Bert Blyleven
Bert Blyleven | |
---|---|
Zeist, Netherlands | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
June 5, 1970, for the Minnesota Twins | |
Last MLB appearance | |
October 4, 1992, for the California Angels | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 287–250 |
Earned run average | 3.31 |
Strikeouts | 3,701 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Member of the National | |
Baseball Hall of Fame | |
Induction | 2011 |
Vote | 79.7% (14th ballot) |
Rik Aalbert Blyleven (born Blijleven, April 6, 1951) is a Dutch-American former professional baseball
Blyleven made his major league debut at age 19 for the Twins. In the middle of the 1976 season, he was traded to the
Blyleven became the first Dutch-born player to earn induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Early life
Rik Aalbert Blyleven was born in Zeist, a municipality in Utrecht, Netherlands, the son of Johannes Cornelius and Jannigje Blijleven.[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.[5] One of seven children, his parents anglicized their names to Joe and Jenny, with Rik Aalbert becoming simply "Bert".
He became interested in baseball as a young boy watching Sandy Koufax pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers and listening to Vin Scully and Jerry Doggett announce the Dodgers' radio broadcasts. Blyleven was quoted as saying, "My dad built me a mound in the backyard with a canvas backdrop over our horseshoe pits, and I would go back there and just throw and throw and throw until I developed it, and it became my curveball. And I could throw it over at any time, any count."[6]
Career
Blyleven starred on the Santiago High School baseball team, also running cross country to build up his stamina and leg strength. He was drafted out of high school by the Minnesota Twins in the third round in 1969. After just 21 minor league starts, he found himself called up to the Majors at age 19 on June 2, 1970. In his first season, his sharp curveball helped him to ten victories, and he was named AL Rookie Pitcher of the Year by The Sporting News. In 1973, he pitched nine shutouts, the most of any AL pitcher that season.
However, Blyleven's early career with the Twins was not always pleasant as he was hounded by critics and fans.
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. The Pirates also acquired John Milner from the Mets. The Rangers received Al Oliver and Nelson Norman from the Pirates and Jon Matlack from the Mets. Adrian Devine, Tommy Boggs and Eddie Miller were traded from the Rangers to the Braves. The Mets got from the Braves Willie Montañez 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.[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. His 20 no decisions in 1979 are the most by an MLB starting pitcher in a season, dating back to at least 1908.[13]
Blyleven became disgruntled with the Pirates and threatened to retire during the
Blyleven's first two full seasons back with the Twins produced major league records for home runs allowed in a single season (50) and in back-to-back seasons (96). He never surrendered more than 24 home runs in any year before, and after the 1986–87 campaigns, he averaged 21 allowed homers per season over the course of his career.
Blyleven went to the California Angels in 1989 and pitched a 2.73 ERA for a 17–5 record in his first season; he led the league for his third and final time in shutouts (5). Blyleven missed the entire 1991 season following rotator cuff surgery. He came back in 1992 but was mostly unproductive, going 8–12 with a 4.74 ERA. He retired following that season with a career 287–250 record with 3,701 strikeouts and a 3.31 ERA. Only 16 other pitchers have at least 3,000 career strikeouts. He tried out for the Twins again in the spring of 1993, but did not make the squad, which made his retirement official. He pitched for the MLB All-Stars in the 1993 World Port Tournament in Rotterdam.[citation needed]
Blyleven was a pitching coach for the Netherlands in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.[18] He returned in his role for 2013, 2017 and 2023.[2]
Honors
After his first year of
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. No player who had debuted on the ballot since 1970 had a vote total that low and later won election to the Hall. However, ESPN.com columnist Jayson Stark said, "No player has ever—and again, that word is 'ever'—had his Hall of Fame candidacy helped more by the sabermetrics boom than Blyleven."[20] Specifically, according to Welch, "the president and chief investment officer of Lederer & Associates Investment Counsel in Long Beach, California, a guy by the name of Rich Lederer, began spending some of his off-hours writing analysis on the Interwebs about Blyleven's overlooked case."[19]
By 2006, his total had increased to 53.33%. In 2007, Blyleven's total dipped to 47.7% (75% is the minimum required for admission to the Hall). In 2008, he received 336 votes, or 61.9% of the vote.[21] In 2009, he gained only two votes, for a total of 338, 62.7%. In 2010, Blyleven had 74.2% of the votes, missing admission to the Hall of Fame by only 5 votes (0.8%).[22]
Blyleven was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2011 after receiving 79.7% of the vote on his 14th attempt.[23] "It's been 14 years of praying and waiting," he said on a conference call from Fort Myers, Florida. "I thank the baseball writers of America for, I'm going to say, finally getting it right."[24] Blyleven was the first Dutch-born player inducted, and his Hall of Fame plaque depicts him with a Minnesota Twins cap.
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. On July 16, 2011, the Minnesota Twins formally retired Blyleven's number.[26]
In 2020, The Athletic ranked Blyleven at number 71 on its "Baseball 100" list, complied by sportswriter Joe Posnanski.[27]
Broadcasting career
In
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".[28]
On September 2, 2020, Blyleven broadcast his final game for the Twins.[29]
Personal life
He currently resides in Fort Myers, Florida.
Blyleven appeared as himself in the 1990
Blyleven was one of baseball's most notorious dugout pranksters during his playing days. He earned the moniker "Frying Dutchman" by frequently setting fire to his teammates' shoelaces, a practical joke known as a "hot foot". During his time with the Angels, the fire extinguisher in the team's clubhouse at Angel Stadium read: "In case of Blyleven: Pull".
Blyleven did not know his correct name until he was about to get married. He had thought all his life his given name was "Rikaalbert". He learned that his name actually was Rik Aalbert Blijleven after obtaining a copy of his birth certificate in order to get married.[31]
Career statistics
Category | W
|
L | PCT | ERA | G | GS | CG | SHO
|
SV | IP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | K | WP | HBP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | 287 | 250 | .534 | 3.31 | 692 | 685 | 242 | 60 | 0 | 4970 | 4632 | 1830 | 2029 | 430 | 1322 | 3701 | 114 | 155 |
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual shutout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career hit batsmen leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career shutout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
- List of World Series starting pitchers
References
- ^ staff, Naples Daily News. "Twins' Bert Blyleven, a Fort Myers resident, moves from broadcast booth". Naples News. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- ^ a b "HOFers have long history with World Baseball Classic". Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- ^ "Wednesday's game marked Bert Blyleven's last Twins broadcast". Twin Cities. September 2, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- ^ "Bert Blyleven – Society for American Baseball Research". Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- ^ Berkow, Ira (October 18, 1987). "Sports of The Times; Blyleven And His Beard". The New York Times.
- ^ -NY Times article – Alomar and Blyleven elected to hall of fame, 1/5/11
- ^ Bertie's fans get one-fingered farewell Archived October 19, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, Miami News, June 1, 1976
- ^ Kallestad, Brent (June 2, 1976). "Blyleven traded to Texas in six-player transaction". Lewiston Daily Sun. Maine. Associated Press. p. 20.
- ^ Historical Player Stats: Texas Rangers[permanent dead link]
- ^ Former Indians Blyleven, Alomar Elected to Hall of Fame, by Robert Gonzalez, at MLBcenter.com
- ^ Durso, Joseph. "Matlack, Milner Go In Four‐Team Trade," The New York Times, Friday, December 9, 1977. Retrieved April 30, 2020
- ^ Durso, Joseph. "Mets Get Ken Henderson, Outfielder, From Rangers," The New York Times, Thursday, March 16, 1978. Retrieved April 30, 2020
- ^ "From 1908 to 2018, Recorded no decision, as Starter, sorted by greatest number of games in a single season matching the selected criteria". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
- ^ Blyleven Walks Out, Wants Trade Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 1, 1980
- ^ Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven elected LA Times Retrieved May 1, 2011
- ^ Kiley, Mike (June 2, 1985). "Indians' Blyleven The Subject Of Angel Trade Talks". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Bert Blyleven Quotes
- ^ Steve Ginsburg (January 29, 2009). "Ponson to play for Netherlands in World Classic". Reuters. Retrieved January 29, 2009.
- ^ Reason
- ^ Stark, Jayson (December 31, 2010). "Bert Blyleven, Roberto Alomar so close". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 5, 2011.
- ^ The Official Site of Major League Baseball: News: Major League Baseball News
- ^ "Henderson, Rice elected to Hall of Fame". National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on January 23, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2009.
- ^ Blyleven Gets the Call From Cooperstown Archived January 9, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Star Tribune Retrieved May 1, 2011
- ^ Tyler Kepner,Alomar and Blyleven elected to Hall of Fame, New York Times, 1/5/11
- ^ Gallery – Blyleven inducted into Twins Hall of Fame Archived January 9, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Twins to immortalize Blyleven by retiring No. 28 MLB.com
- ^ Posnanski, Joe (January 16, 2020). "The Baseball 100: No. 71, Bert Blyleven". The Athletic.
- ^ "Virtual Magic: Bert Blyleven". Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- ^ Jacobsen, Jeremiah (September 2, 2020). "Longtime Twins broadcaster Bert Blyleven hangs up the mic". kare11.com. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ^ Taking Care of Business (1990)
- ^ Source: book Baseball—a Laughing Matter, by Warner Fusselle, Rick Wolff and Brian Zevnik of The Sporting News (1987)
Further reading
- Wulf, Steve (January 28, 1985). "Baseball's Dutch Treat". Sports Illustrated.
- Kepner, Tyler (January 6, 2011). "Blyleven Is the Hall of Fame's Merry Prankster". The New York Times.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Official website
- Bert Blyleven at the Baseball Hall of Fame
- Bert Blyleven at the SABR Baseball Biography Project
- Bert Blyleven at IMDb