Bert Blyleven

Did You Know?

• Blyleven's parents anglicized their names to Joe and Jenny, and Rik Aalbert became 'Bert'.
• He became interested in baseball watching Sandy Koufax pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• His father built him a mound in the backyard with a canvas backdrop over the horseshoe pits.

Playing career

Blyleven starred at Santiago High School in Garden Grove and ran cross country to build stamina. The Minnesota Twins selected him in the third round of the 1969 draft, and after 21 minor league starts he debuted at age 19 on June 2, 1970. His sharp curveball earned him 10 wins that season and The Sporting News named him AL Rookie Pitcher of the Year. In 1973 he led the AL with nine shutouts. He clashed with owner Calvin Griffith over his $65,200 salary and refused to sign for 1976, leading to a trade to the Texas Rangers on June 1, 1976, along with Danny Thompson, for Roy Smalley III, Mike Cubbage, Bill Singer, and Jim Gideon. Blyleven posted a 2.74 ERA with Texas. On September 22, 1977, two weeks after a groin injury, he no-hit the California Angels 6–0 in his final start as a Ranger.

Honors

Blyleven first appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 1998, receiving 17.6% of the vote, which dropped to 14.1% in 1999. No player debuting since 1970 had such a low total and later gained election. Sabermetric analysis, notably by Rich Lederer, boosted his candidacy. By 2006 his vote share reached 53.3%; it dipped to 47.7% in 2007, then rose to 61.9% in 2008 and 62.7% in 2009. In 2010 he received 74.2%, missing induction by five votes. On his 14th attempt in 2011, he was elected with 79.7% of the vote, becoming the first Dutch-born player inducted. His Hall of Fame plaque depicts him with a Minnesota Twins cap. He was inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame in 2002, selected to the All-Metrodome Team in 2009, and had his number retired by the Twins on July 16, 2011. Joe Posnanski ranked him 71st on The Athletic's Baseball 100 list in 2020.

Broadcasting career

Blyleven became a television color commentator for the Twins, calling games for WCCO-TV and Midwest Sports Channel (later Fox Sports North). His commentary was occasionally risqué but provided friendly conversation with play-by-play announcer Dick Bremer. He trademarked circling fans with the telestrator, leading to signs reading 'Circle me Bert' and a fundraising campaign with the Parkinson's Foundation. On September 3, 2006, he accidentally used two profanities on air, believing the broadcast was taped; FSN North suspended him five games. He broadcast his final game for the Twins on September 2, 2020, then became a special assistant for the team.

Personal life

Blyleven resides in Fort Myers, Florida, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen. His son Todd pitched in Minor League Baseball from 1993 to 1997 and later scouted for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies; Todd was present at the 2017 Las Vegas shooting and helped others to safety. Blyleven appeared as himself in the 1990 film Taking Care of Business. As a player he was a notorious dugout prankster, earning the nickname 'Frying Dutchman' for setting teammates' shoelaces on fire. He did not know his correct name until obtaining his birth certificate to marry; he had believed his given name was 'Rikaalbert' but learned it was Rik Aalbert Blijleven.