Steve Blass: The World Series Hero Whose Career Took A Mysterious Turn
Discover the story of Steve Blass, a Pittsburgh Pirates legend who shined in the 1971 World Series before facing a sudden and puzzling decline. Learn how one of baseball’s top pitchers became known for a condition that still carries his name.
Jul 19, 20255.1K Shares92.3K Views
Steve Blasswas born on April 18, 1942, in Canaan, Connecticut. He grew up in the nearby town of Falls Village in a close-knit community of around 1,100 people.
From a young age, Blass loved baseball and played on sloped town fields behind the local state police barracks. He also played football, basketball, and hockey, and often joined older kids in Little League games.
At Housatonic Valley Regional High School, he pitched multiple no-hitters, two as a junior and three as a senior, even though he wasn’t a varsity starter until his final year due to strong competition from other talented pitchers. He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates right out of high school in 1960, beginning a journey that took him through the minor leagues before making it to the big leagues by the mid‑1960s.
Playing Career
Steve Blass spent his entire Major League Baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He made his debut on May 10, 1964, and played his final game on April 17, 1974. Over ten seasons, he earned a win-loss record of 103–76, with 896 strikeouts and a 3.63 earned run average across 1,597 innings.
Between 1968 and 1972, Blass was one of the top pitchers in the National League. During that time, he had a 78–44 record, 50 complete games, and a 3.05 ERA. In 1968, he won 18 games with a 2.12 ERA and led the league with seven shutouts. He was also named National League Player of the Month for September. The next year, he won 16 games and struck out a career-high 147 batters.
In 1972, Blass had his best season, winning 19 games and earning a spot on the All-Star team. He was also a runner-up for the Cy Young Award that year. One of his most famous achievements came during the 1971 World Series, when he pitched two complete-game wins, including Game 7, helping the Pirates become champions.
After 1972, Blass began having serious control problems. In 1973, he walked 84 batters in just over 100 innings. This condition became widely known in baseball as “Steve Blass disease.” He retired from the game in 1974.
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