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Happy Monday, San Francisco Giants fans.
On Sunday, shortly before the Giants concluded their series with the Milwaukee Brewers, the team announced some sad news: local legend Vida Blue had died at the age of 73.
The #SFGiants are saddened to learn of the passing of six-time All-Star and longtime Bay Area pitcher Vida Blue. Our deepest condolences go to the Blue family, his friends and all those whose lives he touched. pic.twitter.com/gI7k1N68Mv
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) May 7, 2023
Blue had a storied career that was spent almost entirely in the Bay Area. He was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics, but the team had moved to Oakland by the time he made his MLB debut in 1969.
He spent nine years playing for the A’s, before they traded him to the Giants ahead of the 1978 season. He spent four years in San Francisco, then was traded to the Kansas City Royals. He spent two years in KC before re-joining the Giants in free agency, where he spent the final two years of his career.
Blue had some exceptional years with the Giants, and was an All-Star with them three times. In his first year with the team he finished third in Cy Young voting and 12th in MVP voting.
But he was even better with the A’s, where he made an additional three All-Star teams. In his first full season with the A’s, in 1971, he won both the Cy Young Award and the MVP as a 21-year old. If you want a reminder as to how different that era was, he pitched 312 innings that year, including 24 complete games, and a staggering eight shutouts. He helped anchor the rotation of an A’s team that won back-to-back-to-back championships.
Rest in peace, Vida.
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants start a series against the Washington Nationals tonight at 6:45 p.m. PT.
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