Former baseball pitcher, Vida Blue who was a three-time World Series Champion has sadly passed away at the age of 73. His cause of death is yet to be revealed.
He started his career as a drafted player with the then-Kansas City Athletics in 1967. However, he made his Major League Baseball debut in 1969 when he was just 19 years old.
Blue threw a nine-strikeout no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins on September 21, 1970. He had thrown a one-hitter against the Kansas City Royals ten days earlier.
He had one of the greatest pitching seasons in baseball history as of 1971, with stats including a 1.83 ERA, 0.95 WHIP in 312 innings, 39 starts, and 24 complete throws. He was awarded the AL Cy Young and MVP honors that year, becoming the youngest MVP in the 20th Century at just 22 years old.
During his last days on earth, Blue settled in San Francisco and worked with numerous charitable organizations promoting baseball in inner cities.
“There are a few players with a more decorated career than Vida Blue. He was a three-time champion, an MVP, a six-time All-Star, a Cy Young Award winner, and Oakland A’s Hall of Famer. Vida will always be a franchise legend and a friend. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends during this arduous time,” Oakland’s A said in an official statement.