Vida Blue, legendary Oakland A’s pitcher in the ’70s, dies at 73
Vida Blue #VidaBlue
Vida Blue, the legendary left-handed pitcher who was a key member of the Oakland A’s dynasty of the early 1970s, died Saturday night at the age of 73.
The A’s on Sunday confirmed his death but did not reveal any further details.
“There are few players with a more decorated career than Vida Blue,” the A’s said in a statement. “He was a three-time champion, an MVP, a six-time all-star, a Cy Young Award winner, and an Oakland A’s Hall of Famer. Vida will always be a franchise legend and a friend. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends during this arduous time.”
A 17-year major leaguer, Blue was regarded as one of the hardest throwers in the game and was a member of the A’s team that won three straight World Series championships from 1972-74. Blue, who was born and grew up in Louisiana, was selected by the Athletics, then based in Kansas City, in the second round of the 1967 draft and debuted as a 19-year-old in 1969. In September 1970, he tossed a nine-strikeout no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins, 10 days after one-hitting the Kansas City Royals.
His 1971 season was one of the best in baseball history. Blue compiled a 24-8 record with a 1.82 ERA and 0.95 WHIP over 312 innings. He threw complete games in 24 of his 39 starts with eight shutouts and was both the American League Cy Young and AL MVP winner. At 22 he was youngest to win the MVP in the 20th century.
Limited to 25 games in 1972 because of a contract dispute with A’s owner Charlie Finley, Blue worked mostly out of the bullpen during the postseason. He took the loss in Game 6 of the World Series against Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine, but Oakland went on to win Game 7 and capture the franchise’s first championship since the Philadelphia A’s beat the St. Louis Cardinals in 1930.
With their relationship on the rocks, Finley tried to sell Blue’s contract to the Yankees and then attempted to trade him to the Reds in moves that were vetoed by commissioner Bowie Kuhn. Finally, in 1978, Finley traded to Blue across the bay to the San Francisco Giants in a seven-player move. He spent 1978-81 in San Francisco and 1982-83 in Kansas City. During that time he battled alcohol and drug addiction, drawing a year-long suspension in 1984. He was one of four members of the 1983 Royals who pleaded guilty to federal cocaine charges and served prison terms of about three months. He made a comeback with the Giants in 1985 and retired after the 1986 season.
“It’s not embarrassing, but it tarnished my image,” Blue told The Post in 2021. “Not that I was squeaky clean. I didn’t have a halo and [stuff], but I had a reputation of being a respectable, reputable person. I worked my tail off to polish that image back up and renew the name Vida Blue Jr. But it’s a constant battle to do that every day.”
From ‘The Nine’: Vida Blue wears his battle scars
Blue was on the Hall of Fame Ballot from 1992-95, gaining at most 8.7 percent of the 75 percent needed for induction, always believing that his drug problems kept him from the Hall.
“Dammmmn. And I blew it,” he told The Post. “That Hall of Fame thing, that’s something that I can honestly, openly say I wish I was a Hall of Famer. And I know for a fact this drug thing impeded my road to the Hall of Fame — so far.”
Dave Stewart, himself a former A’s ace during a dynastic era, tweeted Sunday, “[R]est 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.”
Mark Gubicza, the Los Angeles Angels’ color analyst and a former Royals and Angels pitcher, replied, “Smoke, I’m so sorry for the loss of your friend. I can still see his smile right now. I loved running into him at spring training games over the years in Arizona and he made me feel as if we were playing catch a day ago. Such a great person.” Blue “touched lives,” Stewart told Gubicza. “He was an example of why we wake up, to touch people!”
Blue finished with a 209-161 record and 3.27 ERA in over 3,300 innings in a career that ran from 1969-86. He had three 20-win seasons and finished in the top seven of Cy Young voting five times. Four times, he received MVP votes. He was the first pitcher in history to start the All-Star Game for both leagues (1971 with A’s and 1978 with Giants).