Wade Blasingame – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Wade Blasingame wrapped up his baseball career in 1972, closing out nearly a decade in Major League Baseball. This lefty pitcher from New Mexico finished up with the New York Yankees, bringing an end to a journey that started with a lot of hope but was mostly about persevering through injuries and struggling with inconsistency.

Blasingame played for three different organizations during his 10-year MLB career. He put up a 46-51 record with a 4.52 ERA over 222 games from 1963 to 1972. He bounced around from the Milwaukee Braves, where he flashed early promise, to the Houston Astros, where he spent most of his time, and finally to the Yankees for his last season.

Blasingame’s story really gives you a sense of what mid-tier pitchers dealt with back then, especially during a time when baseball was changing and offense was on the rise. He moved through different teams, fought through shoulder and finger injuries, and shifted from being a starter to working out of the bullpen, which was pretty common for players in that era.

Wade Blasingame’s 1972 MLB Season

In 1972, Blasingame split his last MLB season between the Houston Astros and New York Yankees. He pitched in 22 games for both teams. That year, you could see the struggles of a veteran pitcher nearing the end, especially if you look at his home and road stats.

Performance With Houston Astros in 1972

Blasingame kicked off 1972 with the Astros, returning to the National League where he’d played before. It must’ve felt somewhat familiar for him.

Houston mostly used Blasingame out of the bullpen. He made a handful of relief appearances early in the season.

He started showing more signs of arm trouble, which eventually spelled the end for his career. He just couldn’t get his command or velocity back, and those issues had been creeping in for a while.

The Astros let Blasingame go partway through the season. That opened up his last shot in the big leagues with the Yankees.

Final MLB Games With New York Yankees

After Houston released him, the Yankees picked Blasingame up, giving him a shot in the American League. That was his final chance to make an impact at the top level.

He pitched his last games of 1972 wearing Yankees pinstripes. The Yankees brought him in for his experience, hoping he’d add some depth to their bullpen.

Those outings with New York wrapped up a ten-year MLB career. The Yankees tried him in different situations as they figured out their plans for the future.

Once the 1972 season was over, Blasingame retired from pro baseball. His last games in New York closed the book on a career that started with the Milwaukee Braves back in 1963.

Notable 1972 Pitching Statistics

Blasingame’s stats from 1972 really show how tough his final year was. He pitched in 22 games during the regular season, bouncing between starting and relief work.

The numbers weren’t pretty:

• Total innings pitched: 25.1
• Games started: A few, marked with asterisks in the logs
• Home vs. road splits: Big differences in how he pitched

His last season stats show the arm problems that pushed him into retirement. He just didn’t have the strikeout stuff he’d shown with the Braves.

By 1972, Blasingame’s performance had dropped off from his peak in the mid-’60s. That season really marked the end of his nine-year MLB run.

Analysis of Earned Runs and Wild Pitches in 1972

Blasingame ran into serious control issues in 1972, a sign that his effectiveness was fading. At home, he put up a 4.00 ERA over 18 innings, giving up 8 earned runs and walking 10.

On the road, things got rougher. He posted a 10.14 ERA in just 7.1 innings, allowing 8 earned runs and 4 home runs.

Wild pitches popped up as a problem that year. He threw 1 at home and 2 on the road, which really pointed to command slipping away.

His control issues didn’t stop there. He hit 3 batters in home games, though none on the road.

The earned run totals really tell the story. Letting in 16 earned runs in 25.1 innings just showed it was time for him to hang it up.

Career Overview and Teams

Wade Blasingame pitched for four MLB organizations between 1963 and 1972. He started out with the Milwaukee Braves, showing promise as a young starter, but injuries sent his career on a tougher path through Atlanta, Houston, and finally New York.

Milwaukee Braves and Early Major League Years

Blasingame made his MLB debut with the Milwaukee Braves on September 17, 1963, at just 19. He’d signed with Milwaukee for a hefty $125,000 bonus in 1961 after going undefeated in high school at 26-0.

The Braves hoped Blasingame would become Warren Spahn’s eventual successor. He only pitched in two games during his debut, striking out four hitters.

In 1964, Blasingame got his first big league win on July 5 against the Cubs. He ended that season 9-5 with a 4.24 ERA, finally getting more chances to pitch.

1965 was his breakout year. He won 16 games and locked down a spot in the rotation. He almost threw a no-hitter against the Mets, but Ron Swoboda broke it up in the seventh with a single.

Blasingame’s curveball was his calling card. Manager Bobby Bragan once said it was “the best curve in the National League” during the 1965 season.

Transition to Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Years

The Braves moved to Atlanta before the 1966 season, and Blasingame went with them. Unfortunately, those Atlanta years were filled with injury problems that stuck with him the rest of his career.

He suffered a bizarre injury in spring training in 1966—a car door slammed on his pitching hand, and he missed three weeks.

Shoulder tendonitis became the real problem. It first showed up in 1966 and never really went away. He had to rely on pain meds and cortisone shots to keep pitching.

His numbers in Atlanta dropped off fast. After winning 16 games in ’65, he barely pitched in Atlanta because of the constant shoulder pain.

On June 15, 1967, the Braves traded Blasingame to the Houston Astros for reliever Claude Raymond. That trade came just two days after Phil Niekro pitched so well that Atlanta moved him into the rotation.

Houston Astros Period

Getting traded to Houston surprised Blasingame, especially since he’d once called the Astrodome “the worst field in baseball.” Still, the move turned out to be a good thing, as he got more regular starts.

The Astros badly needed starting pitchers while they slogged through six straight 90-loss seasons. Blasingame filled the spot left open by Larry Dierker’s military service.

Houston’s coaches changed his delivery to a three-quarters motion, hoping to take pressure off his bad shoulder. That tweak helped him stick around a bit longer, even with the injuries.

He spent several seasons with the Astros, pitching as a regular starter when he was healthy. His time in Houston was the longest he spent with any one team after leaving Milwaukee.

Tenure With the New York Yankees

Blasingame finished his MLB career with the Yankees from 1971 to 1972. That was his first taste of the American League.

His stats with the Yankees showed just how much the shoulder issues had worn him down. He mostly pitched in relief and didn’t get many innings.

He made his last big league appearance on September 22, 1972, facing the Cleveland Indians. He threw 1.1 innings, gave up two hits, struck out one, and walked one.

The Yankees released him after 1972, and that was that—Blasingame retired at 28 with a career record of 46-51 and a 4.52 ERA in 222 games.

Pitching Style, Strengths, and Statistical Highlights

Wade Blasingame’s ten-year career had a distinct left-handed style that helped him rack up 512 strikeouts in 222 big league games. His defensive skills were solid, and his 4.52 ERA reflected just how tough it was to pitch during the high-scoring 1960s and early ’70s.

Signature Left-Handed Pitching Style

Blasingame threw left-handed, which always gave him an edge against lefty hitters. That delivery made things tricky for batters all through his stops with the Braves, Astros, and Yankees.

He stood 6’1″ and weighed about 185 pounds, pretty typical for pitchers back then. Over 10 seasons, he racked up 512 strikeouts.

He relied more on location and movement than on pure velocity. That approach kept him in the majors for a solid decade.

Blasingame’s mix of pitches helped him stay in team rotations. When he needed to, he could get strikeouts, even if he wasn’t blowing hitters away.

Fielding and Defensive Accomplishments

Blasingame handled his defensive duties well on the mound. Pitchers have to react fast when balls come back up the middle, and he managed that with good fundamentals.

He didn’t just field his position—he also kept runners honest and controlled the running game.

Blasingame’s defensive work might not have gotten much attention, but it added to his value. Teams always appreciate pitchers who can field.

He avoided a lot of errors, which kept unearned runs off the board. That steady glove made him even more reliable.

Career ERA, WHIP, and WAR Analysis

Blasingame wrapped up his career with a 4.52 ERA over 227 MLB games. That number reflects how hitters were scoring more runs during his era.

His career record was 46 wins and 51 losses. He often pitched for teams that didn’t give him much run support, so the win-loss record doesn’t tell the whole story.

Earned runs per nine innings put Blasingame somewhere in the middle of his peers. An ERA of 4.52 was pretty reasonable for that time.

He could miss bats, too. With 512 strikeouts in 222 appearances, he showed he could get outs on his own.

Looking at his stats, you see a pitcher who ate innings and brought stability—not really a star, but definitely someone teams could use.

Detailed Career Statistics

Wade Blasingame put together a 46-51 record with a 4.52 ERA over 10 MLB seasons from 1963 to 1972. His career totals included 512 strikeouts, 372 walks, and 16 complete games in 222 appearances.

Year-by-Year Performance Breakdown

Blasingame’s rookie year in 1963 was short—just 2 games, with a 12.00 ERA. He broke out in 1965, going 16-10 with a 3.77 ERA for Milwaukee.

That year was his best for wins, starts (36), and innings pitched (224.2). His 1.1 WAR in 1965 was a career high.

After the team moved to Atlanta, he struggled in 1966, finishing 3-7 with a 5.32 ERA. The Braves traded him to Houston in 1967, and he spent most of the rest of his career there.

His last few years with the Astros were up and down. In 1970, he managed a decent 3.48 ERA over 13 starts. But by 1972, things went south with Houston before he finished up with the Yankees.

Complete Game and Shutout Records

Blasingame finished 16 games in his 10-year career, most of them early on. His best season for complete games was 1965, when he went the distance in 10 of his 36 starts.

He tossed only 2 career shutouts, both with Milwaukee in 1964 and 1965. That low number just shows how much baseball was changing in the ’60s, with relievers getting more work.

After leaving Milwaukee, Blasingame’s complete games dropped off. He only managed 3 in six seasons with Houston from 1967 to 1972.

Strikeout and Walk Totals

Blasingame struck out 512 batters and walked 372 during his career. That gave him a 1.38 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

He had his best strikeout season in 1965 with 117, but he also gave up 116 walks that year.

His WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) came in at 1.462 for his career. This number barely budged, ranging from 1.275 in 1970 to a rough 1.904 in 1969.

Blasingame struggled with wild pitches, racking up 62 over his career. On average, he threw 6.2 wild pitches each season, and 1971 was his worst with 10.

Late in his career, his control slipped even more. His walk rate jumped from 3.9 per nine innings in 1965 to 5.7 per nine innings in 1969 with Houston.

Legacy and Recognition

Wade Blasingame’s career didn’t last as long as it should have because of injuries, but his impact on baseball reached past the numbers. He made it into his local athletic hall of fame, and the people who played with him still remember his influence.

Induction Into Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame

Blasingame earned his spot in the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame thanks to everything he did for baseball, starting from high school and running through his pro days.

His high school record—an unbelievable 26-0 at Roosevelt High—still stands as one of Fresno’s proudest sports achievements.

The hall of fame celebrates how he grew from a dominant junior high pitcher into a major leaguer. His high school coach, Jake Abbott, never forgot Blasingame’s curveball, calling it “the best I ever saw.”

He played for the Milwaukee Braves, Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, and New York Yankees, showing off the potential that made him a local hero. Even with a 46-51 record, his hall of fame induction proves how much respect he earned back home.

Influence on Teammates and Teams

Blasingame made an impact on teammates and coaches all through his career. His friendship with Houston pitching coach Jim Owens changed his life, leading him to move to Alaska after retiring.

Milwaukee pitching coach Whitlow Wyatt said Blasingame’s curveball was the best he’d seen from someone so young. That kind of praise from old-school coaches says a lot about the kind of respect Blasingame got in the big leagues.

He always tried to help his teammates. One night, when Joe Niekro got in trouble at a bar, Blasingame jumped in to help. He broke his finger in the process, and that injury haunted his pitching.

Personal Life and Post-Retirement

Wade Blasingame grew up in New Mexico, where his dad’s love for baseball shaped his early life. When his playing days ended in 1972, he left professional baseball.

Early Life and Amateur Career

Wade Allen Blasingame was born November 22, 1943, in Deming, New Mexico, to Dale Robert Blasingame and Evelyn Nobile. He was the oldest of two, and baseball ran deep in the family.

His dad Dale worked as a fruit broker but lived for baseball. He pushed Wade into the game early on. “I was raised to be a ball player,” Wade said years later.

The family eventually moved to Fresno, California, where Wade joined one of the top baseball development programs in the country. He learned from coach Ollie Bidwell and Jake Abbott at Roosevelt High.

Wade dominated high school ball, going 26-0 over three years. Scouts called him the best lefty pitcher in California.

His senior year? He went 11-0 and pitched a 14-inning complete game to win the championship against North Bakersfield High.

Life After Baseball

Wade Blasingame hung up his glove in 1972 after his last season with the New York Yankees. Over ten years in the majors, he finished with a 46-51 record.

Injuries really took a toll on him during those later years. He once said, “It seemed like every time my arm started feeling good, something happened.” You can hear the frustration in that.

I couldn’t dig up much about what Blasingame did after he left baseball. His life after retirement seems to be a bit of a mystery, at least from what’s out there.