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It’s Monday, Athletics Nation.
Sunday was a sad day for A’s fans and all of Major League Baseball. Legendary A’s starter Vida Blue died at the age of 73 per the A’s and the Blue family.
A statement from the family of Vida Blue. pic.twitter.com/uZEWRyzIAV
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) May 7, 2023
No cause of death was disclosed, though Blue had been dealing with unspecified health issues per Matt Kawahara at the San Francisco Chronicle.
Blue was among the franchise’s all-time great starting pitchers. He was a key part of the dynastic A’s rotation in the 70s, winning 20 or more games in three of the A’s five consecutive AL West winning campaigns from 1971-75.
Blue’s 1971 rookie season made him the stuff of legend at the age of 21. He threw over 300 innings, struck out over 300 batters, won the AL Cy Young award, and became the youngest league MVP in baseball’s modern era.
The A’s have had many great pitchers through the Oakland era, but none have matched the dominance that Blue exhibited in that ‘71 season—not even teammate and legendary Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter.
Blue should be right next to Hunter in the Hall of Fame. Both won multiple championships and pitched over 3,000 career regular season innings. They had nearly identical lifetime ERAs (Hunter 3.26, Blue 3.27), but Blue’s lifetime fWAR exceeded Hunter’s by a dozen and he struck out over 400 more batters than the revered Catfish. Blue was the first pitcher ever to have started an All-Star game for both the AL and NL.
Another great A’s pitcher was among many honoring Blue yesterday:
Vida Blue rest in peace, my mentor, hero, and friend. I remember watching a 19 year old phenom dominate baseball, and at the same time alter my life. There are no words for what you have meant to me and so many others. My heart goes out to the Blue family
— Dave “Smoke” Stewart (@Dsmoke34) May 7, 2023
Blue was traded to the Giants in 1978 and played most of his remaining career on the other side of the bay, where he was also honored on Sunday.
Moment of silence here for Vida pic.twitter.com/xTsRFFp4q7
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) May 7, 2023
Blue was on hand and in good spirits at the recent 1973 World Series Championship reunion at the Coliseum. That occasion has become all the more poignant now that we know it was a goodbye of sorts for Blue.
I’m very happy Uncle Vida made the 1973 World Series champions reunion in Oakland a few weeks ago before he passed. He’s next to Reggie with the walking stick. Those 70s A’s team were a special group yo. ✊ pic.twitter.com/UihK4LLWrX
— Mayor of Randy Land Reiderson (@ChipReiderson) May 7, 2023
Athletics Nation honors the late, great, legendary Vida Blue! Rest in peace and power.
A’s Coverage:
- Nico: Eyeball Scout Report On Players Worth Analyzing
- Toster:A’s can’t sweep, fall 5-1 to Royals
- Kawahara: Vida Blue, former ace of the A’s and Giants in the ’70s, dies at 73 ($)
- Poole: Remembering Vida Blue, Oakland’s first Superman pitcher
- Shea: Watch A’s Esteury Ruiz as new rules put MLB stolen-base records in play ($)
- Castillo: Miller building momentum after solid outing vs. Royals
MLB News & Interest:
- Polishuk: Ryan Yarbrough Leaves Game After Line Drive To The Face
- Hampton: Cardinals To Shift Willson Contreras Off Catcher
- Polishuk: Eloy Jimenez To Miss 4-To-6 Weeks After Undergoing Appendectomy
- Shea and Slusser: Giants look like candidates for possible 2024 Field of Dreams game ($)
- Ardaya and Lin: Sources: Dodgers, Padres might have series in Korea in 2024 ($)
- Today in Baseball History
Best of Twitter:
No more words. Just Vida Blue.
Players in MLB history to have all of the following in their career:
— Greg Harvey (@BetweenTheNums) May 7, 2023
- MVP
- Cy Young Award
- 3+ WS Titles
- 200+ Wins
Vida Blue. That’s it.
RIP ❤️ pic.twitter.com/qjaZlGg4eP
A statement from the family of Vida Blue. pic.twitter.com/uZEWRyzIAV
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) May 7, 2023
A statement from the Oakland A's on the passing of Vida Blue. pic.twitter.com/fAMIU7MHCO
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) May 7, 2023
We mourn the passing of Vida Blue, a Cy Young, MVP and three-time World Series winner. He was 73. pic.twitter.com/dTJScoMstO
— MLB (@MLB) May 7, 2023
Rest In Peace to all time Oakland A’s legend Vida Blue.
— Amazin’ A’s Craze (@AmazinAsCraze) May 7, 2023
Vida was a 3 time World Series Champ, 6 x All Star, Cy Young award winner, and MVP. pic.twitter.com/qippUY9VnL
We are heartbroken. Vida Blue was a mythical figure. An otherworldly talent with a tongue just as sharp as that hammer. A heroes hero. Vida will be missed dearly. I know he hung on for that last anniversary celebration like the absolute gamer he was.
— Dallas Braden (@DALLASBRADEN209) May 7, 2023
Rest easy Mr. Blue. pic.twitter.com/qO2wjO1nxk
A’s assistant GM Billy Owens on Vida Blue: “Loved and idolized Vida. Truly one of the first great Superstars of Oakland A’s Baseball. A 6-year-old me received 2 baseballs from Vida in the bleachers of Candlestick Park. It was truly an honor to meet and thank him decades later.”
— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) May 7, 2023
My favorite Vida story was how one year Charlie Finley didn’t give him a raise but gave him a gas card. So Vida would go fill up and then let everyone else at the station use the card, too. https://t.co/fVZXGOdeWp
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) May 7, 2023
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