# Vida Blue passed away at age 73 {2023-05-07}

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vida-blue-passed-away-at-age-73-2023-05-07/983708>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Tags:** celebrity-death, baseball-mlb\
**Created:** [May 7, 2023, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vida-blue-passed-away-at-age-73-2023-05-07/983708 "2023-05-07T19:19:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2023, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vida-blue-passed-away-at-age-73-2023-05-07/983708/1 "2023-05-07T19:19:56Z")

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Apparently he was the last Switch Hitter to win the MVP. 1971 when he won both the MVP & Cy Young

He went 24-8 that season with a 1.82 ERA. 312 Innings. 24 Complete Games. He was an amazing pitcher. A great lefty.

> **[Vida Blue, flamethrowing ace of A's dynasty, dies at 73](https://www.mlb.com/news/vida-blue-dies-at-73)**
>
> Vida Blue, a flamethrowing left-hander who became the youngest MVP in AL/NL history in 1971 and helped the Athletics win three straight World Series championships from 1972-74, died on Saturday. He was 73.
> "There are few players with a more decorated...

> <https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1655230900198678529?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet>

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**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2023, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vida-blue-passed-away-at-age-73-2023-05-07/983708/2 "2023-05-07T19:34:25Z")

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The parallels to Doc Gooden’s career are amazing.

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**Author:** ![LoneRhino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lonerhino/32/1311_2.png) [@LoneRhino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LoneRhino)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2023, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vida-blue-passed-away-at-age-73-2023-05-07/983708/3 "2023-05-08T15:26:36Z")

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> [@What\_Exit](#):
>
> Apparently he was the last Switch Hitter to win the MVP.

Pete Rose, a switch hitter, won the MVP in 1973.

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**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2023, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vida-blue-passed-away-at-age-73-2023-05-07/983708/4 "2023-05-08T17:50:28Z")

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Blue was the last switch-hitting MVP in the AL. Willie McGee won it in '85 and Chipper Jones in '99.

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**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2023, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vida-blue-passed-away-at-age-73-2023-05-07/983708/5 "2023-05-08T17:55:37Z")

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I missed a key point. but **BlankSlate** filled it in. Last AL switch hitting MVP.