Life full with Curves – Dutch Newspaper speaks with Bert Blyleven

by Pim van Nes

Netherlands nr 1 newspaper De Telegraaf today brings a page wide and long article about home born Bert Blijleven (“Happylife”) and USA top pitcher Bert Blyleven. Sports journalist Jaap de Groot spends these days with his favorite sport in Bradenton Florida, where the national team of the Netherlands prepares for the second World Baseball Classic. At the age of 57 the World Series winner Blyleven, American citizen, will debut as pitching coach on March 7 for the national team of his first citizenship.

Mister Baseball quotes from Jaap de Groot’s baseball article:

He is the only Netherlander who ever won the World Series and even twice. His mother originates from Utrecht and his father from The Hague, but since the age of six Blyleven grew up in California, USA. On March 7 for the first time he will silence and salute the red-white-blue flag and the national hymn of the Netherlands as pitching coach in their first WBC game. A unique moment for Netherlands baseball and for Blyleven himself. Living legend in the USA with 23 Major League seasons, 287 wins and 3701 strikeouts, ranking among the best five pitchers in USA history. An American phenomen in Her Majesty’s service.
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“My debut in the Majors was at the age of 19 with the Minnesota Twins versus the Washington Senators, the team with Frank Howard, my father’s idol. With 2-1 in the first game became also my first victory, but my father wanted to know what I had done versus Howard. When people asked me how pressure charged me in World Series games, I only smiled. Those games were just fun. The efforts of my parents as new immigrants 50 years ago, well that was working under pressure! My father labored hard for little money as a railroad man in order to give daily meat and potatoes to my mother and their seven children. Every evening! That is why my father has always been my best example, instead of some baseball player. Major League players only can be grateful for the talent they were gifted.”
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“At the time I was a self-made pitcher. I was not shaped by coaches. All I had done before was watching TV when Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale pitched, more or less the best pitchers ever with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Observing those two and then pitching, pitching and again pitching. Do you see that brick wall behind my swimming pool over there? That brick is still my strike zone; I was used to aim at for hours at ten and twenty meters distance. That was the way I created a constant fastball, while my curve ball was sharpened by simply watching Koufax. In order to strengthen my lungs and legs, I often ran cross-country. Further I dedicated enough time to yoga and stretching, rather than power training, which is close to useless for pitchers. We need flexibility especially with only some short sessions with light weights.”
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“Early nineties I was faced with batters, who suddenly hit thirty percent further than ever before, for instance Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. That was quite remarkable, because I was still pitching the very same balls as all seasons before. Those were the first symptoms of anabolic steroids combined with heavy power training. Not my cup of tea, as I just liked a good glass of beer after the game. That is why I am glad to see Major League Baseball drastically cleaning our professional baseball nowadays. What somebody like Barry Bonds did at the time was purely fraud.”
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“With all club managers of the Netherlands pitchers I have already had intensive contacts. We have closely checked how practice developments are supposed to look like. For instance with the Florida Marlins I could convince the coaches, that we shall strictly follow the Marlins’ program for Rick van den Hurk. Most of Hoofdklasse pitchers were still unknown to me and the first aspects we work on are the way they attack the strike zone. Personally I like aggressive pitching. A pitcher should not fear the bat. If necessary I will try to modify their style. The main things during this preparation time are three: enjoy the fact that you may play on this level, attack the strike zone as hard as you can and make sure you are fitter than ever.”

Pim van Nes
Baseball writer for
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