HLS 23RS-2611 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 157
BY REPRESENTATIVES COX AND BAGLEY
CONDOLENCES: Expresses condolences on the death of Vida Rochelle Blue, Jr.
1 A RESOLUTION
2To express the condolences of the House of Representatives upon the death of Vida
3 Rochelle Blue, Jr.
4 WHEREAS, it is with immense sadness and profound regret that the House of
5Representatives has learned of the passing, on May 6, 2023, of former Major League
6Baseball (MLB) All-Star pitcher, Vida Rochelle Blue, Jr.; and
7 WHEREAS, Vida Rochelle Blue, Jr., was born on July 28, 1949, in Mansfield,
8Louisiana, and was the oldest of six children born to Vida Blue, Sr., and Sallie Blue; he
9attended DeSoto High School where he starred as a pitcher and quarterback; during his
10senior year, in football, he threw for more than three thousand yards and thirty-five
11touchdown passes while also rushing for over one thousand five hundred yards and in a
12baseball game he pitched a no-hitter with twenty-one strikeouts in seven innings; and
13 WHEREAS, Mr. Blue eventually reached the major leagues as a result of his
14immense talent across a variety of sports; he forged an all-star career as a fast-paced pitcher
15who pounded the strike zone with a powerful fastball and worked in occasional off-speed
16pitches to keep hitters guessing; and
17 WHEREAS, Mr. Blue was drafted in the second round of the 1967 MLB Draft by
18the Kansas City Athletics; despite having scholarship offers to play collegiate football at the
19University of Notre Dame, Purdue University, and the University of Houston, he chose to
20sign with the Athletics to help support his family after his father's passing; and
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HR NO. 157
1 WHEREAS, Mr. Blue made his major league debut on July 20, 1969, against the
2California Angels and enjoyed an incredibly successful seventeen-year pitching career in the
3major leagues; he pitched for three MLB franchises, the Athletics, Giants, and Royals, and
4was named to six All-Star teams; the most notable stretch of his career came during his time
5with the Athletics, with whom he won three consecutive World Series between 1972 and
61974, was named American League MVP in 1971, and pitched a no-hitter; he finished his
7career with a 209-161 record, a 3.27 ERA, and 2,175 strikeouts, and he was inducted into
8both the Athletics Hall of Fame and the San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame; and
9 WHEREAS, Mr. Blue was a civic-minded individual; in 1971, he accompanied Bob
10Hope on his USO Christmas tour of Vietnam and military installations; he remained active
11in a number of other charitable causes including Safeway All Stars Challenge Sports, various
12automobile donations, celebrity golf tournaments, and charities for children; he was also
13active in promoting baseball in Costa Rica; and
14 WHEREAS, Vida Rochelle Blue, Jr., brought immense pride to the state of Louisiana
15as a star pitcher in MLB and as a charitable community servant; he will be deeply missed
16but his legacy will continue to live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved him.
17 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
18Legislature of Louisiana does hereby express heartfelt condolences on the death of Vida
19Rochelle Blue, Jr.; does hereby recognize Mr. Blue's incredible professional sports legacy
20and his status as an MLB icon; and does hereby extend sincerest wishes that his family,
21friends, and loved ones find comfort in their shared memories of his accomplishments.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HR 157 Original 2023 Regular Session Cox
Expresses the condolences of the House of Representatives on the death of Vida Rochelle
Blue, Jr.
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