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Feb. 23rd – Vida Blue : A Salute to Black History Baseball Heroes
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Vida Blue was a left-handed pitcher, but he certainly didn’t pitch like one. Unlike most southpaws who rely heavily on their control, Blue was a power pitcher who attacked the strike zone. His fastball consistently clocked at the high 90s and had an above average changeup. He won three World Series titles with the Oakland A’s and, in 1971, won both the American League Cy Young Award and the AL MVP Award. He threw a no-hitter on September 21, 1970. Today, he lives in San Francisco working in the community and promoting the sport of baseball.
CC on Vida:Vida Blue ( pitcher ) “I had the chance to meet him in high school. I also saw him play when he was with the A’s. He was another one of my favorite pitchers.”Did You Know: Blue was one of the last players to wear their given name on the back of their jerseys instead of their surnames in 1986. It wouldn’t happen again until 2001 when Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki did it.
CC Celebrates Black History Month – The Pioneers of the Game of Baseball
Everyday for the month of February, CC will feature one of his baseball heroes as part of Black History month. Each one of the men had a profound effect on the game of baseball and was an inspiration to CC as he worked to become a Major League Baseball player.
To learn more about the rich tradition of African American players in baseball please visit here. To learn more about what Major League Baseball is doing to revive baseball in inner cities, please visit here.
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