Tuesday, January 19, 2016
#515 Bert Blyleven
Story of redemption, story of comebacks..... Minnesota
icon and HOFer....but not exactly a smooth relationship at times with the great north country...but time and a
WS ring heals wounds....Born in Holland....Teenage debut 1970...debut start against
Washington Senators June 5, 1970....gave up a lead off home run to Lee Maye but buckled down
got the win....chalked up 9 more win in rookie season...then started an ascendency peaking to 20 win in 1973.....had a
reputation as having the best curve ball in the game at the time....record would have been better with timely
Twins hitting....Even though Bert remained consistent in the Twin Cities he eventually
appeared to be frustrated with team and fans....gave fans a one finger salute
he walked off the field just prior to being traded to Texas....Pitching
consistently won 10 or more games from rookie season on to 10th....yet his good effort but diminished wins style resulted in travels took that him to Pittsburgh, and
Cleveland...ups (WS ring 1979, 19 wins 1984) and downs (missing nearly all of
1982 and struggling 1983) ....a late 1985 playoff push returns Bert to
Minnesota...paired with Frank Viola became the team’s 1-2 punch.... draw back
led AL in home run surrendered two years running....Took over Twins #2 starter
spot in the team’s improbable World Series win given their 85-78 1987 record...Burt
faulted in ‘88 losing 17 while only winning 10....Trade to Angels for 1989 rejuvenated
him, going 17-5 and garnering Comeback Player award....Alas Bert started to
show his age in next three years, injured all of 1991, and won a total of 16
wins in 1990 and 1992....After playing, Bert returns one more time to Minnestoa
this time as a broadcaster ”Circle Me Bert”...a post he has held for 20
years...elected to baseball hall of fame 2011....final tally: 287 wins in 22 years.
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this is a beautiful card overall. usually the 1972 design overwhelms the picture but here the angle, distance, background and colors (blues, browns, road gray uni) all combine well. HOF card of a HOFer.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking same thing when I was posting. The Twins card seem to have a lighter shade of blue than Orioles, Cardinals, Padres. Brewers, or Pirates. Then again I am bias because the Twins are my true hometown team, the obsession of my childhood.
ReplyDeleteHe appeared in the baseball scenes from the Movie "Naked Gun" released in early 1989. He made excellent post-season appearances in 1979, winning game 3 of the NLCS with a complete game and doing well in two WS appearances, both of which the Pirates won.
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