Bert Blyleven facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bert Blyleven
Blyleven with the Minnesota Twins in 1987
Pitcher
Born: (1951-04-06) April 6, 1951 (age 74) Zeist, Netherlands
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
June 5, 1970, for the Minnesota Twins
Last appearance
October 4, 1992, for the California Angels
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	287–250
Earned run average	3.31
Strikeouts	3,701
Teams
Minnesota Twins (1970–1976) Texas Rangers (1976–1977) Pittsburgh Pirates (1978–1980) Cleveland Indians (1981–1985) Minnesota Twins (1985–1988) California Angels (1989–1990, 1992)
Career highlights and awards
2× All-Star (1973, 1985) 2× World Series champion (1979, 1987) AL strikeout leader (1985) Pitched a no-hitter on September 22, 1977 Minnesota Twins No. 28 retired Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	2011
Vote	79.7% (14th ballot)

Rik Aalbert Blyleven (born Blijleven, April 6, 1951) is a Dutch-American former professional pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for 22 seasons, from 1970 to 1992, mostly with the Minnesota Twins. After retiring from playing, he became a television commentator for the Twins.

Blyleven is famous for his amazing curveball. He recorded 3,701 strikeouts, which is the fifth-most in MLB history. He also won 287 games and pitched 4,970 innings. He was a two-time All-Star and won the World Series twice. In 2011, Blyleven was honored by being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was the first player born in the Netherlands to achieve this honor.

Early Life and Baseball Dreams

Rik Aalbert Blijleven was born in Zeist, Netherlands. When he was two, his family moved to Canada, and then to Garden Grove, California when he was five. His parents changed their names to Joe and Jenny, and Rik Aalbert became "Bert."

Bert loved baseball from a young age. He watched Sandy Koufax pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He practiced pitching a lot in his backyard. His dad even built him a mound! This practice helped him develop his famous curveball.

Playing Career Highlights

Bert Blyleven was a star on his high school baseball team. The Minnesota Twins picked him in the 1969 MLB draft. After only 21 games in the minor leagues, he was called up to the major leagues at just 19 years old in 1970. His sharp curveball helped him win 10 games in his first season. He was even named the American League Rookie Pitcher of the Year.

Moving Teams and a No-Hitter

Blyleven's early time with the Twins was sometimes tough. He had disagreements about his salary. In 1976, the Twins traded him to the Texas Rangers. He pitched very well for the Rangers. On September 22, 1977, he threw a no-hitter against the California Angels. This means no batter on the other team got a hit! This was his last game for the Rangers before being traded again.

World Series Wins

In 1977, Blyleven was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. With the Pirates, he helped the team win the World Series in 1979.

After that, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians in 1980. He had some injuries but then played some of his best baseball. In 1984, he had a great season with 19 wins. In 1985, he led the American League in shutouts (games where the other team scores no runs).

Later in 1985, he was traded back to the Minnesota Twins. During this second time with the Twins, he reached a huge milestone: 3,000 strikeouts! He also helped the Twins win another World Series title in 1987.

Final Seasons and Retirement

Blyleven played three seasons for the California Angels before retiring in 1992. He finished his career with 287 wins, 3,701 strikeouts, and a 3.31 ERA. His curveball was so good that Hall of Fame player Brooks Robinson said it was "nasty" and could "make your knees buckle."

After retiring as a player, Blyleven also coached for the Netherlands national baseball team in several World Baseball Classic tournaments.

Hall of Fame Honor

After his playing career, many people believed Bert Blyleven deserved to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. It took 14 tries on the ballot, but in 2011, he was finally elected! He received 79.7% of the votes needed.

At the time he was elected, he was one of the few pitchers with over 3,000 strikeouts not yet in the Hall of Fame. He was also the only pitcher with 50 or more shutouts not in the Hall. Blyleven was very happy, saying it had been "14 years of praying and waiting." His Hall of Fame plaque shows him wearing a Minnesota Twins cap.

In 2002, Blyleven was also inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame. In 2011, the Twins retired his jersey number, 28, meaning no other Twins player will wear that number.

Broadcasting Career

Blyleven answering questions in March 2011

In 1996, Bert Blyleven became a television color commentator for the Minnesota Twins. He would talk about the game alongside the play-by-play announcer. He was known for his fun and friendly conversations during broadcasts.

One of his famous habits was using a special drawing tool called a telestrator to circle fans in the stands on screen. Fans would even bring signs saying "Circle me Bert!" This led to a fun fundraising campaign for the Parkinson's Foundation. Sometimes, when his announcing partner tried to circle fans, he would draw shapes that weren't circles, and fans would joke, "Rhombus me, Dick!"

In 2006, Bert accidentally used some strong language on air during a game. He thought the broadcast was being taped, not shown live. He was suspended for five games because of the mistake.

Blyleven broadcast his final game for the Twins on September 2, 2020. He then became a special assistant for the team.

Personal Life

Bert Blyleven lives in Fort Myers, Florida.

His son, Todd, also played baseball in the minor leagues. Todd later became a scout for baseball teams.

Bert Blyleven appeared as himself in the 1990 movie Taking Care of Business.

As a player, Blyleven was known for being a prankster in the dugout. He often played a joke called a "hot foot," where he would light a small part of a teammate's shoelaces on fire. Because of this, he was nicknamed "Frying Dutchman."

Blyleven didn't know his full correct name until he was about to get married. He thought his name was "Rikaalbert," but he learned from his birth certificate that it was actually Rik Aalbert Blijleven.

Career Statistics

See also

• List of Major League Baseball annual shutout leaders
• List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career hit batsmen leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career shutout leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
• List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
• List of World Series starting pitchers