,701), ninth in games started (685) and shutouts (60), and 24th in wins (287). [21] In 2009, he gained only two votes, for a total of 338, 62.7%. [2] From 1996 to 2020, he was a color analyst for Minnesota Twins television broadcasts.[3]. A Pirate fan friend named Mike Emeigh told me about Blylevens early-1980 walkout. Blyleven was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2011 after receiving 79.7% of the vote on his 14th attempt. For years he thought his first name was Rikaalbert. A Batted Ball Event represents any batted ball that He must have had terrible run support. 1. "Bert got six of mine last year," says DiBiasio. Blyleven got so upset with his role in Pittsburgh that he walked out on the Pirates for 10 days early in 1980. Two words Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson used to describe Bert Blyleven's curveball: "nasty" and "knee-buckling.". "Hello, ball," he says, in homage to Art Carney as Ed Norton. "He knows how to finish a game now," says Indian pitching coach Don McMahon. Blyleven method: work hard, laugh harder - Orange County Register Communication. He keeps a collection of baseball memorabilia in his study. No two curveballs have the same rotation speed, velocity toward the hitter, arm delivery angle, or break. "Thanks everyone for coming, and good night. In 22 seasons, Blyleven had more than 3,700 career strikeouts, including more than 2,000 of those in 11 seasons with the Twins. Thanks for the link at WGOM, by the way. He always goes out and buys me a new one. Bert knew what had happened right away and got Monte's elbow in a bucket of ice. "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. It's like the fellow at the golf tournament said. Please note the delivery estimate is greater than 13 business days. Yet last year was the first time he ever got a vote for the Cy Young Award. Add in assorted aces Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, Catfish Hunter, Mickey Lolich, Luis Tiant, and thats some list. After just 21 minor league starts, he found himself called up to the Majors at age 19 on June 2, 1970. Naturally, he sinks all the birdie putts. One of his trademarks was circling fans with the telestrator on screen. In 2007, Blyleven's total dipped to 47.7% (75% is the minimum required for admission to the Hall). Blyleven said the Twins then played on the road in Detroit and there was a Twins fan with a sign, asking to be circled. 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. 1974 Topps Baseball #98 Bert Blyleven Minnesota Twins V.g. ++ (Free Neal Heaton got a Gourmet Nosepicker. "Brought it in from Cleveland," comes the host's reply. There are 16 names, but only one 300-game winner. But Gossage and Sutter are relievers, and the Hall is still trying to figure them out. Phone: 602.496.1460 play. I know this sounds terrible, but who does Bert pitch for these days?". 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. Go figure. Statcast refers to the spin that contributes to movement 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. You've got work to do. Looking it up, in his 37 starts, the Twins scored 151 runs, 4.1/game. But he did. Here he is, a workhorse with superlative ERAs and a world-renown curveball, but he only made the All-Star team twice, in 1973 and 1985. Blyleven received only 17.55% of the vote for Hall of Fame admission in 1998 (his first year of eligibility), and his vote total dropped to 14.1% in 1999. 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. Blyleven, Bert | Baseball Hall of Fame Before the game Blyleven went over to the lineup card and changed the spelling of his name from "Blylevan." If you enjoyed it, consider subscribing to Baseball Prospectus. He earned the moniker "Frying Dutchman" by frequently setting fire to his teammates' shoelaces, a practical joke known as a "hot foot". Esteban Loaiza made two. And let's not forget the classic knee-buckling curveball that has made countless hitters look foolish. This weekend the Hall of Fame will have its annual induction ceremony, and sabermetric darling Bert Blyleven will finally get his well-earned plaque put on display. 1979 - Blyleven goes 12-5 on 37 starts and the Pirates win the World Series. He currently ranks 5th all-time in strikeouts, 9th all-time in shutouts, and 27th all-time in wins. The Twins responded by trading him to the Texas Rangers.