Steve Blass
Encyclopedia
Stephen Robert "Steve" Blass (born April 18, 1942) is a former Major League Baseball
right-handed pitcher
and a current broadcast
announcer for the Pittsburgh Pirates
.
, Connecticut
. In a 10-year career, Blass posted a 103-76 record with 896 strikeout
s and a 3.63 ERA
in 1597 innings pitched.
Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in , Blass made his major league debut in , joining the team permanently in . He won 18 games in , including a 2.12 ERA with seven shutout
s, both career-highs, and in won 16 with a career-high 147 strikeout
s. From 1969-72, Blass won 60 games, with a career-high 19 victories in . In that season, he made the National League All-Star
team.
In the 1971 World Series
against the Baltimore Orioles
, Blass pitched two complete game
wins
, allowing only seven hits
and two runs
in 18 innings. He finished second in the voting for World Series MVP
behind teammate Roberto Clemente
.
84 batters in 88 innings, and struck out only 27. Blass suffered through the 1973 season, then spent most of 1974 in the minor leagues. He retired from baseball in March ; two months later writer Roger Angell
chronicled Blass's travails in an essay in The New Yorker
.
A condition referred to as "Steve Blass Disease" has become a part of baseball lexicon. The "diagnosis" is applied to talented players who inexplicably and permanently seem to lose their ability to accurately throw a baseball. The fielder's variant of "Steve Blass Disease" is sometimes referred to in baseball terminology as "Steve Sax
Syndrome".
Notable victims of "Steve Blass Disease" include Rick Ankiel
and Dontrelle Willis
.
Steve was later cured of this disease by Dr. Richard Crowley.
, earning a full-time post in . He is known for his affable nature and knowledge of the game . Before the season, he announced that he would only announce home games onward so as to spend more time with his family .
On September 10, 2009, Steve Blass recorded 2 holes-in-one during a single 18 hole round of golf.
He was inducted into the Kinston Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in .
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
right-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
and a current broadcast
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
announcer for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
.
Playing career
Blass was born in CanaanCanaan, Connecticut
Canaan is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,081 at the 2000 census. The town of Canaan is often referred to locally by the name of its principal constituent village, Falls Village.-Geography:...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. In a 10-year career, Blass posted a 103-76 record with 896 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s and a 3.63 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in 1597 innings pitched.
Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in , Blass made his major league debut in , joining the team permanently in . He won 18 games in , including a 2.12 ERA with seven shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s, both career-highs, and in won 16 with a career-high 147 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s. From 1969-72, Blass won 60 games, with a career-high 19 victories in . In that season, he made the National League All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
team.
In the 1971 World Series
1971 World Series
The 1971 World Series matched the defending champion Baltimore Orioles against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the Pirates winning in seven games. Game 4, played in Pittsburgh, was the first-ever World Series game scheduled to be played at night....
against the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, Blass pitched two complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
wins
Baseball statistics
Statistics play an important role in summarizing baseball performance and evaluating players in the sport.Since the flow of a baseball game has natural breaks to it, and normally players act individually rather than performing in clusters, the sport lends itself to easy record-keeping and statistics...
, allowing only seven hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
and two runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
in 18 innings. He finished second in the voting for World Series MVP
World Series MVP Award
The World Series Most Valuable Player Award is given to the player deemed to have the most impact on his team's performance in the World Series, which is the final round of the Major League Baseball postseason...
behind teammate Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. Clemente played his entire 18-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He was awarded the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in...
.
Steve Blass Disease
Besides his Series performance, Blass is best known for his sudden and inexplicable loss of control after the season. His ERA climbed to 9.81 in the season. He walkedBase on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
84 batters in 88 innings, and struck out only 27. Blass suffered through the 1973 season, then spent most of 1974 in the minor leagues. He retired from baseball in March ; two months later writer Roger Angell
Roger Angell
Roger Angell is an American essayist. He has been a regular contributor to The New Yorker and was its chief fiction editor for many years...
chronicled Blass's travails in an essay in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
.
A condition referred to as "Steve Blass Disease" has become a part of baseball lexicon. The "diagnosis" is applied to talented players who inexplicably and permanently seem to lose their ability to accurately throw a baseball. The fielder's variant of "Steve Blass Disease" is sometimes referred to in baseball terminology as "Steve Sax
Steve Sax
Stephen Louis Sax is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball. He was a right-handed batter for the Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Yankees , Chicago White Sox , and the Oakland Athletics ....
Syndrome".
Notable victims of "Steve Blass Disease" include Rick Ankiel
Rick Ankiel
Richard Alexander Ankiel is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently with the Washington Nationals. He bats and throws left-handed....
and Dontrelle Willis
Dontrelle Willis
Dontrelle Wayne Willis , nicknamed "The D-Train", is an American professional baseball pitcher. Willis is notable for his success during his first few years in the league and for his unconventional pitching style, which includes a high leg kick and exaggerated twisting away from the batter...
.
Steve was later cured of this disease by Dr. Richard Crowley.
Post-playing career
Blass joined the Pirates' TV and radio broadcast team in as a part-time color commentatorColor commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
, earning a full-time post in . He is known for his affable nature and knowledge of the game . Before the season, he announced that he would only announce home games onward so as to spend more time with his family .
On September 10, 2009, Steve Blass recorded 2 holes-in-one during a single 18 hole round of golf.
He was inducted into the Kinston Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in .