Bert Blyleven

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Rik Aalbert Blyleven

Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 6' 3", Weight 207 lb.

Debut June 5, 1970
Final Game October 4, 1992
Born April 6, 1951 in Zeist, Netherlands

BR page

1 Introduction
2 Miscellany
3 Notable Achievements
4 Records Held
5 Chris Berman Nickname
6 Induct Bert Blyleven To The Hall Of Fame Campaign
7 The Case Against Bert Blyleven's Induction
8 Related Sites

[edit] Introduction

Bert Blyleven had a 22-year major league career as a pitcher with 287 wins. He appeared on two World Series winners, and his ERA in World Series play was 2.35.

His best season was in 1973 when he won 20 games for the Minnesota Twins with a 2.52 ERA.

Eight of the ten most similar pitchers to Blyleven are in the Hall of Fame, and the other two will probably get in eventually. The most similar pitcher is Don Sutton.

In his eleventh year on the Hall of Fame ballot, Blyleven drew 61.9% of the vote, with 75% needed.

Blyleven's 60 shutouts put him ninth on the list for all time. The eight pitchers ahead of him are all in the Hall of Fame, as are 15 of the 16 pitchers immediately behind him. The exception is Luis Tiant, who had 49 shutouts and 229 wins. Blyleven totaled 287 victories.

[edit] Miscellany

Although Blyleven was born in the Netherlands, he moved to Canada at the age of 16 months. At age five, he moved to California where he learned the game.

He is one of only seven major leaguers to have been born in Holland as of April 11, 2007.

He had a terrific curveball.

At the end of his career, he appeared in a TV commercial for a home realtor company. The commercial played off the fact that the veteran pitcher had pitched on so many teams.

While with Pittsburgh he set a record for most no-decisions in a season with 20.

Pitched a no-hitter for the Texas Rangers against the California Angels (September 22, 1977)

Set the major league record, surrendering 50 home runs in 1986. Blyleven has claimed "about 42" of the 50 were solo home runs. The record shows he surrended 27 solo shots, 18 two run homers, 3 three run homers, and two grand slams in 1986.

Since 1995 has been a broadcaster for the Minnesota Twins. Fans hold up "Circle Me Bert" in hopes that Bert use the telestrator to circle them on the air.

[edit] Notable Achievements

2-time AL All-Star (1973 & 1985)
1989 AL Comeback Player of the Year Award
2-time AL Innings Pitched Leader (1985 & 1986)
AL Strikeouts Leader (1985)
AL Complete Games Leader (1985)
3-time AL Shutouts Leader (1973, 1985 & 1989)
15 Wins Seasons: 10 (1971-1975, 1984-1987 & 1989)
20 Wins Seasons: 1 (1973)
200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 16 (1971-1980 & 1984-1989)
300 Innings Pitched Seasons: 1 (1973)
200 Strikeouts Seasons: 8 (1971-1976, 1985 & 1986)
Won two World Series with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1979) and the Minnesota Twins (1987)

[edit] Records Held

Home runs allowed, season, 50, 1986

[edit] Chris Berman Nickname

Bert "Be Home" Blyleven

[edit] Induct Bert Blyleven To The Hall Of Fame Campaign

Rich Lederer has a great series on why Bert Blyleven belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame. In a few words, "Since 1900, Blyleven ranks fifth in career strikeouts, eighth in shutouts and 17th in wins." Those numbers put him in some very select company; in fact, his immediate neighbors (with only a couple of exceptions) are all Hall of Fame members or are Roger Clemens. Here's Rich's columns, which serious students of the game and BBWAA voters alike should read and take to heart:

Only The Lonely -- the basic case for Bert's inclusion.
"If Cooperstown Is Calling..." -- reaction to "Only The Lonely"
Answering The Naysayers -- Rejoinders to common arguments against his inclusion.
A Peek Into The Mind Of A Hall Of Fame Voter -- Rich interviews Traverse City, Michigan Record-Eagle BBWAA voter Jeff Peek about Blyleven's inclusion.
Bert Blyleven: Up Close And Personal -- accounts of and interviews with the man himself.
The Hall Of Fame Case For Bert Blyleven -- an introduction to a series of articles by Rob Neyer, Dayn Perry(who likens him to Warren Spahn), Jeff Peek, with a roundup by Rich.

[edit] The Case Against Bert Blyleven's Induction

The case against Blyleven

The case against Blyleven, while not trivial, basically comes down to some observers' feelings that Blyleven just wasn't of high enough caliber. Those observers tend to point out that he never won a Cy Young Award or an ERA championship. However, his Gray Ink score is well above the average Hall of Famer, his Hall of Fame Monitor score is comfortably above the average Hall of Famer, and his Hall of Fame Standards score is exactly 50, which is the average Hall of Famer. True, he was rarely No. 1 (which is why his Black Ink score is low), but he was frequently among the leaders for a very long time, from 1970 to 1989.