- Born
- Died
- Birth nameVida Rochelle Blue Jr.
- Height6′ (1.83 m)
- Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. was born in Mansfield, Louisiana, the son of Vida Sr. and Sallie Blue. A baseball and football star at DeSoto High School, Blue was signed by Kansas City A's owner Charlie O. Finley as a pitcher in 1967. He made his debut two years later for the A's, by now relocated to Oakland. In 1970, he pitched a no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins. He won both the American League Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Awards in 1971, posting a 24-8 record with a 1.82 earned run average with eight shutouts. On the heels of his stellar 1971 season, he was invited to appear in cameo roles for several motion pictures in ensuing months. He pitched in the World Series for the A's annually from 1972 to 1974, and started All-Star Games in 1971, 1975, and 1978. He was traded to the San Francisco Giants in 1978, and then to the Kansas City Royals in 1982 before returning to the Giants in 1985. He retired in 1987 with 209 victories, 143 complete games, 37 shutouts, and a lifetime 3.26 earned run average. He has since been named to dream teams for both the A's and the Giants.
- IMDb mini biography by: Maxwell Kates
- SpousePeggy Shannon(September 24, 1989 - 1996) (divorced, 6 children)
- His first name is the Spanish word for "life."
- Appeared with Jan Daley and Jim Nabors on Bob Hope's USO tour of Vietnam in the 1971-1972 offseason.
- Was one of the only baseball players to wear his first name on the back of his uniform rather than his last.
- Was the last switch hitter to win the American League MVP.
- Was responsible for one twelfth of all American League attendance in 1971.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
