Books and articles about Bert Blyleven

Possessing the premier curveball of his era, Bert Blyleven carved out a great career despite frequent accusations of underachievement. Born in the Netherlands, Blyleven was raised in Southern California; his father piqued his interest in baseball by taking him to see Sandy Koufax pitch for the Dodgers. After just 21 minor-league starts, Blyleven was called up by the Twins on June 2, 1970. At the age of 19, he was the youngest player in the majors. He gave up a home run to the first batter he faced, Lee May, but Blyleven settled down to win the first of ten victories and went on to be named AL Rookie Pitcher of the Year by the Sporting News.

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Blyleven's arsenal actually featured two curveballs -- a "roundhouse" and an "overhand drop" -- both of which were gripped across the seams, like his fastball. "I know that Koufax and Bob Feller held both pitches the same way," said Blyleven late in his career. "But I don't know of anyone else who does." Balanced by a full follow-through, Blyleven's vicious curve was among the best in baseball for nearly twenty years.

Unfortunately, Blyleven's stellar years early in his career coincided with the collapse of an aging Minnesota club. Despite six straight years of better than 200 strikeouts and five of 15 or more wins with poor teams (in 1971, the Twins scored just 18 runs in his 15 losses) more was expected of him. Critics often contended that Blyleven was more interested in padding his strikeout totals than helping his team.

In response, Blyleven became increasingly resentful. He once greeted Twins fans at Metropolitan Stadium with a sarcastic salute and became even more vocal about his desire to leave after Twins owner Calvin Griffith refused to meet his salary demands in the spring of 1976. On June 1, he was sent to the Texas Rangers with Danny Thompson for Bill Singer, Roy Smalley, Mike Cubbage, Jim Gideon, and $250,000. After the deal, the Twins drastically improved, passing Blyleven's new club by the end of July and finishing just five games out of first place in the AL West.

Blyleven pitched well enough in his first year with the Rangers (8-11, 2.76 ERA), ending the season with a no-hitter against California on September 22, 1977 in Blyleven's first start in over two weeks after being sidelined with a pulled groin. He aggravated the injury in the eighth inning but managed to finish off the Angels in the ninth throwing nothing but curveballs -- the pitch that hurt the least.

He and John Milner were traded to the Pirates for Al Oliver and Nelson Norman in another blockbuster deal on December 8, 1977, the first four-team trade in major-league history. In 1978, Blyleven led the team in ERA (3.02), strikeouts (182) and complete games; he also had the most RBI (11) of any pitcher on the staff.

Despite helping Pittsburgh to its 1979 World Series win, Blyleven became increasingly unhappy with manager Chuck Tanner's strategy of going to the bullpen in close games. Tanner never hesitated to employ either of his closers -- righty Kent Tekulve or lefty Grant Jackson -- when the game was on the line. As a result, even though the durable Blyleven again led the team in innings pitched, 1979 marked the first full season in which he failed to record at least eleven complete games, finishing the season with just four. Openly admitting his pursuit of statistical goals, Blyleven announced his intention to retire on April 30, 1980 unless he was traded. After being placed on the disqualified list, Blyleven agreed to rejoin the Pirates May 13, but the slender righthander was virtually given away to Cleveland in a six-player deal on December 9, 1980.

A severe elbow injury sidelined Blyleven for most of 1982. Unable to throw his curve with the same frequency as he was accustomed to, he struggled in 1983 but rebounded with one of his best seasons (19-7, 2.87) in 1984, using an improved changeup. He might have had a chance for the Cy Young (instead awarded to the Tigers' Willie Hernandez) had he not been pitching for the sixth-place Indians or if he had not missed three weeks with a freak foot injury suffered after stepping on a ball in the outfield during a pre-game workout. Nevertheless, Blyleven was unhappy playing for the perennially pathetic Indians and forced a trade back to Minnesota in 1985.

His ERA skyrocketed in the Metrodome, but Blyleven continued to accumulate wins and strikeouts. His presence also helped with the development of the Twins' young starters, such as future Cy Young Award winner Frank Viola. Blyleven maintained a strikeout-to-walk ratio of nearly 3 to 1 while passing the 3,000-strikeout mark in 1986, the same year his eighth AL season with 200 or more strikeouts established a league record.

Never afraid to throw strikes, Blyleven surrendered a major-league-record 50 homers in 1986 (including a club-record five in one game against Texas) and a league-high 46 in 1987. "The year I gave up 50, I think 42 were solo," Blyleven later recalled. "One time I gave up five in one game, but we won, 11-7. Big deal -- I'm just not going to walk anybody."

Indeed, Blyleven had 196 strikeouts in 1987 -- his ninth season of 15 or more wins (15-12) -- and turned in outstanding performances in postseason play, winning twice in the LCS and once in the World Series.

After a mediocre 1988 season for the Twins, Blyleven moved on to the Angels and went 17-5 with a 2.73 ERA in 1989, winning the AL Comeback Player of the Year Award. Leading the AL with five shutouts in '89, he finished the 1980s as the active career leader in that category and trailed only all-time leader Nolan Ryan among active players in strikeouts. (Like Ryan, Blyleven credited his longevity to "healthy legs.") After a mediocre 1990 with the Angels (8-7, 5.24) Blyleven underwent rotator-cuff surgery again and missed the entire 1991 season. During the year, he made a cameo appearance in the feature film Taking Care of Business. He retired after going 8-12 with a 4.74 ERA in 1992.

Even though he wasn't likely to be enshrined in Cooperstown Blyleven quipped that "I know I've got a lock on the Dutch Hall of Fame." Not surprisingly, Blyleven fell far short of the votes needed for election to the Hall in 1998, his first year of eligibility. He became a full-time color commentator for the Twins in 1996. (ME/JGR)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » June 5, 1970: In a sign of things to come, Minnesota rookie Bert Blyleven gives up a homer to the first batter he faces in the majors, Lee Maye. Blyleven settles down and allows just four more hits in seven innings and beats Washington, 2–1. Blyleven was brought up from Evansville (AA) to replace the injured Tiant. » September 16, 1970: Clyde Wright joins Dean Chance (1964) as the Angels 2nd twenty-game winner as he beats the Twins, 5–1. Bert Blyleven, 19-year old rookie, ties an American League record by striking out the first six batters. He strikes out 10 in six 2/3 innings. » July 31, 1972: Dick Allen becomes the first player since 1950 (Hank Thompson) to hit two inside-the-park homers in a game. Minnesota's Bert Blyleven is on the mound in the first and the 5th when Allen connects past Danny Darwin in CF. Chicago wins, 8–1 behind Stan Bahnsen, with Allen driving in five with his homers. » May 24, 1973: The Twins Bert Blyleven one hits the Royals to win, 2–0. Ed Kirkpatrick's bunt single in the 5th is the only hit. » September 26, 1973: The Twins Bert Blyleven posts his 2nd one-hitter of the season, beating the A's 4–1. Angel Mangual's single in the 5th is the only hit. » July 4, 1974: Toby Harrah's 3rd inning homer is the only hit for Texas, as Bert Blyleven and Twins win, 3–1. » August 27, 1975: The Twins Craig Kusick ties the major-league record by being hit with pitches three times in a game, an 11-inning 1–0 win over the Brewers. Bert Blyleven goes the distance for the win. » June 1, 1976: The Twins trade P Bert Blyleven and SS Danny Thompson to the Rangers for P Bill Singer, SS Roy Smalley, 3B Mike Cubbage, and $250,000. Thompson will die of leukemia on December 10. » June 21, 1976: Bert Blyleven hurls a one-hit shutout as the Rangers edge the A's, 1–0. On the 26th, Blyleven will pitch another 1-0, one-hit victory, beating the White Sox in 10 innings. » September 20, 1976: The Angels Nolan Ryan outduels Rangers Bert Blyleven, 1–0. » September 22, 1977: Bert Blyleven pitches a no-hitter as the Rangers beat the Angels 6–0. Blyleven (14-12) walks one. Blyleven, who grew up two miles from the Angels' Anaheim Stadium and owns a restaurant nearby, fans seven including the side in the 7th inning. Paul Hartzell gives up 12 hits in losing. » December 8, 1977: The Rangers engineer a series of deals with the Braves, Mets, and Pirates, unloading a total of six players and getting three in return. Among those involved are 1B Willie Montanez (to New York), Bert Blyleven (Pittsburgh), and Al Oliver (Texas). » June 14, 1978: Bob Horner signs with the Braves for an estimated $175,000 bonus. Two days later he will celebrate his ML debut with a home run off Bert Blyleven of the Pirates. » December 9, 1980: The Pirates trade P Bert Blyleven and C Manny Sanguillen to the Indians for P Bob Owchinko, P Victor Cruz, C Gary Alexander, and minor league P Rafael Vasquez. » May 6, 1981: Cleveland's Bert Blyleven holds Toronto hitless for eight innings before Lloyd Moseby doubles to lead off the 9th, and Blyleven settles for a 4–1 two-hitter. » June 14, 1985: Cleveland's Bert Blyleven notches his 200th career win, a 5–1 complete game against Oakland. » August 1, 1985: The Indians trade veteran P Bert Blyleven to the Twins for OF Jim Weaver, P Curt Wardle, and SS Jay Bell. » July 18, 1986: Against Baltimore's Scott McGregor, the Twins first two batters -- Kirby Puckett and Gary Gaetti -- hit homers Puckett adds another to help the Twins to a 7–3 win. Bert Blyleven is the winner. » August 1, 1986: Minnesota's Bert Blyleven fires a 2-hitter and strikes out a club-record 15 batters to become the 10th pitcher with 3,000 career strikeouts. Kirby Puckett hits for the cycle to lead the Twins to a romp 10–1 over the A's. » September 13, 1986: The Rangers set a club record with seven home runs in a 14–1 rout of Minnesota. Five of the home runs come off Twins starter Bert Blyleven, who will yield a ML-record 50 this season. » September 29, 1986: Cleveland 2B Jay Bell becomes the 9th player in history to hit a home run on the first ML pitch he sees, but the Indians fall to the Twins, 6–5. Bell tolls his home run off Bert Blyleven, for whom Bell, along with two other players, had been traded the previous year. Bell's dinger is the 47th of the season against Blyleven, breaking the major-league record of 46 home runs allowed by Robin Roberts in 1956. Blyleven will end the year with 50 gophers. » October 8, 1987: Minnesota wins again as Bert Blyleven beats the Bengals ace Jack Morris 6–3. » October 18, 1987: The Twins win their 2nd straight World Series game 8–4, tallying seven runs in the 4th inning. Bush's bases loaded double is the inning's big blow to back Bert Blyleven's seven innings of solid pitching. » October 22, 1987: Danny Cox gives the Redbirds a 4–2 victory in game 5. Ford singles off Bert Blyleven with the sacks full in the 6th to break a scoreless tie. » April 22, 1988: Cory Snyder and Joe Carter hit grand slams to power the Indians to a 11–6 win over the Twins. Twins P Bert Blyleven hits a ML record-tying four Cleveland batsmen before departing. » May 23, 1988: Danny Tartabull, who hit an IPHR against Bert Blyleven last October, does it again in the Metrodome. The Twins hang on for a 7–5 win over KC. Bert also served up a pair of IPHR to Bernie Allen in the dome in 1972, his only other IPHRs at Minnesota. » June 19, 1988: Bert Blyleven wins his 250th career game as Minnesota beats Seattle 3–1. Jeff Reardon picks up his 20th save of the season, giving him seven straight 20-save seasons. » July 8, 1988: In game with the Angels, Cleveland's Bud Black hits Jack Howell, Devon White, and Johnny Ray with pitches in the 4th inning of a 10–6 loss, tying the ML record. Bert Blyleven will match him in September. » September 28, 1988: In a 5–2 loss to Oakland, Minnesota's Bert Blyleven plunks three batters in the 2nd inning to tie a ML record. » November 3, 1988: Veteran pitcher Bert Blyleven changes clubs for the 5th time, going from the Twins to the Angels for a package of minor leaguers. » April 21, 1990: California's Bert Blyleven lasts just four innings, allowing seven runs in an 8–0 loss to Minnesota. Blyleven allows nine hits, including homers to Kent Hrbek and Randy Bush. He's now reached the 400 mark in gopher balls, 7th on the all-time list. West is the winner with help from Candelaria. » July 8, 1990: Losing 7–0 to California in the 3rd, the Brewers score 20 unanswered runs, including 13 in the 5th, to win. This is the biggest swing of runs since 1980 and will not be topped in the 90s. Looking for his 279th win, Bert Blyleven starts for the Angels but never makes it out of the 4th. He'll win only once more the rest of the year. » September 29, 1992: Royals P Dennis Rasmussen (4–0) hurls a one-hit, 2–0 shutout over the Angels. Damion Easley's leadoff single in the 4th inning is the only California hit. Bert Blyleven takes the loss, serving up a 2-run gopher to Mike MacFarlane. » October 4, 1992: Juan Gonzalez has three hits, including his American League-high 43rd homer, one better than Mark McGwire, to pace the Rangers to 9–5 win over California. Dean Palmer also homers, both coming off Bert Blyleven, to help Kevin Brown win his 21st. » September 4, 2002: Aaron Myette, ejected yesterday for two pitches behind Melvin Mora, starts today's game, allowing six of the 11 walks in an 8–3 loss to Baltimore. According to the New York Times, it is the first back to back start by a pitcher since Steve McCatty in 1980 [though five pitchers -- Dennis Martinez (Baltimore), Bert Blyleven (Cleveland), Pete Vuckovich (Milwaukee), Rick Langford (Oakland), and Juan Eichelberger (San Diego) -- made the last start before the 1981 strike and the first start after].