Former Tuolumne County Resident Vida Blue Passes Away

Sonora, CA — Former Tuolumne County resident, and star of the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants, Vida Blue, has died.

He was 73 years old. Blue lived in the Twain Harte area for many years around the early 2000s after his retirement from professional baseball. The A’s stated there “are few players with a more decorated career than Vida Blue, and that he will always be a franchise legend and a friend.”

The A’s also put out a separate statement from Blue’s family, noting that he was a great “father, grandfather, brother, friend, and teammate who will be forever cherished, honored, and loved.”

The Giants added he is a “Bay Area Baseball Icon.”  Blue was the 1971 Cy Young Award winner and a six-time All-Star.

By 2007, Blue had relocated from Twain Harte to Tracy but returned to speak at a couple of Boy Scouts fundraisers in Sonora and Angels Camp, as reported here.

Blue also won three World Series championships. During his Cy Young season in 1971 he finished with a record of 24-8 on the mound and posted a 1.82 ERA.