Vida Blue and the What Might Have Been...

[pachyderm]

I was talking baseball with my boss, he's from Puerto Rico and a Mets fan. No, not the Pirates*, lol. We got to talking about players who we really liked from back in the day and Vida came up.

Vida is one of my all time favorites from any team, any era.

I was really stoked he had such a great year with us in '78.





I felt like '87 would have been a banner year for us and the aging star in his twilight.

But alas it would not be due to another brush with cocaine. "Cocaine is a powerful drug..." - Rick James... Just stupidity on his part and I'd think he would agree ...

I was completely deflated upon hearing the news.

He went 72 - 58 with us overall and I've always felt like there so much promise unfulfilled.

He, and Willie McCovey, were on my bucket list of Giants I desperately wanted to meet one day.



Once again, RIP.



*He's not a big of Clemente fan. :P

 

[LHG]

Vida Blue was before my time as a baseball fan. I didn't get into baseball until 1990. From my understanding, he was a good pitcher but his reputation got derailed with drugs. That is too bad.

 

[pachyderm]

Vida Blue was before my time as a baseball fan. I didn't get into baseball until 1990. From my understanding, he was a good pitcher but his reputation got derailed with drugs. That is too bad.

Sad but true.

And he was treated horribly by A's owner Charlie Finley.
Funny story if you read anything about his contract dispute you'll see President Nixon had his back !