Bert Blyleven was born in Zeist, Netherlands and moved to the United States as a young boy.
Raised in Southern California, he was introduced to baseball when his father took him to see Sandy Koufax pitch for the famed Los Angeles Dodgers. Dad also constructed a pitching mound and makeshift backstop for Blyleven to practice in the family's backyard.
All the hard work and dedication paid off as Blyleven was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the third round of the 1969 draft and wasted no time making an impact in the big leagues, becoming the youngest pitcher in the majors when he was called up in June of 1970. He shined early on and was named AL Rookie Pitcher of the Year by the Sporting News.
Blyleven's curveball was considered the nastiest and most effective of the era and he was one of the most durable right-handers in baseball history. Over a 22-year career, he had 3,700 strikeouts, the third most in history, 287 wins, 60 shutouts and 242 complete games. The two-time All-Star won the World Series with the 1979 Pirates and the 1987 Twins. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011.
In this exclusive interview that appeared in SCD by Tony Reid, Blyleven talks about his 1971 Topps rookie card, his collection of complete sets and the memorable fans in Minnesota.
