Vida Blue

Birth Name: Vida Rochelle Blue, Jr.

Date of Birth: July 28, 1949

Place of Birth: Mansfield, DeSoto Parish, Louisiana, U.S.

Date of Death: May 6, 2023

Place of Death: Tracy, California, U.S.

Ethnicity: African-American

Vida Blue was an American professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB), who played for the Oakland Athletics, the San Francisco Giants, and the Kansas City Royals. He won the AL Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player Award, and was a six-time All-Star.

Vida was the son of Sallie and Vida Blue, a labourer in an iron foundry. He had five children, including two with his former wife Peggy Shannon.

Vida’s paternal grandfather was Sellie Blue (the son of Sandy Blue and Sophia Russ). Sellie was born in Alabama, to parents from North Carolina.

Vida’s paternal grandmother was named Millie Canty (the daughter of Sam Canty and Hannah).

Vida’s maternal grandfather was Dezell Henderson (the son of Henry Henderson and Nettie Green).

Vida’s maternal grandmother was named Evelyn Hattie Bell (the daughter of Dock Bell).