Stephen Robert Blass (born April 18, 1942) is an American retired professional baseball pitcher and television sports color commentator. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates in and then from through . Blass was one of the National League's top pitchers between 1968 and 1972, helping the Pirates win four National League Eastern Division titles in five years between and .
In the 1971 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles, Blass pitched two complete game wins, allowing only seven hits and two runs in 18 innings, and was the winning pitcher in the 7th and deciding game. He finished second in the voting for World Series MVP behind teammate Roberto Clemente.
In a ten-season major league career, Blass posted a 103–76 record with 896 strikeouts and a 3.63 ERA in 1,597.1 innings pitched, including 16 shutouts and 57 complete games.
A condition referred to as "Steve Blass disease" has become a part of baseball lexicon. The "diagnosis" is applied to talented players who inexplicably and permanently seem to lose their ability to throw a baseball accurately. The fielder's variant of "Steve Blass disease" is sometimes referred to in baseball terminology as "Steve Sax syndrome".
Notable victims of "Steve Blass disease" include Rick Ankiel, Mark Wohlers, Dontrelle Willis, Ricky Romero, and Daniel Bard.
In an interview years later, Blass stated that he was content with how his career panned out, mentioning that he had ten good years with the Pirates, won 100 games, and appeared in a World Series. He did mention that the sudden death of teammate and close friend Roberto Clemente in the offseason before he lost control – and the associated grief related to suddenly losing someone so close – was not a factor in him losing his control.
Post-playing career
Blass worked in the late 1970s as a Pittsburgh-area salesman for Jostens, a company that manufactures school class rings. He joined the Pirates' TV and radio broadcast team in 1983 as a part-time color commentator, earning a full-time post in 1986. Before the 2005 season, he announced that he would announce only home games from then on to spend more time with his family. Blass retired from broadcasting in 2019 after 60 years with the organization as a player and broadcaster.
He was inducted into the Kinston Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997.
He was inducted into the Charleston, West Virginia Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.
Blass' autobiography, A Pirate For Life (Triumph Books), was released on May 1, 2012. His memoirs, co-written with Erik Sherman, encompass his struggles with Steve Blass disease and his days as a color commentator for the Pirates.
Blass was announced as an inaugural member of the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall Of Fame on August 7, 2022.
See also
- Pittsburgh Pirates broadcasters and media
- List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise