Blue megastar. I was 11 in 71 and loved baseball. Read, collected watched sports fanatically. STILL have my 1971 Sporting News year review. Vida on the cover. Also remember, Blue had a great CAREER. ONLY player I know who had his First Name on his uniform! Thank you Vida.
RIP Vida . You were 1 in a billion and a complete class act. You will be missed beyond words. Thank You for all the great moments you provided all of us on both sides of the Bay.
As an 11 year old newly rabid baseball fan, I miraculously and dreamily got to know Vida during the white-hot start of his career from his visits to some childhood friends from Mansfield LA (the Hudson brothers), who stayed across the street in South Berkeley. I used to hang around with them regularly- they named me "li'l bit", and Vida was always warm, and generous, bringing me bats and caps (and KFC ;-), even taking time to come say hi when in uniform at the Coliseum. Lots of memories, but one that stands out is him coming out when us kids were playing catch with a football in the street and he sent us half the block down to see if we could catch one of his throws- they would rise and then glide and float seemingly forever above the poles and wires and then land with a thud against your chest, usually bouncing away to the ground, while he laughed and cheered you on. He had such a warm, playful, engaging spirit I will never forget. Over the years I wanted to reach out but didn't. RIP Vida, you are remembered loved and missed. MJ/ Lil Bit
R.I.P. VIDA BLUE, he put Mansfield Louisiana on the map! I actually grew up in the same neighborhood. I was also able to attend his homegoing celebration. He'll be greatly missed. The city of Mansfield will be planning a special celebration in honor of him.... I'LL BE THERE!!! PAJENKINS, Mansfield, Louisiana. The 318 salutes VIDA R. BLUE, JR.
Maybe one of you Oakland Athletics fans from the good old days can answer this..... In his first few years in the league, a well-known opposing hitter was asked what he thought of Vida's fastball. He tersely replied, "I don't know....I've never seen it!" Can anyone tellme who said that....? I grew up in Baltimore, and was excited to see our Jim Palmer start the 1978 All-Star game for the A.L. But let me say, I was more impressed with Vida starting for my now beloved Giants for the N.L. Thanks.
That's funny what the greastest relief pitcher said? " games over a shut out" funny what he said. numbers say he was a great great pitcher R..I.P a great great pitcher in a jammed decade of Hall of Famers .
Vida Blue was a top shelf player, and human being...THIS MAN IS NOT IN THE HALL OF FAME!!!...Add to the long list of items of disgust I have with the world of pro baseball. Baseball writers as a group are garbage. They have no problem casting judgment on players with personal problems, yet the writers clique itself is filled with drunken, cocaine snorting wretches...I know this is about Vida Blue and his legacy, and my apologies for the rant. But this man was wronged...Vida Blue, now taking the mound for the real Angels...
Those were some great uniforms. So long Vida.
RIP Vida Blue a true baseball hero for alot of little leaguers like me in the early 70's I was in awe of your talent and I put your 35 on everything.
Blue megastar. I was 11 in 71 and loved baseball. Read, collected watched sports fanatically. STILL have my 1971 Sporting News year review. Vida on the cover.
Also remember, Blue had a great CAREER.
ONLY player I know who had his First Name on his uniform!
Thank you Vida.
RIP Vida I was lucky enough to see him pitch
Was born in the 60s and remember Vida and Hank Aaron oft mentioned in the UPI AP sports newspaper sections. The stars seemed bigger than life. 😊
RIP Vida . You were 1 in a billion and a complete class act. You will be missed beyond words. Thank You for all the great moments you provided all of us on both sides of the Bay.
As an 11 year old newly rabid baseball fan, I miraculously and dreamily got to know Vida during the white-hot start of his career from his visits to some childhood friends from Mansfield LA (the Hudson brothers), who stayed across the street in South Berkeley. I used to hang around with them regularly- they named me "li'l bit", and Vida was always warm, and generous, bringing me bats and caps (and KFC ;-), even taking time to come say hi when in uniform at the Coliseum. Lots of memories, but one that stands out is him coming out when us kids were playing catch with a football in the street and he sent us half the block down to see if we could catch one of his throws- they would rise and then glide and float seemingly forever above the poles and wires and then land with a thud against your chest, usually bouncing away to the ground, while he laughed and cheered you on.
He had such a warm, playful, engaging spirit I will never forget.
Over the years I wanted to reach out but didn't.
RIP Vida, you are remembered loved and missed.
MJ/ Lil Bit
That's some awesome memories. Thanks for sharing.
He was an excellent pitcher for sure! RIP Vida.
24-8, 301, 1.82 ... I've had those numbers tattooed on my brain since Vida's magical 1971 season.
Yet Finley didn’t want to pay him what he deserved
Finley was a tyrant and a cheap SOB!
Beautifully stated by you and Shooty. RIP Vida 💚💛
R.I.P........🕯️..........🕊️💚💛 Vida Blue 🌟💫😇
He pitched in the first mlb game I attended. At Milwaukee against the Brewers.
Can't believe it . Vida all time great
RIP, Vida.
Rip Vida Rochelle Blue Jr, you will be missed
His stats are basically identical to Catfish Hunter. Blue should be in the HOF
Nice one.
R.I.P. VIDA BLUE, he put Mansfield Louisiana on the map! I actually grew up in the same neighborhood. I was also able to attend his homegoing celebration. He'll be greatly missed. The city of Mansfield will be planning a special celebration in honor of him.... I'LL BE THERE!!! PAJENKINS, Mansfield, Louisiana. The 318 salutes VIDA R. BLUE, JR.
Rip Vida
RIP Vida Blue.
I'm glad to have one of his cards althouh it be a 1979 as opposed to a 1973 it's still a Blue card.
Maybe one of you Oakland Athletics fans from the good old days can answer this.....
In his first few years in the league, a well-known opposing hitter was asked what he thought of Vida's fastball.
He tersely replied, "I don't know....I've never seen it!"
Can anyone tellme who said that....?
I grew up in Baltimore, and was excited to see our Jim Palmer start the 1978 All-Star game for the A.L.
But let me say, I was more impressed with Vida starting for my now beloved Giants for the N.L.
Thanks.
That's funny what the greastest relief pitcher said? " games over a shut out" funny what he said.
numbers say he was a great great pitcher R..I.P a great great pitcher in a jammed decade of Hall of Famers .
Vida Blue was a top shelf player, and human being...THIS MAN IS NOT IN THE HALL OF FAME!!!...Add to the long list of items of disgust I have with the world of pro baseball. Baseball writers as a group are garbage. They have no problem casting judgment on players with personal problems, yet the writers clique itself is filled with drunken, cocaine snorting wretches...I know this is about Vida Blue and his legacy, and my apologies for the rant. But this man was wronged...Vida Blue, now taking the mound for the real Angels...
Amen. MLB alot of times can't get out of its own way. Gets it all wrong most of the time. Big Papi says it best. "HATERS"
Reading the comments, I can't believe.....Vida is NOT in The Hall of Fame?
Are my eyes that bad?
w
this is the irreplaceable history Manfred's Money Mind doesn't even comprehend