Wood vs. Wood #260

Last time it was an 8-2 win for 1987. Who will win this battle of great AL pitchers coming to the Giants at the end of their careers?

Usually known as Billy, Bill Pierce is in his White Sox uniform at Yankee Stadium, but listed as a Giant. Pierce originally came up with the Tigers at the age of 18 in 1945, and after the 1948 season was traded to the White Sox. In his 13 seasons with the White Sox, Pierce and Whitey Ford were generally considered the best left-handed pitchers in the American League, with the two often matching up against each other directly. He led the AL in strikeouts in '53, wins in '55 and ERA in '57. He had a down year in 1959, the White Sox' pennant year, and was only used in the bullpen during the World Series, a controversial decision by manager Al Lopez. Seemingly on the decline, Pierce was traded to the Giants in '62 and had a marvelous comeback season, going 16-6 and going 1-1 against his old rivals, the Yankees, in the World Series. However he flamed out quickly after that. Overall in 585 games he went 211-169 with 1,999 strikeouts and a 3.27 ERA. These numbers seem more "very good" than "all time great", but given the watering down of the Hall of Fame in recent years, he would not be a terrible Hall selection. After his career he spent some time as a White Sox announcer and scout (signing Ron Kittle), and was a sales and PR representative for Continental Envelope for over 20 years. He died of cancer in 2015.

Vida Blue's sunset card has a simple shot of him with arms crossed, looking up into the stands. Blue burst onto the national scene as a 21-year old rookie in 1971, going 24-8 with 301 strikeouts and a 1.82 ERA. He held out for much of 1972 and slipped considerably, going 6-10 and being demoted to the bullpen. However, his strikeout and ERA numbers, though not as good as '71, were still better than most pitchers in the league. He rebounded to win 20 games in '73. Blue was never again as dominant as he was in '71 (he never struck out 200 batters again, let alone 300), but he still put up excellent numbers for Oakland and San Francisco though the 1981 season. Blue was traded to the Royals before the 1982 season, and quickly became embroiled in the cocaine scandals that engulfed that team. He was suspended for the 1984 season, though he returned in 1985 and 1986 as a solid starter for the Giants. He signed with the A's in 1987 but abruptly retired in spring training, presumably due to more drug problems. His career 209-161 record and 3.27 ERA compare well to other pitchers of his era who get Hall of Fame consideration. He is hurt by not living up to his rookie-year hype, his history of drug abuse, and a poor postseason record (1-5, 4.31 ERA in 17 games). Blue was one of the players most directly involved in the cocaine scandals of the 1980s, eventually serving 81 days in jail. Substance abuse continued to haunt him after his career, with at least three DUI arrests in the 2000s and 2010s. Blue was an announcer for the Giantswas involved in various charitable endeavors. He died of cancer in 2023.