Garden Grove’s very own, Bert Blyleven has been officially inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Blyleven. a 287-game winning pitcher who ranks fifth on the all-time strikeout list is also a Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove Alumnus. He remembers the Club staff as a very positive influence in his life.
“I would tell anyone that is thinking about donating time or money, that BGCGG is a great place, and I am thankful I was part of it. It has inspired me throughout my life.
“My advice to the youth of today—Have fun! Enjoy being a kid, respect what you have, stay out of trouble, believe in yourself…and high school dreams come true.”
Bert was raised in Garden Grove and went through the local school system attending Warren Elementary School, Walton Intermediate School, and graduated from Santiago High School where Blyleven was drafted in the third round of the 1969 players draft.
Blyleven pitched in 22 seasons with the Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians and California Angels and compiled a 287-250 record with a 3.31 ERA, 242 complete games, 60 shutouts and 3,701 strikeouts in 4,969 1/3 innings.
The right-hander pitched a no-hitter on Sept. 22, 1977 for the Rangers against the Angels and shares the American League single-game record for the longest one-hit complete game of 10 innings June 21, 1976. He, too, was a key part of two World Series champions, the 1979 Pirates and the 1987 Twins.
