Vida Blue       Tommy John        Tom Seaver        Gaylord Perry

Vida Blue

Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. (born July 28, 1949-died May 6, 2023) is a former Major League Baseball 

left-handed pitcher. In a 17-year career, he played for the Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, 

and Kansas City Royals. Blue had a 24-8 record in 1971, winning both the Cy Young and MVP awards. 

He also led the American League in complete games (24), shutouts (8) and Earned run average (1.82). 

Only one other starting pitcher, Roger Clemens in 1986, has since won an MVP Award. That season, the

Athletics won the American League West title for the franchise's first postseason berth since the

Philadelphia Athletics in the 1931 World Series. He was the youngest American League player in the

20th Century to win the MVP Award. He was the starting pitcher for the American League in the 1971

All-Star Game, and for the National League in the 1978 All-Star Game.  When Vida died, he was still

working as an Ambassador for the Giants. 

Tommy John

Thomas Edward John Jr. (born May 22, 1943) is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League

Baseball whose 288 career victories rank as the seventh highest total among left-handers in major

league history. He is also known for the revolutionary surgery, now named after him, which was

performed on a damaged ligament in his pitching arm. John was originally signed by the Cleveland

Indians, making his major league debut in 1963. Of his 26-year major league career, he is best

remembered for his seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1970s. He made appearances in

the All-Star Game in 1968, 1978, 1979, and 1980. He played in all three Yankees vs. Dodgers World

Series of his era (1977, 1978 and 1981). His 10-10 record in 1976 was considered "miraculous" but

John went on to pitch until 1989, winning 164 games after his surgery.

Tom Seaver

George Thomas "Tom" Seaver (born November 17, 1944-died August 31, 2020), nicknamed "Tom Terrific" 

and "The Franchise", is a legendary Major League Baseball pitcher.  He pitched from 1967-1986 for four

different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets.  During a 

20-year career, Seaver compiled 311 wins, 3,640 strikeouts, 61 shutouts and a 2.86 earned run

average. In 1992, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the highest percentage

ever recorded (98.8%), and has the only plaque at Cooperstown wearing a New York Mets hat. As of

2010, Tom Seaver and Gil Hodges are the only Met players to have their jersey numbers retired by

the team. Seaver won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1967, and three NL Cy

Young Awards as the league's best pitcher. Seaver is the Mets' all-time leader in wins, and is

considered by many baseball experts as one of the best starting pitchers in the history of baseball

Gaylord Perry

Gaylord Jackson Perry (born September 15, 1938 in Williamston, North Carolina-died December 1, 2022) 

was a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1962-1983 for eight different 

teams in his career. During a 22-year baseball career, Perry compiled 314 wins, 3,534 strikeouts, and a 3.11

earned run average. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991.  Perry, a five-time All-Star, 

was the first pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in each league, winning it in the American League in 

1972 with the Cleveland Indians and in the National League in 1978 with the San Diego Padres. He is 

also distinguished, along with his brother Jim, for being the second-winningest brother combination 

in baseball history—second only to the knuckleballing Niekro brothers, Phil and Joe. While pitching for 

the Seattle Mariners in 1982, Perry became the fifteenth member of the 300 win club.