Remembering A's great Vida Blue and his top trading cards

The baseball world bid farewell to Vida Blue on May 8 when the lefty fireballer died at age 73.

Blue was a major part of the colorful Oakland A’s of the 1970s — a team that won three World Series titles in a row (1972-74). Blue emerged just prior to that run, first appearing in the majors in 1969 at age 19. In 1970, he became the youngest pitcher to throw a no-hitter since the “Live Ball Era” began in 1920. In 1971, he put up a season for the ages, going 24-8 with a 1.82 ERA and 301 Ks in 312 innings. He won both the AL MVP and Cy Young awards that year.

In all, Blue pitched 17 seasons (he also spent time with the Giants and Royals) and posted a 209-161 record and 3.27 ERA. Despite his success on the mound, Blue was never elected to the Hall of Fame. Yet he’s been a favorite among collectors because of his impact on a dynastical team.

Also See: 1972 Topps Baseball and the colorful Oakland A's

Topps introduced Blue to its collecting base in 1970 on a card that also featured slugger Gene Tenace. That card can be had for $250 to $300 if graded 8. If graded 9, it can command $1,500 or more.

1970 Topps Vide Blue/Gene Tenace rookie card.

Blue’s first solo card, from Topps’ 1971 set, draws even higher prices: $350 to $400 if in 8 condition. It’s much tougher to find in top condition because of Topps’ easily chipped black-bordered cards in 1971.

1971 Topps Vida Blue card. PSA

Baseball Art by Ronnie Joyner: Vida Blue

Any vintage Blue card in Gem-Mint condition will attract bidders. We saw one such example in March, just weeks before Blue’s passing. A 1973 Topps Blue graded PSA 10 sold for $1,250.

1973 Topps Vida Blue card.

Also See: Mickey Mantle's best-looking card

If you’re looking to add Blue to your stash, search on eBay for ungraded cards — and look closely at the seller’s photographs. You can find ungraded rookie and second-year cards for under $50. One nicely centered, sharp-cornered example sold on eBay for $45 on 20 bids in mid-April.

Want a cool Blue oddity? Look for a Dell “Team Stamps” issue from 1971. Dell put out a colorful set of 600 stamps that year, and Blue was among them. In mid-May, a clean example was listed on eBay for a $5 Buy It Now price.