One of the most recognized southpaws of the 1970s, Vida Blue, passed away yesterday at the age of 73.

Debuting in 1969, where in his 12 Games in Oakland, he was ineffective with a 6.64 ERA.  His 1970 callup was different with a 2-0 record over six starts and a pair of Shutouts.  1971 was one of the best seasons ever for an Oakland A’s Pitcher.

1971 was the year where he went 24-8 with 301 Strikeouts and led the American League in ERA (1.82), FIP (2.20), and WHIP (0.952).  Blue won both the MVP and the Cy Young, and he was part of what became an elite franchise in the AL.  While Blue would have ups and downs afterward, but the ups were very special.  Blue was an anchor on the A's staff, helping them win three straight World Series Rings (1972-74), and while he was with Oakland, he was a three-time All-Star.  In addition to his Cy Young, he had three other top ten Cy Young finished as an Athletic.

In 1978, Blue crossed the bay and switched leagues to play for San Francisco, where in his first year there, he was an All-Star again and was third in Cy Young voting.  He went to two more All-Stars with the Giants, and after a stint with Kansas City, he returned to San Francisco, where he played two final years before retiring in 1986.

Blue left the game with a 209-161 record and 2,175 Strikeouts.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the fans, family and friends of Vida Blue.

Vida Blue debuted in 1969, and over his 12 Games in Oakland, he was ineffective, posting a 6.64 ERA.  His 1970 callup was different, with a 2-0 record over six starts and a pair of Shutouts.  1971 was one of the best seasons ever for an Oakland A’s Pitcher.

1971 was the year he went 24-8 with 301 Strikeouts and led the American League in ERA (1.82), FIP (2.20), and WHIP (0.952).  Blue won both the MVP and the Cy Young, and he was part of what became an elite franchise in the AL.  While Blue would have ups and downs afterward, the ups were very special.  Blue was an anchor on the A's staff, helping them win three straight World Series Rings (1972-74), and while he was with Oakland, he was a three-time All-Star.  In addition to his Cy Young, he had three other top ten Cy Young finishes as an Athletic.

In 1978, Blue crossed the bay and switched leagues to play for San Francisco, where in his first year there, he was an All-Star again and was third in Cy Young voting.  He went to two more All-Star Games with the Giants, and after a stint with Kansas City, he returned to San Francisco, where he played his final two years before retiring in 1986.

Blue left the game with a 209-161 record and 2,175 Strikeouts.

When Vida Blue fully established himself in the Oakland rotation in 1971, he didn't just deliver an outstanding pitching season; he became a true pop culture sensation. With a blazing fastball in the high 90s that baseball fans admired as the most exciting left-handed pitch of his era, the 21-year-old pitcher captured the sports world's attention. He appeared on the covers of Time and Sports Illustrated and kept opposing batters on their toes with his energetic and swift pitching style.

His 1971 campaign remains one of the most exceptionally brilliant single-season achievements within modern baseball history. Blue dominated the American League with a record of 24-8, leading the junior circuit with a minuscule 1.82 ERA, 2.20 FIP, and a 0.952 WHIP. He recorded an impressive 301 strikeouts over 312 innings pitched and curtailed opposing offenses through eight shutouts. His outstanding performance warranted him the prestigious American League Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player accolade simultaneously, rendering him the youngest MVP recipient of the 20th century and serving as the definitive cornerstone of Oakland's emergence as a genuine power in the league.

The subsequent seasons, however, brought a reality check characterized by intense contractual disputes with the eccentric owner Charlie O. Finley. The off-field friction distinctly affected on-field performance in 1972, a summer during which a late signing restricted him to merely six victories. Nevertheless, Blue's resilience was evident as he regained his dominant form, surpassing 20 wins again in both 1973 and 1975. Although he never quite matched the extraordinary heights of his MVP peak, he remained a top-tier pitcher, earning three additional top-ten finishes in the Cy Young Award voting — including a seventh-place finish in 1973 and consecutive sixth-place rankings in 1975 and 1976.

As the Athletics transformed into a ruthless, high-leverage juggernaut that captured three consecutive World Series titles from 1972 to 1974, Blue was the essential workhorse who helped make their success possible. Although his individual postseason statistics during that period were notably inconsistent, recording a 1-5 win-loss record and a 4.31 ERA in October, the front office and his colleagues openly acknowledged that the modern dynasty would not have achieved its success without his substantial regular-season innings.

In 1976, as Finley desperately sought to liquidate his roster before the dawn of modern free agency, he famously attempted to sell Blue's contract to the New York Yankees for $1.5 million. In a historic intervention, Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn swiftly blocked the transaction under the "best interests of baseball" clause, ruling that such a cash-for-star deal would completely distort competitive balance.  Blue remained in green and gold for one more season before Finley finally engineered an acceptable intradepartmental trade, shipping him across the Bay to the San Francisco Giants prior to the 1978 campaign.

Blue’s run in Oakland concluded with a stellar 124-86 record and 1,315 strikeouts. Decades after his thunderous fastball shook the Coliseum, the organization ensured his legacy would forever remain in the East Bay, formally inducting Blue into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019.

Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB. Once that is done, we intend to look at how each team honor their past players and executive.  As such it is news to us that the Oakland Athletics have announced their franchise Hall of Fame Class of 2019.

The six-member class is:

Ron Bergman:  Bergman becomes the first journalist to enter the Hall and going forward there will be the Ron Bergman Award, which will be given annually to the journalist for “contributions to the coverage of Athletics”.

Vida Blue:  Blue was a member of the A’s three straight World Series wins in the 70s where he was a three-time All-Star.  Blue would win the MVP and Cy Young in 1971 when he went 24 and 8 with a 1.82 ERA and 0.952 WHIP.  He would win 124 Games with 1,315 Strikeouts.

Bert Campaneris:  The Shortstop played for the Athletics from 1964 to 1976 and like Blue was part of A’s dynasty of the early 70s.  As an Athletic, Campaneris went to five All-Star Games, would lead the AL in Stolen Bases six times and would accumulate 1,882 Hits.

Walter Hass:  Haas bought the team in 1980 and is credited with keeping the team in Oakland.  Under his watch, Oakland won the World Series in 1989.

Tony La Russa:  La Russa managed Oakland from 1986 to 1995 and had a record of 798 and 673.  He would win three American League Pennants (1988-90) with a World Series Title in 1989.

Mark McGwire:  McGwire won the Rookie of the Year in 1987 and he would go to nine All-Star Games as an Athletic.  He would win the Home Run title twice with Oakland and blasted 363 with an OPS of .931 for the team.

This group joins Dennis Eckersley, Rollie Fingers, Charlie Finlay, Rickey Henderson, Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson and Dave Stewart who were in the inaugural class.

The 2019 class will be honored in a pregame ceremony on September 21.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to newest members of Oakland Athletics Hall of Fame.