View source for Bert Blyleven

{{short description|Dutch-American baseball player (born 1951)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Bert Blyleven
|image=Bert Blyleven 1987.jpg
|caption=Blyleven with the Minnesota Twins in 1987
|position=[[Pitcher]]
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1951|4|6}}
|birth_place=[[Zeist, Netherlands]]
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=June 5
|debutyear=1970
|debutteam=Minnesota Twins
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=October 4
|finalyear=1992
|finalteam=California Angels
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=287–250
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=3.31
|stat3label=[[Strikeout]]s
|stat3value=3,701
|teams=
* [[Minnesota Twins]] ({{mlby|1970}}–{{mlby|1976}})
* [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] ({{mlby|1976}}–{{mlby|1977}})
* [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] ({{mlby|1978}}–{{mlby|1980}})
* [[Cleveland Indians]] ({{mlby|1981}}–{{mlby|1985}})
* [[Minnesota Twins]] ({{mlby|1985}}–{{mlby|1988}})
* [[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]] ({{mlby|1989}}–{{mlby|1990}}, {{mlby|1992}})
|highlights=
* 2× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1973 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1973]], [[1985 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1985]])
* 2× [[World Series]] champion ({{wsy|1979}}, {{wsy|1987}})
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders|AL strikeout leader]] (1985)
* Pitched a [[no-hitter]] on September 22, 1977
* [[Minnesota Twins#Retired numbers|Minnesota Twins No. 28]] retired
* [[Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame]]
|hoflink = National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
|hoftype = National
|hofdate=[[2011 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|2011]]
|hofvote=79.7% (14th ballot)
}}

'''Rik Aalbert Blyleven''' (born '''Blijleven''', April 6, 1951) is a Dutch-American former professional baseball [[pitcher]] who played 22 seasons in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) from 1970 to 1992, primarily with the [[Minnesota Twins]]. Blyleven recorded 3,701 career strikeouts, the [[List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders|fifth-most]] in MLB history. He won 287 games, 27th-most [[List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders|all-time]], and pitched 4,970 innings, 14th-most [[List of Major League Baseball career innings pitched leaders|all-time]]. A renowned [[curveball]] pitcher, Blyleven was also a two-time [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] and [[World Series]] champion. Although under-appreciated during his playing career, he was inducted into the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] in 2011—his second-to-last year of eligibility.

Blyleven made his major league debut at age 19 for the Twins. In the middle of the 1976 season, he was traded to the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]], where he threw a no-hitter in his final start for the team. He won his first World Series with the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] in 1979. Upon being traded to the [[Cleveland Indians]], Blyleven initially struggled with injuries, but then enjoyed a late-career resurgence, finishing third in the [[Cy Young Award]] voting in back-to-back years, with Cleveland in 1984 and also the following 1985 season that he split between the Indians and Twins. It was during this second stint with Minnesota that Blyleven became the tenth member of the 3,000-strikeout club in 1986 and won a second World Series title in 1987. He played three seasons for the [[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]] before retiring.

Blyleven became the first Dutch-born player to earn induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.<ref>{{Cite web|last=staff|first=Naples Daily News|title=Twins' Bert Blyleven, a Fort Myers resident, moves from broadcast booth|url=https://www.naplesnews.com/story/sports/mlb/2020/09/03/minnesota-twins-bert-blyleven-moves-broadcast-booth/5702397002/|access-date=February 5, 2022|website=Naples News|language=en-US}}</ref> He serves as the pitching coach for the [[Netherlands national baseball team]], having done so in the 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2023 [[World Baseball Classic]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=HOFers have long history with World Baseball Classic|url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/short-stops/hofers-in-wbc|access-date=February 5, 2022|website=Baseball Hall of Fame|language=en}}</ref> From 1996 to 2020, he was a [[color analyst]] for [[Minnesota Twins]] television broadcasts.<ref>{{Cite web|date=September 2, 2020|title=Wednesday's game marked Bert Blyleven's last Twins broadcast|url=https://www.twincities.com/2020/09/02/tonights-game-will-be-bert-blylevens-last-twins-broadcast/|access-date=February 5, 2022|website=Twin Cities|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Early life==
Rik Aalbert Blyleven was born in [[Zeist]], a municipality in [[Utrecht]], [[Netherlands]], the son of Johannes Cornelius and Jannigje Blijleven.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bert Blyleven – Society for American Baseball Research|url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/bert-blyleven/|access-date=February 5, 2022|language=en-US}}</ref> His family moved to [[Melville, Saskatchewan]], when Blyleven was two years old before ultimately settling in [[Garden Grove, California]], in 1957 when Blyleven was five years old.<ref>{{cite news|last=Berkow|first=Ira|date=October 18, 1987|title=Sports of The Times; Blyleven And His Beard|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/18/sports/sports-of-the-times-blyleven-and-his-beard.html}}</ref> One of seven children, his parents [[Anglicisation of names|anglicized]] their names to Joe and Jenny, with Rik Aalbert becoming simply "Bert".

He became interested in baseball as a young boy watching [[Sandy Koufax]] pitch for the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] and listening to [[Vin Scully]] and [[Jerry Doggett]] announce the Dodgers' radio broadcasts. Blyleven was quoted as saying, "My dad built me a mound in the backyard with a canvas backdrop over our horseshoe pits, and I would go back there and just throw and throw and throw until I developed it, and it became my curveball. And I could throw it over at any time, any count."<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/06/sports/baseball/06hall.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=bert%20blyleven&st=cse -NY Times article – Alomar and Blyleven elected to hall of fame, 1/5/11]</ref>

==Career==
Blyleven starred on the [[Santiago High School (Garden Grove, California)|Santiago High School]] baseball team, also running cross country to build up his stamina and leg strength. He was drafted out of high school by the [[Minnesota Twins]] in the third round in {{baseball year|1969}}. After just 21 minor league starts, he found himself called up to the Majors at age 19 on June 2, 1970. In his first season, his sharp curveball helped him to ten victories, and he was named AL Rookie Pitcher of the Year by ''[[The Sporting News]]''. In 1973, he pitched nine shutouts, the most of any AL pitcher that season.

However, Blyleven's early career with the Twins was not always pleasant as he was hounded by critics and fans.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ba0yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uuoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=870,179655&dq=blyleven+finger&hl=en Bertie's fans get one-fingered farewell] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019015017/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ba0yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uuoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=870,179655&dq=blyleven+finger&hl=en |date=October 19, 2015 }}, ''Miami News'', June 1, 1976</ref> He clashed with Twins owner [[Calvin Griffith]] over his $65,200 salary and refused to sign a [[1976 Minnesota Twins season|1976]] contract with the ballclub.<ref name="apnyt760601tu">[https://www.nytimes.com/1976/06/02/archives/blyleven-goes-to-texas.html "Blyleven Goes to Texas," ''The Associated Press'' (AP), Tuesday, June 1, 1976.] Retrieved July 3, 2024.</ref> He was traded along with [[Danny Thompson (baseball)|Danny Thompson]] to the [[1976 Texas Rangers season|Texas Rangers]] for [[Roy Smalley III]], [[Mike Cubbage]], [[Bill Singer]] and [[Jim Gideon]] on June 1, 1976.<ref name=bertrade>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=22EgAAAAIBAJ&pg=1750%2C320356 |newspaper=Lewiston Daily Sun |location=Maine|agency=Associated Press |last=Kallestad |first=Brent |title=Blyleven traded to Texas in six-player transaction |date=June 2, 1976 |page=20 }}</ref> The transaction was set in motion when Blyleven agreed with the Rangers on a three-year contract with a $550,000 salary two days earlier.<ref name="apnyt760601tu" />

He pitched well with the Rangers, posting a 2.76 ERA. On September 22, 1977, just two weeks after being sidelined with a groin injury, Blyleven [[no-hitter|no-hit]] the [[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]] 6–0 at [[Anaheim Stadium]]. The no-hitter was his final start as a Ranger; not until [[Cole Hamels]] during the 2015 season would a pitcher be traded after pitching a no-hitter in his most recent start for the team that traded him. His 2.74 career ERA with the Rangers remains the best in team history.<ref>[http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/stats/historical/player_stats.jsp?teamPosCode=all&statType=2&timeFrame=3&Submit=Submit&c_id=tex&sitSplit=&timeSubFrame2=0&venueID=&baseballScope=WS2&timeSubFrame=0&&sortByStat=ERA Historical Player Stats: Texas Rangers]{{dead link|date=October 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

Following an incident in which Blyleven blatantly gave [[the finger]] to a television camera obviously focused on him during one of the Rangers' rare nationally broadcast games,<ref>[http://www.mlbcenter.com/articles/2010-mlb/indians-update_010611.html Former Indians Blyleven, Alomar Elected to Hall of Fame], by Robert Gonzalez, at MLBcenter.com</ref> he was dealt to the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] in the first four-team blockbuster deal in Major League Baseball history on December 8, 1977, that also involved the [[Atlanta Braves]], [[New York Mets]] and a total of 11 players changing teams. The Pirates also acquired [[John Milner]] from the Mets. The Rangers received [[Al Oliver]] and [[Nelson Norman]] from the Pirates and [[Jon Matlack]] from the Mets. [[Adrian Devine]], [[Tommy Boggs]] and [[Eddie Miller (outfielder)|Eddie Miller]] were traded from the Rangers to the Braves. The Mets got from the Braves [[Willie Montañez]] and from the Rangers [[Tom Grieve]] and [[Ken Henderson]] who was sent to New York to complete the transaction three months later on March 15, 1978.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1977/12/09/archives/matlack-milner-go-in-fourteam-trade.html Durso, Joseph. "Matlack, Milner Go In Four-Team Trade," ''The New York Times'', Friday, December 9, 1977.] Retrieved April 30, 2020</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1978/03/16/archives/mets-get-ken-henderson-outfielder-from-rangers-fourth-straight.html Durso, Joseph. "Mets Get Ken Henderson, Outfielder, From Rangers," ''The New York Times'', Thursday, March 16, 1978.] Retrieved April 30, 2020</ref> With the Pirates, he led the team in ERA, strikeouts, and complete games in {{baseball year|1978}}, and he helped them to a [[World Series]] victory in {{baseball year|1979}}. His 20 [[no decision]]s in 1979 are the most by an MLB starting pitcher in a season, dating back to at least 1908.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/tiny/kIBhn|title=From 1908 to 2018, Recorded no decision, as Starter, sorted by greatest number of games in a single season matching the selected criteria|work=Baseball Reference|access-date=July 14, 2018}}</ref>

Blyleven became disgruntled with the Pirates and threatened to retire during the {{baseball year|1980}} season if he was not traded.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aU8NAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oW0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6455,43613&dq=blyleven+walks+out&hl=en Blyleven Walks Out, Wants Trade] ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', May 1, 1980</ref> The Pirates traded him to the [[Cleveland Indians]] on December 9, 1980. Blyleven sat out most of the {{baseball year|1982}} season with an elbow injury and struggled again in {{baseball year|1983}}, but he came back in {{baseball year|1984}} with one of his best seasons: a 19–7 record with a 2.87 ERA. He missed a second 20-win season that year when he was forced to miss a couple of starts after breaking his foot when joking around in the bullpen. In {{baseball year|1985}} he again led the American League in shutouts with five. That year, he pitched 293.2 innings and completed 24 games, a feat that has not been repeated since.<ref>[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/01/roberto-alomar-bert-blyleven-elected-to-baseball-hall-of-fame.html Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven elected] ''LA Times'' Retrieved May 1, 2011</ref> Blyleven was unhappy playing for the lackluster Indians and forced a trade back to the Twins,<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1985/06/02/indians-blyleven-the-subject-of-angel-trade-talks/ | work=Chicago Tribune | first=Mike | last=Kiley | title=Indians' Blyleven The Subject Of Angel Trade Talks | date=June 2, 1985}}</ref> where he passed the 3,000-strikeout mark and helped the Twins to a [[1987 World Series]] victory.

Blyleven's first two full seasons back with the Twins produced major league records for home runs allowed in a single season (50) and in back-to-back seasons (96). He never surrendered more than 24 home runs in any year before, and after the 1986–87 campaigns, he averaged 21 allowed homers per season over the course of his career.

Blyleven went to the California Angels in {{baseball year|1989}} and pitched a 2.73 ERA for a 17–5 record in his first season; he led the league for his third and final time in shutouts (5). Blyleven missed the entire {{baseball year|1991}} season following [[rotator cuff]] surgery. He came back in {{baseball year|1992}} but was mostly unproductive, going 8–12 with a 4.74 ERA. He retired following that season with a career 287–250 record with 3,701 strikeouts and a 3.31 ERA. Only 16 other pitchers have at least 3,000 career strikeouts. He tried out for the Twins again in the spring of {{baseball year|1993}}, but did not make the squad, which made his retirement official. He pitched for the MLB All-Stars in the 1993 [[World Port Tournament]] in Rotterdam.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

[[MLB Hall of Fame]] [[third baseman]] [[Brooks Robinson]] said of Blyleven: "[his curveball] was nasty, I'll tell you that. Enough to make your knees buckle. Bert was a terrific pitcher—a dominating pitcher."<ref>[http://www.baseball-almanac.com/quotes/bert_blyleven_quotes.shtml Bert Blyleven Quotes<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

Blyleven was a pitching coach for the Netherlands in the [[2009 World Baseball Classic]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idUSTRE50S4HG20090129 |title=Ponson to play for Netherlands in World Classic |access-date=January 29, 2009 |author=Steve Ginsburg |work=Reuters |date=January 29, 2009 }}</ref> He returned in his role for 2013, 2017 and 2023.<ref name=":0" />

==Honors==
{{MLBBioRet
|Image  = BertBlylevenTwins.png
|Name   = Bert Blyleven
|Number = 28
|Team   = Minnesota Twins
|Year   = 2011
}}
After his first year of [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]] eligibility in 1998, Blyleven was widely considered to be the best eligible pitcher not yet enshrined. According to [[Matt Welch]] of ''[[Reason Magazine]]'', "there had long been a strong case that the Dutch-born curveballista was the most deserving player on the outside of [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Cooperstown]] looking in."<ref name=Welch>[[Matt Welch|Welch, Matt]] (January 5, 2011) [http://reason.com/blog/2011/01/05/how-a-part-time-blogger-change How a Part-Time Blogger Changed the Face of Baseball's Hall of Fame], ''[[Reason Magazine|Reason]]''</ref> Still, it was not until his 14th year of eligibility, in {{bhofy|2011}}, that he was elected; he received 79.7% of the vote. He currently ranks 5th all-time in strikeouts, 9th all-time in shutouts, and 27th all-time in wins. At the time of his election, he was the only eligible member of the [[3,000 strikeout club]] and the only pitcher with 50 or more shutouts not in the Hall of Fame.

Blyleven received only 17.55% of the vote for Hall of Fame admission in [[1998 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1998]] (his first year of eligibility), and his vote total dropped to 14.1% in [[1999 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1999]]. No player who had debuted on the ballot since 1970 had a vote total that low and later won election to the Hall. However, ''[[ESPN.com]]'' columnist [[Jayson Stark]] said, "No player has ever—and again, that word is 'ever'—had his Hall of Fame candidacy helped more by the [[sabermetrics]] boom than Blyleven."<ref name=Stark>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/hof11/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=5970093 |title=Bert Blyleven, Roberto Alomar so close |first=Jayson |last=Stark |work=ESPN.com |date=December 31, 2010 |access-date=January 5, 2011}}</ref> Specifically, according to Welch, "the president and chief investment officer of Lederer & Associates Investment Counsel in [[Long Beach, California]], a guy by the name of Rich Lederer, began spending some of his off-hours writing analysis on the [[Internet|Interwebs]] about Blyleven's overlooked case."<ref name=Welch/>

By [[2006 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|2006]], his total had increased to 53.33%. In [[2007 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|2007]], Blyleven's total dipped to 47.7% (75% is the minimum required for admission to the Hall). In [[2008 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|2008]], he received 336 votes, or 61.9% of the vote.<ref>[http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080108&content_id=2341502&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb The Official Site of Major League Baseball: News: Major League Baseball News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In [[2009 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|2009]], he gained only two votes, for a total of 338, 62.7%. In [[2010 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|2010]], Blyleven had 74.2% of the votes, missing admission to the Hall of Fame by only 5 votes (0.8%).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090112&content_id=10819&vkey=hof_news |title=Henderson, Rice elected to Hall of Fame |publisher=National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum |access-date=August 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123045419/http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090112&content_id=10819&vkey=hof_news |archive-date=January 23, 2009 }}</ref>

Blyleven was inducted to the Hall of Fame in [[2011 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|2011]] after receiving 79.7% of the vote on his 14th attempt.<ref>[http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/112949224.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aU1yDEmP:QMDCinchO7DU Blyleven Gets the Call From Cooperstown]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110109144430/http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/112949224.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O%3ADW3ckUiD3aPc%3A_Yyc%3AaU1yDEmP%3AQMDCinchO7DU |date=January 9, 2011 }} ''Star Tribune'' Retrieved May 1, 2011</ref> "It's been 14 years of praying and waiting," he said on a conference call from Fort Myers, Florida. "I thank the baseball writers of America for, I'm going to say, finally getting it right."<ref>Tyler Kepner,[https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/06/sports/baseball/06hall.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=bert%20blyleven&st=cse Alomar and Blyleven elected to Hall of Fame], ''New York Times'', 1/5/11</ref> Blyleven was the first Dutch-born player inducted, and his Hall of Fame plaque depicts him with a Minnesota Twins cap.

Blyleven was inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame in 2002<ref>[http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/112949224.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O%3ADW3ckUiD3aPc%3A_Yyc%3AaU1yDEmP%3AQMDCinchO7DU Gallery – Blyleven inducted into Twins Hall of Fame] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110109144430/http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/112949224.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O%3ADW3ckUiD3aPc%3A_Yyc%3AaU1yDEmP%3AQMDCinchO7DU |date=January 9, 2011 }}</ref> and was chosen to the fan-elected "Wendy's- Minnesota Twins All-Metrodome Team" on July 28, 2009. On July 16, 2011, the [[Minnesota Twins]] formally retired Blyleven's number.<ref>[http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110127&content_id=16517646&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb Twins to immortalize Blyleven by retiring No. 28] MLB.com</ref>

In 2020, ''[[The Athletic]]'' ranked Blyleven at number 71 on its "Baseball 100" list, complied by sportswriter [[Joe Posnanski]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Posnanski |first1=Joe |title=The Baseball 100: No. 71, Bert Blyleven |url=https://theathletic.com/1516552/2020/01/16/the-baseball-100-no-71-bert-blyleven/ |magazine=[[The Athletic]] |date=January 16, 2020}}</ref>

==Broadcasting career==
[[File:Bert Blyleven 2011.jpg|thumb|180px|Blyleven answering questions in March 2011]]
In {{baseball year|1996}}, Blyleven became a television [[color analyst]] for the Twins, calling games for [[WCCO-TV]] and Midwest Sports Channel (later [[Fox Sports North]]). Blyleven's commentary was occasionally risqué for a baseball broadcast but provided interesting and friendly conversation between him and play-by-play announcer [[Dick Bremer]]. 

One of his trademarks was circling fans with the [[telestrator]] on screen. Fans—both at home and at road games—carried signs to the games saying "Circle me Bert". This led to a fundraising campaign with the Parkinson's Foundation and a sponsorship with the [[Minnesota Lottery]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Varda |first=Maija |date=2018-03-27 |title=FSN ending "Circle Me Bert" tradition during Twins broadcasts |url=https://www.twinkietown.com/2018/3/27/17171006/fsn-to-end-circle-me-bert-blyleven-tradition-during-minnesota-twins-mlb-broadcasts |access-date=2024-09-13 |website=Twinkie Town |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=staff |first=Naples Daily News |title=Twins' Bert Blyleven, a Fort Myers resident, moves from broadcast booth |url=https://www.naplesnews.com/story/sports/mlb/2020/09/03/minnesota-twins-bert-blyleven-moves-broadcast-booth/5702397002/ |access-date=2024-09-13 |website=Naples Daily News |language=en-US}}</ref> When announcing partner Bremer attempted to circle fans with the telestrator, he drew geometric forms that were non-circular, and Blyleven and fans started to jostle Bremer with phrases like "Rhombus me, Dick" or "Triangle me, Dick".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://virtualmagic.blogspot.com/2006/10/bert-blyleven.html |title=Virtual Magic: Bert Blyleven |access-date=January 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310182632/http://virtualmagic.blogspot.com/2006/10/bert-blyleven.html |archive-date=March 10, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On September 3, 2006, Blyleven accidentally used two profanities on air during a game against the [[New York Yankees]] because he believed the broadcast was being taped rather than aired live. [[FSN North]] suspended Blyleven five games for the incident, stating: "Bert would never do this intentionally. Having said that, there are consequences for our actions, and we feel this is an appropriate consequence."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-09-07 |title=Blyleven suspended three more broadcasts for swearing |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=2576767 |access-date=2024-09-13 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref>

On September 2, 2020, Blyleven broadcast his final game for the Twins.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jacobsen |first1=Jeremiah |title=Longtime Twins broadcaster Bert Blyleven hangs up the mic |url=https://www.kare11.com/article/sports/mlb/twins/longtime-twins-broadcaster-bert-blyleven-hangs-up-the-mic/89-14e2813e-1ce1-4699-829e-73f1f89f2295 |website=kare11.com |date=September 2, 2020 |access-date=September 3, 2020}}</ref>

==Personal life==
He currently resides in [[Fort Myers, Florida]].

Blyleven appeared as himself in the 1990 [[James Belushi]] film ''[[Taking Care of Business (film)|Taking Care of Business]]''.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103035/ Taking Care of Business (1990)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> During a 2006 broadcast, Blyleven forgot the name of the movie and had to be reminded of it by a technician in the broadcast booth.

Blyleven was one of baseball's most notorious dugout pranksters during his playing days. He earned the moniker "Frying Dutchman" by frequently setting fire to his teammates' shoelaces, a practical joke known as a "[[hot foot]]". During his time with the Angels, the fire extinguisher in the team's clubhouse at [[Angel Stadium]] read: "In case of Blyleven: Pull".

Blyleven did not know his correct name until he was about to get married. He had thought all his life his given name was "Rikaalbert". He learned that his name actually was Rik Aalbert Blijleven after obtaining a copy of his birth certificate in order to get married.<ref>Source: book ''Baseball—a Laughing Matter'', by Warner Fusselle, [[Rick Wolff (writer)|Rick Wolff]] and Brian Zevnik of ''[[The Sporting News]]'' (1987)</ref>

==Career statistics==
{| class="wikitable"
!Category
![[Win (baseball)|W]]
!L
!PCT
![[Earned run average|ERA]]
![[Games played|G]]
![[Games started|GS]]
![[Complete game|CG]]
![[Shutouts in baseball|SHO]]
![[Save (baseball)|SV]]
![[Innings pitched|IP]]
![[Hit (baseball)|H]]
![[Earned run|ER]]
![[Run (baseball)|R]]
![[Home run|HR]]
![[Base on balls|BB]]
![[Strikeout|K]]
![[Wild pitch|WP]]
![[Hit by pitch|HBP]]
|-
|Total
|287
|250
|.534
|3.31
|692
|685
|242
|60
|0
|4970
|4632
|1830
|2029
|430
|1322
|3701
|114
|155
|}

==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]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite magazine|author=Wulf, Steve  |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1985/01/28/baseballs-dutch-treat |title=Baseball's Dutch Treat |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |date= January 28, 1985}}
* {{cite news |last1=Kepner |first1=Tyler |title=Blyleven Is the Hall of Fame's Merry Prankster |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/07/sports/baseball/07hall.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 6, 2011}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Bert Blyleven}}
{{wikiquote}}
*{{baseballstats|espn=519|mlb=111126|br=b/blylebe01|fangraphs=1001098|brm=blylev001rik|retro=B/Pblylb101}}
*{{Official website|http://www.bertblyleven.com BertBlyleven.com}}
*{{bbhof|blyleven-bert}}
*{{sabrbio|bert-blyleven}}
*{{IMDb name|0089990}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach}}
{{Succession box
|title=[[List of Major League Baseball no-hitters|No-hitter pitcher]]
|years=September 22, 1977
|before=[[Dennis Eckersley]]
|after=[[Bob Forsch]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Navboxes
|list1=
{{2011 Baseball HOF}}
{{Baseball Hall of Fame members}}
{{1979 Pittsburgh Pirates}}
{{1987 Minnesota Twins}}
{{Netherlands 2009 World Baseball Classic roster}}
{{Netherlands 2013 World Baseball Classic roster}}
{{Netherlands 2017 World Baseball Classic roster}}
{{Netherlands roster 2023 World Baseball Classic}}
{{Sporting News MLB Rookie of the year}}
{{AL Comeback Players of the Year}}
{{AL strikeout champions}}
{{3000 strikeout club}}
{{Minnesota Twins HOF}}
{{Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame}}
{{Minnesota Twins retired numbers}}
{{Cleveland Indians Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{Minnesota Twins Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{Texas Rangers Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{Pittsburgh Pirates Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{Major League Baseball on Fox}}
}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Baseball|Netherlands}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blyleven, Bert}}
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American expatriate baseball players in Canada]]
[[Category:American League All-Stars]]
[[Category:American League strikeout champions]]
[[Category:Baseball coaches from California]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Garden Grove, California]]
[[Category:California Angels players]]
[[Category:Cleveland Indians players]]
[[Category:Dutch emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Edmonton Trappers players]]
[[Category:Evansville Triplets players]]
[[Category:Gulf Coast Twins players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball broadcasters]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball players from the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball players with retired numbers]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:Midland Angels players]]
[[Category:Minnesota Twins announcers]]
[[Category:Minnesota Twins players]]
[[Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Orlando Twins players]]
[[Category:People from Zeist]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players]]
[[Category:Texas Rangers players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Utrecht (province)]]