SAN FRANCISCO — In 1981, there was “Fernandomania” as Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Fernando Valenzuela captured the imagination of baseball fans everywhere and drew crowds both at home and on the road.
The year 1976 belonged to Mark “The Bird” Fidrych, of the Detroit Tigers, who like Valenzuela came out of nowhere to become a national phenomenon.
Before both of them was Vida Blue, who in 1971 became a national celebrity at age 21 for the Athletics.
Blue passed away Saturday night at age 73.
Giants play-by-play broadcaster Jon Miller had a unique vantage point, seeing Blue in the stands as a teenager growing up in Hayward and later as a fledgling announcer. In 1974, Miller was on the A’s broadcast team. Blue was 17-15, coming off a 20-win season.
“The A’s got bigger crowds at the Coliseum when he pitched and they sold out the ballpark all over the league,” Miller said Sunday before the Giants closed out a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Oracle Park. “When he pitched in Fenway Park for the first time, you couldn’t get a ticket. The scalpers were in heaven.”
Miller grew up a Giants fan, but attended A’s games because of the proximity to his home as well as the chance to see a developing team that would win three straight World Series titles in 1972-73-74.
Blue pitched nine years with the A’s, going 124-86, and six seasons with the Giants in two stints, arriving in a blockbuster trade in 1978 and pitching through 1981, and then finishing his playing career with the Giants in 1985-86. He started the 1978 All-Star game as a Giant — as he had in 1971 with the A’s, and was 72-58 in San Francisco.
Miller’s memories of Blue were enhanced by what he learned from A’s teammates in his year with Oakland.
“Reggie Jackson told me that if they’d had the radar gun at that time, Vida would have easily hit 100,” Miller said. “He had a big leg kick, but an easy release. Didn’t look like it was max effort. But the ball would just explode on you. Guys couldn’t not react to it.”
In 1971, Blue was 17-3 at the All-Star break and finished 24-8, winning both the A.L. Most Valuable Player and Cy Young awards. But as was the case when Reggie Jackson went into the All-Star break with 38 home runs and finished with 47 in 1969, Blue got into a bitter contract holdout with owner Charles O. Finley.
“I think for Reggie it was a coming of age and the reality of the business, and then the same thing happened to Vida,” Miller said. “It was really kind of a tragedy. In those days, owners shared in tickets sold on road games, part of the gate. Vida was packing crowds all over the country and Finley refused to budge, even insulted him in the papers. I think it hardened Vida, as it did Reggie.”
When Blue crossed the Bay for six players and cash in 1978, it gave a lift to a franchise that had four sub.-500 seasons before his arrival. The Giants won 89 games, finishing behind the Dodgers, but competed in the National League West as a contender for much of the season. Blue was 18-10.
“They came out of nowhere, largely because of Vida,” Miller said. “It was a great trade. All of a sudden, the Giants were in the conversation.”
WOOD STARTS REHAB
Left-handed starter Alex Wood began a rehab assignment Sunday in Triple-A Sacramento, throwing 46 pitches over 3 2/3 innings against Las Vegas. He allowed six hits and one earned run.
Manager Gabe Kapler is taking a wait-and-see approach as to when Wood would be available. He has been on the injured list with a left hamstring strain since April 19.
“We’re going to take it one start at a time,” Kapler said. Let’s just get through one start and see where we are.”
NOTABLE
— Third baseman J.D. Davis was out of the lineup for a rest day and catcher Blake Sabol started in place of Joey Bart.
“It’s just getting J.D. off his feet, he plays so hard and so aggressively,” Kapler said. “Just want to make sure we’re treating him right, getting him rest.”
Wilmer Flores started at third base in place of Davis.
— Reliever John Brebbia, who uncharacteristically lost his command in a ninth-inning relief appearance Saturday night, will be watched for signs of fatigue.
Brebbia was one of several players who returned from the Mexico City trip with an illness and lost approximately 10 pounds.
“Every report I’ve gotten, a lot of it was fatigue and not feeling the strength he normally feels in his legs which led to a lack of command,” Kapler said.