Bert Blyleven Was an Angel Too!
by Rev Halofan on Jan 5, 2011 1:19 PM PST
in Angels News
Email
PrintPitching great Bert Blyleven was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame today. Bert was an Angel for part of his career! Let's look back on Bert's career in Anaheim, shall we...
Bert arrived in Anaheim after a lackluster 1988 season with the twins. He came here along with minor league lifer Kevin Trudeau in exchange for Paul Sorrento and Mike Cook (who HH poster yeswecan has a game-used Angels jersey of) and another minor leaguer.
Bert was here for four years and played for three seasons. He was injured all of 1991 and his 1990 and 1992 seasons were nothing to write home about, but his 1989 season was one of the single best years ever by an Angels starting pitcher.
At age 38, Bert threw EIGHT complete games for the 1989 Angels, FIVE of them being shutouts (6th most for a single season in franchise history and the last time that many shutouts have been thrown in one year by an Angel)!
He went 17-5 for a team that would have made the playoffs if there had been wildcard teams back then. As it was the Doug Rader-led '89ers hung tight with the eventual world champion roid-asterisk earthquaking Oakland Athletics. His ERA+ that year was 140. His BB/9 of 1.6 that year is 4th all time in franchise history (Paul Byrd's 1.2 in 2005 leads the team). For you old-timers looking for historical context, Bert faced 2,119 batters as an Angel, more than Bruce Kison and just behind Tommy John for 38th place.
The rap against Bert getting into the Hall of Fame was that he did not have 300 Wins. Funny thing is, his .779 winning percentage in 1989 was 3rd highest when he set it and still ranks 6th in team lore. His .579 overall winning % is just below the .580 mark of Ervin Santana good for 6th place all time as a Halo.
Of Angels pitchers who threw more than 500 innings for the team, Bert's 1.7 BB/9 leads the entire franchise. His 2.7 K/BB ratio is third in franchise history behind only Frank Tanana and Jered Weaver.
Congratulations Bert. He will certainly be wearing a Minnesota Twins baseball cap on his Cooperstwon plaque (as he should) but there will be a little Halo above all those numbers and gratitude from all of us who got to see him puff his cheeks out before every pitch that he threw here.
44 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Congratulations Bert!
I’m glad to see it finally happen; he earned the recognition and was glad to see him pushback on the nay-sayers.
At least something went right this off-season.
I can’t believe it took this long. But Bert deserves it by a long shot. I’ve been wanting him in the Hall for years. I can usually care less about the HOF each year. But this year is good because of him.
"I get no respect. The way my luck is running, if I was a politician I would be honest."
Rodney Dangerfield
Glad to see that a good pitcher finally got his due.
I never saw him pitch, but can appreciate what a durable, talented pitcher he was.
January F-bomb.
It’s about fucking time!!!
Angels baseball. We do what we must, because we can -- HaloDutch
He sure was an Angel
And what a curveball too. Anyone ever thrown a better curve?
Don't call me Bugs. Although Bugs Bunny could do it all on the baseball field.
Barry Zito?
His curve is filthy
"Two middle fingers, you don't want my anger. Better call the Rangers, But you gonna need the Angels." -Weezy F. Baby
by Gold Glove Hunter 48 on Jan 5, 2011 3:39 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
If you're talking about Clayton
Idk why you used the past tense. Anyway I don’t think Kershaw’s curve could even touch Berts or Barrys. These guys’ curves literally drop 2 feet. It’s insane.
"Two middle fingers, you don't want my anger. Better call the Rangers, But you gonna need the Angels." -Weezy F. Baby
by Gold Glove Hunter 48 on Jan 5, 2011 11:33 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Huh, not too sure why I used the past tense actually.
Never saw Bert’s curveball, too young, but Zito’s was really good. Maybe I just remember Kershaw because of that one Public Enemy No.1 clip.
What about...
Sandy Koufax? From people who faced him, they all say his was the best ever, at that point in history.
" Baseball was made for kids, and grown-ups only screw it up." ~Bob Lemon
by pendletonmike on Jan 6, 2011 8:42 AM PST up reply actions
I never saw Berts either
I’m also too young. The best curve I remember growing up was Barry Zito in Oakland. Lincecum has a filthy curve too but idk if it drops as much as Barrys or Berts.
"Two middle fingers, you don't want my anger. Better call the Rangers, But you gonna need the Angels." -Weezy F. Baby
by Gold Glove Hunter 48 on Jan 6, 2011 3:48 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Wow, this news came too late.
well, from now on, THIS will make the Angels a more desireable organization to play for. Bring on the premium free agents!
When I'm not at the stadium, I'd rather be watching my Halos back in Costa Rica!
Congratulations, Bert
And I agree with highland — what a nasty breaking ball. Made me shit my pants just watching it on TV; can’t imagine the stains in many-a-batters’ home whites and road greys after having their knees buckled by Blyleven’s bender…
by Big Easy Halofan on Jan 5, 2011 2:13 PM PST reply actions
14th time is a charm
"Uhh yeah, GOLD might get you Jonas Brothers tickets. BLACK will have all three of them sucking your d***." Pat Anderson Assistant to the Assistant GM of Tampa
I remember Bert being quite the prankster while with the Angels.
I watched as a TV camera once caught him crawling under the bench in the dugout during a game, igniting the shoe laces of one of his teammates with a cigarette lighter.
I was at the Big A one afternoon in 1995 picking up tickets for a game when I saw him and spoke with him in the parking lot…It had just been announced that Jim Abbott had been traded back to the Angels. Bert was retired…I remember he was wearing a white, short sleeved dress shirt with a tie, dress slacks and shoes.
He was definitely a wacky guy
I remember a Times interview with him and his wife in which she lamented that Bert was teaching their kids how to do things like fill shoes with shaving cream.
Also, I remember fondly that ad for those “surfer” sunglasses (I think that’s what they called them) in which he and Wally wore the glasses and said, in their best surfer patois, “Cowabunga, duuuuude!” Jim Healy used that as a clip thereafter.
Hooray!
Blyleven sure deserves it; glad he was finally recognized. I was also happy to see that Barry Larkin moved a lot closer (62%, up from about 51% last year; should get in next year). Sad to see that most people still don’t realize how great Tim Raines (only 38%) was. Raines should have gotten in on the first ballot. Career WAR of 64.6, 117th all-time (ahead of such notable HOFers as Ozzie Smith, Ernie Banks, Carl Hubbell, Bob Feller, Jackie Robinson, Jim Palmer, Ryne Sandberg, Yogi Berra, Harmon Killebrew, Dave Winfield and Willie Stargell, and many, many others).
Who do you guys think is a future HOFer will will choose to wear an Angels cap on their plaque?
by Beat The Red Sux on Jan 5, 2011 3:01 PM PST reply actions
salmon
"Uhh yeah, GOLD might get you Jonas Brothers tickets. BLACK will have all three of them sucking your d***." Pat Anderson Assistant to the Assistant GM of Tampa
A pity...
that Salmon couldn’t even get elected to an all-star team, much less the HOF.
That shouldnt matter
As the most recent Cy winner had only 13 wins. All star sepection shouldnt matter if you were a great player much like wins
" With Haren bolstering the rotation, the Angels are set up beautifully for 2011"- Another East coast biased reporter
by Halos2011champs on Jan 5, 2011 10:10 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Players don't get to pick anymore
We have a chance for Guerrero to enter with an Angels cap. Otherwise Jered Weaver or Mike Trout becoming Hall worthy players are our best bets.
"Jeff Mathis is like Robb Quinlan without the sex appeal" - Sheisalovelyladyandmyapologiestoher
They don't choose
Vlad is the ony shot for awhile, although I would bet that he’ll go in as an Expo. He had most of his best years there (31.4 WAR vs 25.7 WAR for the Angels). If he’d done something in the playoffs with the Angels, or if he’d played here another two seasons, I think it’s a lock he goes in as an Angel.
As it is, he played a half season more for the Expos and had more value with them.
I don’t think the Angels get someone in for a LOOOONG time. Salmon’s up next year and will probably get some courtesy votes, but probably won’t even get 5%. Edmonds has a decent chance, but he put up his best years for the Cardinals.
Defending maligned chants since 2009
Vlad
By the time he’s eligible, the Expos will have ceased to exist for more than a decade. Indeed, les Expos existed for only one year after Vlad left. They’ve got Carter and Dawson already, and I just don’t see why he’d go in as an Expo at that point (considering he didn’t play most of his career there). He did win his MVP with the Angels, and never had any postseason appearances in Montreal. I believe, if he’s elected, he goes in as a Halo.
Duh
And if Tim Raines gets in, he obviously goes in with that silly looking M on his cap as well. So for a relatively short-lived franchise, Montreal will be well-represented without Vlad.
Good points
Is the Hall concerned about making sure each team is represented though? Remember that the Hall isn’t run by MLB, it’s its own organization. Maybe this is a silly point, but Cooperstown is a lot closer to Montreal than it is to Anaheim, so maybe they figure having more Expos in there is a good thing.
Although the converse of that is maybe they’re hoping to get a bunch of Angels fans out there for an induction ceremony.
I don’t know. He had more value with the Expos and more time with the Expos. He had the MVP with the Angels and more visibility with the Angels. The playoff appearances are a wash, I think, since while he did appear in the playoffs with the Angels, he was a pretty notable underperformer.
You’ve convinced me not to be so certain he’ll go in as an Expo, but I’d still call it 50/50.
Defending maligned chants since 2009
Hopeful
thinking on my part. I have no idea what the standards are, but I do remember the debate about whether Gary Carter should go in as a Met (his preference) or Expo. Although he’d won the WS with the Mets, he’d played most of his career in Montreal (12 years versus 5 in New York).
I found this quote about the Hall’s decision on Carter: “We want the team that best represents the career and accomplishments of the player,” Hall president Dale Petroskey said. “To us, the right decision is the Montreal Expos.”
“Best represents,” huh? Hmm. It’s a much closer call with Vlad, obviously. Carter was selected to the Hall in 2003, at which point the Expos were already owned by MLB and destined to go elsewhere, so it’s entirely possible that sentiment played a role in that decision to “honor” the franchise while it still existed.
On top of everything you've already said
His time with the Angels could be looked at as more valuable because the Angels’ rise to winning ways from 2002 basically saved them from talk of contraction. Vlad was, without a doubt, the most important position player that led to the 00’s being a Golden Decade for the Angels. Montreal couldn’t keep him and probably wouldn’t have survived even if he’d stayed.
Scioscialist Party of America - Redistributing your defense since 2000.
by Commander_Nate on Jan 5, 2011 4:59 PM PST up reply actions
GA? He'd be too lazy to go in as anything else
Angels baseball. We do what we must, because we can -- HaloDutch
Could Soth?
It seems 1281 wins and managing for 20 years is the cutoff for managers (with few exceptions), he is at 980 wins and 11 years (59th all time in wins). I don’t know how the Hall will look at it now because of the dearth of player/managers.
Holy crap.
This never occured to me. Duh.
Longtime fan of what has become the State College Angels of East Anaheim
thanks for the sarcasm.
but really, i want to put money on Soth being the 1st person to wear a Halo on his cap in the Hall
No. Really. No sarcasm.
That idea had never occured to me. Once I read your post I felt like some kind of idiot for missing hte blatantly obvious.
Longtime fan of what has become the State College Angels of East Anaheim
Off-Season Salvaged!
What do you need a fancy suit for, Charlie, you ain't got no job to wear it to.
'bout damn time.
Captain, there are doubt's...
Element's from the past and the future combining to form something not quite as good as either.
Congratulations, Bert.
This is my favorite Blyleven moment. I crack up every time I see it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c84V486jzYY
I've got nothing.
That makes MY Hall of Fame
1st ballot
by LAstands4LovingAnaheim on Jan 5, 2011 7:21 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Son of an Angel
props to Sandy Alomar’s boy too, our 2nd baseman in the early 70’s.
Sandy holds club records still – most ABs in a season and has the longest consecutive game streak.
I still have that '88 Mike Cook jersey, Rev
Thanks again for the nice gift. I will wear it to a game this season in honor of Bert. Hopefully it won’t be a sign that the Angels will have a 1988-like season this year.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Halos Heaven
Related FanShots on Halos Heaven
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- College player makes impossible over the fence catch to save tournament game (Video)
- Security!: Camden Yards guard collides with Royals’ Mike Moustakas
- The Juice: Nelson Cruz matches career high eight RBIs, Pujols stays hot in Seattle
- Benches clear at Fenway as Red Sox-Rays rivalry heats up
- Keeping good company: Albert Pujols becomes fourth-youngest player to hit 450 home runs
