What was Vida Blue's net worth, career earnings and salary?
Vida Blue was a retired American professional baseball player who has a net worth of $1.5 million. During his career, Vida earned a total of $1.4 million in salary. His biggest paycheck came in 1986 when he earned $450,000 from the Giants. That's the same as earning around $1 million in today's dollars.
Vida Blue made his Major League Baseball debut for the Oakland As in 1969 and played for the team until 1977. He played for the San Francisco Giants from 1978 to 1981, the Kansas City Royals from 1982 to 1983, and the San Francisco Giants again from 1985 to 1986. He was a three time World Series champion from 1972 to 1974.
Vida Blue was a six time MLB All-Star and pitched a no-hitter on September 21, 1970. He also pitched a combined no-hitter on September 28, 1975. Blue won the AL MVP and AL Cy Young Award in 1971 when he was also the AL ERA leader. He was inducted into the San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame.
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Major League Baseball Career
After spending three years honing his skills in the minor leagues, Blue made his MLB debut on July 20, 1970, with the Oakland Athletics. In his first full season in 1971, Blue captivated the baseball world with his incredible pitching performances, which included a no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins on September 21. That season, he won 24 games, posted a remarkable 1.82 earned run average (ERA), and struck out 301 batters, earning him the American League Cy Young Award and the American League Most Valuable Player award. Blue was the youngest player to win both awards in the same season and became the first African American pitcher to win the MVP.
Vida Blue continued to be a dominant force on the mound in the early 1970s, helping the Oakland Athletics win three consecutive World Series titles from 1972 to 1974. His success did not go unnoticed, as he was named to the All-Star team in each of those years, and again in 1975.
In 1978, Blue was traded to the San Francisco Giants, where he would spend the next six seasons. With the Giants, Blue continued to rack up impressive statistics and accolades, including two more All-Star selections in 1978 and 1981. His performance in the 1981 All-Star game, where he struck out five batters in just three innings, earned him the All-Star Game MVP award.
Blue's final stop in his MLB career came in 1982 when he was traded to the Kansas City Royals. He played for the Royals for two seasons before returning to the Giants in 1985. Vida Blue retired from professional baseball in 1986, finishing his career with 209 wins, a 3.27 ERA, and 2,175 strikeouts.
