Vida Blue

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.