VIDA WHO? VIDA BLUE!

 

by Scott Soriano

As a kid who grew up in a city without a Major League ball team, there were only a few things to consider when picking a favorite team. A Sacramentan had the following to mull over when making this life changing decision:

1. Localism I: Does one go for one of the two Bay Area teams, the Oakland A’s or the San Francisco Giants.
2. Localism II: Does one follow the team of a Sacramento player – Larry Bowa’s Phillies, Dusty Baker’s Braves, for instance.
3. Your Parent’s Favorite Team: Sacramento has always been a town of people who came from some other place. In my parent’s case, the place was Upstate New York. My mom could give a rat’s ass about sports, but my dad was a die-hard Yankees fan.
4. Whomever the Sacramento Solons were affiliated with: Our minor league team, at the time of my youth, housed in the cozy confines of Hughes Stadium (insane to think that Pink Floyd or Roger Waters’ hijacked version of them played there) and affiliated with the Milwaukee Brewers.
5. The Outfits: Not just the uniforms but the overall look.

For me the decision came down to one thing, with a few others to back it up. My dad’s favorite team was the New York Yankees and pray to the devil if it was gonna be mine. Not only would I not root for my dad’s team but my crap-assed disposition dictated that I find a team that would crush his on a regular basis. That, localism and one other key thing pointed to the Oakland Athletics being my team. The key thing? The Oakland A’s not only had the fanciest uniforms (gold tops and white shoes!) but my A’s wore moustaches! Oh, and the elephant mascot on the uni, can’t forget that!

One other thing about them A’s are the names: Sal Bando, Joe Rudi, Campy Campaneris, Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers, and, especially, Vida Blue. Vida Blue was my favorite. Blue had style. Blue threw hard. According to Pete Rose, Blue’s fast ball was the toughest he ever faced. Bill James puts Blue as the second hardest thrower of his era, behind Nolan Ryan. In 1971, his first full year, Blue won 24 games and both the Cy Young and AL MVP.  The Indians’ Chris Chambliss won the Rookie of the Year but it should have went to Blue. A six time All Star, Blue should be in the Hall of Fame. Some say numbers keep him out, but that is BS. What has kept him out is Blue’s dive into drug addiction at the end of his career and the HOF’s idiotic morality play (I mean, if Ty Cobb stays in, everyone should be considered). Perhaps advanced stats will put Blue where he belongs.

If Vida Blue never gets into the Baseball Hall of Fame, he certainly deserves a plaque in the Baseball Music Hall of Fame. Vida Blue was such a sensation that he inspired two of the funkiest baseball songs ever. Both titled Vida Blue, Jimmy Bee’s insanely rare single is a James Brown-style funk classic (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHw8zikOub8). In 1971, Tri City Records released a split single with Albert Jones’ funky blues groove (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs_8KRZZd2Y), the flip being a Country Western tribute to Blue. 

Vida who? Vida Blue! That’s right!