Vida Blue Cause of Death

Former American baseball player, Vida Blue has been reported dead by his family. His former team, Oakland A’s, also released an official announcement to confirm his death. No cause of death has been given yet. He died at age 73.

“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.

Vida Blue 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.

In 1970, he threw a nine-strikeout no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins on September 21. He had thrown a one-hitter against the Kansas City Royals ten days earlier.

Blue 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.

However, due to a dispute in the contract he had with his team, Oakland A’s owner Charlie Finley, Blue only played 25 games in 1972. Up until 1976, he was considered one of the best pitchers in the game with the A’s pitching to a 2.72 ERA and averaging a touch over 264 innings per season.

Blue was very bitter about the treatment Finley gave him. He once expressed his bitterness in a 1976 interview.

“I hope the next breath Charlie Finley takes is his last. I hope he falls flat on his face and dies of polio,” he said.

During his last days on earth, Blue settled in San Francisco and worked with numerous charitable organizations promoting baseball in inner cities.