Vida Blue

[Subdeacon Joe]

https://www.mlb.com/news/vida-blue-dies-at-73

 

Vida Blue, a flamethrowing left-hander who became the youngest MVP in AL/NL history in 1971 and helped the Athletics win three straight World Series championships from 1972-74, died on Saturday. He was 73.

"There are few players with a more decorated career than Vida Blue," the A's said in a statement. "He was a three-time champion, an MVP, a six-time All-Star, a Cy Young Award winner, and an Oakland A's Hall of Famer. Vida will always be a franchise legend and a friend. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends during this arduous time."

Selected by the Kansas City A’s in the second round of the 1967 MLB Draft out of De Soto High School in northwestern Louisiana, Blue made his debut at the age of 19 in 1969, the franchise’s second year after moving to Oakland.

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

Sad news. I loved those A's back then. Vida Blue, Blue Moon Odom, Rollie Fingers, Sal Bando, Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter; so many others.

 

Those were great years; when the ragtag gang mowed down the National League champs three times running!

[Rye Miles #13621]

RIP Vida Blue 

[Blackwater 53393]

I think that that was the first blue ball glove I ever saw!!

 

Great ball player!!

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

He is one of the major reasons I stopped watching professional sports of all kinds.

 

I had only been home from Vietnam a month or so where I was earning just a hair over $1000.00 as a Captain with a wife and two kids with all my added combat, overseas, and other pay.

 

I was teaching school in Brigham City, Utah for $350.00 a month.  I had friends who were cops, firefighters, ambulance drivers, nurse, and many other vital professions earning sub-acceptable salaries and wages...

 

...and this puke refused to go to training camp because they wouldn't pay him several times what many of these people were earning, and he wanted much more to play a damned kids' game.

 

That was in 1969 and I still feel the same way.

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

My buddies and I went to a LOT of A's games when Vida played for Charlie; those games were a ton o' fun, with him, Bando, Campaneris, Odom, Hunter and ALL the rest.  And Blue made a ton o' money during his career, but not so much in the early days - when he started with the A's his contract was something like $12 - $13 thousand: 

 

The former Oakland Athletics MVP had total career earnings of $1.4 billion from his playing days (via Celebritynetworth.com). He signed a two-year deal with the Oakland Athletics worth a contract of $12,500. He had a glorious time with the Oakland Athletics until he waged a salary holdout problem with the owner Charlie Finley. Although he helped the Athletics to three World Series Titles, he was not happy with his position in the team....

 

Here's an interesting writeup on him... I remember when Finley gave him the Cadillac -  

 

Sport: A Bolt of Blue Lightning