Vida Blue, a dominant, flamethrowing left-handed pitcher of the Oakland A’s during their dynasty in the 1970s, has died, ESPN reports. He was 73.

Blue died at a hospital in the East Bay section of  San Francisco on Sunday (May 7). The cause of death was complications due to cancer.

"There are few players with a more decorated career than Vida Blue," the A's said in a statement. "He was a three-time champion, an MVP, a six-time All-Star, a Cy Young Award winner, and an Oakland A's Hall of Famer,” the A’s said in a statement. “Vida will always be a franchise legend and a friend. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends during this arduous time."

Larry Baer, president of the San Francisco Giants, also paid tribute to Blue.

"Vida Blue has been a Bay Area baseball icon for over 50 years," Baer said in a separate statement. "His impact on the Bay Area transcends his 17 years on the diamond with the influence he's had on our community."

Born in Mansfield, La., Blue was a multi-sport star at De Soto High School. He launched his prolific pitching career with the Kansas City A’s after being drafted in the second round of the 1967 MLB Draft. At the age of 19, he made his big league debut when the team moved to Oakland in 1969.

As one of the cornerstones of the burgeoning franchise, his career blossomed in 1971 when he posted a 24-8 record, a 1.82 ERA, 301 strikeouts, and he won the AL Cy Young and MVP Awards. He became just the fifth player to win both awards in the same year.

Blue would play nine seasons with the A’s where he would win three straight World Series titles and was named to three All-Star teams. Following several contract disputes, in 1978, he was traded across the Bay to the San Francisco Giants. The compensation for Blue’s services included $300,000 and seven players.

With the Giants, Blue earned three more All-Star selections and became the first pitcher to start the All-Star Game for both leagues.

 In 1987, Blue retired with a 209-161 record, a 3.27 ERA, 2,175 strikeouts, 143 complete games, and 37 shutouts over 3,343 1/3 innings.

After his retirement, Blue played in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989 and 1990. In the Bay Area, he was known for his philanthropic work and spoke to audiences about how he won his battle against drug addiction that he struggled with during his playing days. He also was a television analyst for the San Francisco Giants.

In 2019, he was inducted into the Oakland A’s Hall of Fame.

Dave Stewart, another legendary pitcher of the Oakland A’s, paid tribute to Blue in a post on Twitter.

“Vida Blue rest in peace, my mentor, hero, and friend. I remember watching a 19-year-old phenom dominate baseball, and at the same time alter my life,” Stewart wrote. “There are no words for what you have meant to me and so many others. My heart goes out to the Blue family.”