PITTSBURGH — Bud Black’s eyes lit up and a huge smile broke out when he was asked about the late, great Vida Blue.
Then Black started telling stories, including one about a memorable New York Post headline. More on that in a moment.
“Vida Blue was a great teammate and a great guy,” the Rockies manager said Monday before his team played the Pirates. “He was wonderful to me. We were both left-handed pitchers and he was a sounding board for me.”
Black was a 25-year-old rookie with Kansas City when Oakland traded Blue, 32, to the Royals in 1982. The two were teammates for two seasons.
On Aug. 16 that year, Blue pitched the first game of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium and Black pitched the second. The Yankees won the first game, 2-0, on Lee Mazzilli’s two-run home run.
In Game 2, the Royals lost, 4-3, with Black giving up two runs on five hits. Both runs came on solo homers, one by Lou Piniella, and the other by Dave Winfield.
“The next day in the New York Post: ‘Yankees pound Royals, Black and Blue,’” Black recalled.
“He was great, I loved ‘True,’ Black continued. “I called him Vida, but a lot of guys on the Royals called him ‘True,’ as is ‘True Blue.’ ”
Blue, a fireballer with a high leg kick, became the youngest MVP in major league history in 1971 and helped the Athletics win three consecutive World Series championships from 1972-74. He died on Saturday at age 73.
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