Where have you gone, Vida Blue?

The Oakland A’s lefthander recently passed away at the age of 73. He was one of the game’s best pitchers in the 70s.

In this week’s version of my Yesterday column - a look back to the 1960s, 70s, 80s and sometimes beyond - I’ll recall some dominant pitchers from the 1960s and 70s, and write about some pop-culture items that had their stay in our lives.

Do you remember a popular tube of plastic? Who were the “Kangaroo Kid” and the “Rifle?” I’ll answer those questions and more in today’s Yesterday column.

They Ruled the Game ... Blue was a six-time All-Star and the first of only five pitchers to start both the All-Star Game for American League (1971) and National League (1978). The lefthander had an incredible 24–8 record, posted a league-leading 1.82 ERA, pitched eight shutouts, hurled 24 complete games and struck out 301 batters - winning both the Cy Young and MVP Award in 1971. The following year, Blue led his team to the first of three consecutive World Series titles.

Along with Blue, Steve Carlton should quickly come to mind as a dominant pitcher during that era. “Lefty” was always productive, chewing up an average of 274 innings annually. Carlton won 178 games in the 70s, and he accumulated 101 wins from 1976 to ‘79 during the Phillies’ run in the NL East.

The Cardinals’ Bob Gibson, who was known for his fierce fastball, is also on that list. Gibson had an unbelievable season in 1968 when he was 22-9 with a 1.12 ERA – not a typo – with 268 strikeouts in 304.2 innings. He completed 28 of his 34 starts and had 13 shutouts. From the beginning of June until the end of July, Gibson won 11 games with eight shutouts and had a 0.27 ERA during that span.

I never saw Sandy Koufax pitch, but he surely dominated during his short career. Another great pitcher who may have slipped our memories was the Giants’ Juan Marichal. The high-kick righthander won 243 career games in 16 years, including winning 202 games from 1962-71. He had a 25-8 mark in ‘63 and was 26-9 in ‘68. I remember Marichal in the early 70s on some mediocre Giants’ teams, watching games televised from Candlestick Park.

When speaking about top pitchers in the 70s, you should include the Yankees’ Ron Guidry and the Padres’ Randy Jones - even though Jones had a short stint of domination mainly due to a nerve injury.

Guidry spent his entire 14-career with the Yankees, and he became a household name with his banner ‘78 year in which he went 25-3 with a 1.74 ERA, He had 16 complete games, nine shutouts, and 248 strikeouts. Guidry had a 22-5 season in ‘85 and finished his career with 170 wins.

Jones came out of obscurity when he won 20 games (20-12) with a 2.24 ERA in 1975, and followed with a workhorse 22-14 campaign during which he was 16-3 at the All-Star break. He tossed 315 innings that season.

There were plenty of others like Tom Seaver, Jim Palmer, Catfish Hunter, Bert Blylven, Nolan Ryan, Fergie Jenkins, Jim Kaat, Wilbur Wood, and Tommy John who you could make cases for as dominant pitchers during that era.

Do you also remember how most of these guys always pitched on a Sunday? It was the usual showcase day for your top gun.

Kangaroo Kid ... One standout from the late 60s and 70s was former 76ers player and head coach Billy Cunningham, who averaged 21.4 points and 10.4 rebounds in 11 seasons in the NBA and ABA.

Cunningham won a title as a player in ‘67, and as a coach in ‘83. He had a coaching slate of 650-454 in eight seasons, and his winning percentage was .698 - second only to Phil Jackson.

Lots of Bubbles ... During the 70s and throughout most of the 80s, Wham-O - a popular company back then - produced Super Elastic Bubble Plastic. I may have had it once or twice, but it didn’t provide a lasting memory.

It was a tube of viscous plastic with a thin straw to blow fairly solid bubbles. The bubbles could be removed by pinching the hole closed and sealing the air inside.

The item proved to be another simple, safe, and effective toy that kept us amused.

In 1976, ABC released the made for TV movie “The Boy in the Plastic Bubble,” which starred John Travolta and was a hit. Travolta already was a household name for his role as Vinny Barbarino in “Welcome Back Kotter.” A year later, Travolta became a superstar for his role in “Saturday Night Fever.”

Seinfeld did a skit from it with a “Bubbleboy” episode in which George deflated him.

TV Movies ... Speaking about movies, ABC had a successful stint with its “Movie of the Week” in the 70s. Many of them were unforgettable, and legendary classics such as “Trilogy of Terror,” “Duel” and Brian’s Song.”

CBS followed suit with its “Saturday Night at the Movies”, and NBC had its “Mystery Movie.”

A Philly “Rifle” ... Reggie “the Rifle” Leach, who the Flyers acquired from the California Golden Seals, was a dominant scorer for the team in the 70s, and played a pivotal role in their two Stanley Cups.

Leach won the Conn Smythe Trophy on May 11, 1976, as the playoffs’ MVP after he set a record for most goals in a playoff series (19), a mark that still stands today.

Another Classic Game ... In 1980, Sears released its Electronic Baseball Game - a time when the market was flooded with similar types of games.

This one had a button for the batter, and it also had a steal button. One factor that made it unique was the game contained score sheets for you and your opponent.

I never had the game, but I was simply intrigued that it contained score sheets to track the game.

Memory Lane ... Every week, I will recall a former player, coach, manager, or media member from our yesterday,

Do you remember Doug Collins? He was the 76ers’ No. 1 draft pick in 1973 from Illinois State, and he played with the team from 1973-81 before his career was cut short due to a series of foot injuries. Collins averaged 17.9 points per game.

Collins went on to a successful coaching career that began with Chicago in 1986. He also has stops with Detroit, Washington, and finally in Philadelphia, where he generated a 110-120 record in three seasons and an 8-10 playoff record.

Feedback ...Your comments, thoughts, and ideas are always welcomed at tnsports@tnonline.com