bert blyleven
Fans hope that broadcaster Bert Blyleven will spot their sign and circle them on television with his telestrator. [1]
“I still feel my numbers are Hall of Fame numbers,” said Bert Blyleven, who ranks fifth all-time in big league history with 3,701 career strikeouts. [2]
Bert Blyleven has 287 wins and is fifth all time with 3,701 strikeouts. [3]
When I first became aware of Bert Blyleven, I was intrigued by the fact that he was born in Zeist, Holland. [4]
Rik Aalbert “Bert” Blyleven (born April 6, 1951 in Zeist, Netherlands) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1970 to 1992, and was best known for his curveball. [1]
Back there in 1970 when the 6-3, 200 pound rookie broke in, I conjured up the image of a big, raw boned Dutchman who could throw hard but knew about as much baseball — how to play it and how to appreciate all it has come to mean in American culture — as any other kid born amidst the tulips and windmills of his native land. [4]
Blyleven ranks in the middle of these six pitchers in ERA+ (the ratio of the league’s ERA to that of the pitcher, adjusted for the effects of the home ballpark). [5]
He was drafted straight out of high school by the Minnesota Twins in the third round in 1969, where after only 21 minor league starts he found himself called up to the Majors at age 19, June 2, 1970. [1]
June 5, 1969: Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 3rd round of the 1969 amateur draft. [6]
ESPN.com correspondents Bob Klapisch and Sean McAdam discuss Blyleven’s Hall of Fame candidacy. [3]
Sim Dynasty, home of Sim Baseball sponsor(s) this page. [6]
At the very least he had probably the best curve ball of his era (1970-1992). [4]
But you realize that Blyleven spent most of his career pitching for mediocre (or awful) teams, and his won-loss records were chronically sabotaged by a lack of run support. [3]
A candidate must get 75 percent of the vote to gain election, with former Red Sox slugger Jim Rice (72.2 percent), former Expos and Cubs outfielder Andre Dawson (65.9 percent) and Blyleven (61.9 percent) standing as the top three returning vote-getters on this year’s ballot. [2]
He has worked that dubious stat into his bag of subtle humor, offering his theory on why balls are flying out of major league stadia at a faster rate than ever before. [4]
Sources:
[1] Bert Blyleven - Wikipedia
[2] Blyleven waiting for the Hall to call | MLB.com: News
[3] ESPN - Debate: Is Bert Blyleven a Hall of Famer? - MLB
[4] Bert Blyleven - The Diamond Angle
[5] The Baseball Analysts: The Hall of Fame Case for Bert Blyleven
[6] Bert Blyleven - baseball-reference.com