More and more, it seems the players I grew up admiring as a teenager are shuffling off this mortal coil. This includes Hall of Famers, Greats, Near-Greats, and ordinary lunch bucket guys.
The latest from that “generation” is Vida Blue, who passed away Saturday at the age of 73.
Here’s his obituary by Alex Traub of The New York Times. And in the San Francisco Chronicle (paywall) and the East Bay Times, which covers the Oakland market (with a photo essay and a tribute by Giants broadcaster Jon Miller, also behind a paywall).
Blue was the Fernando Valenzuela of the 70s. Although he exceeded his rookie status in 1970, the following season — his first full one in the Majors — he won the AL Cy Young and MVP awards on the strength of a 24-8 record with a 1.82 ERA and 301 strikeouts, which, amazingly, did not lead the league. Overall he was 209-161 over 17 season with the A’s, Giants, and Royals.
In 1972, he published Vida: His Own Story (yet getting second billing behind co-author Bill Libby). At the time of this posting, it ranks #68,982 over all / 120 in baseball books. There are a few other titles that bear his name but I’m not sure they’re “authorized”; in fact one, published just a few days ago and available on Kindle, notes that it is unauthorized.
Blue appeared on the cover of many magazines — baseball and otherwise.after his breathtaking success in 1971.
![Baseball/1972 [Magazine] (Vida Blue Cover): Paul Durkin, editor: Amazon.com: Books](https://i0.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/A1vLFDzEvOL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg?resize=250%2C311&ssl=1)
I still have this one. It is quite a handsome publication but didn’t appear in subsequent years, at least not in the New York area.
is available on Amazon.com,
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