I think I have already signed some scrap of paper for every man, woman, and child in the United States. What do they do with all those scraps of paper with my signature on it?

Blue also became the first no-hit pitcher to also pitch in a combined no-hitter; he has since been joined by Witt Kent Mercker and Kevin Millwood. In 1972 his success in baseball led Blue to a small role in the film Black Gunn starring Jim Brown. The no-hitter is as of 2012 one of only two to be pitched on the final day of a regular season the other being Mike Witt's perfect game in 1984.

He is a six-time All-Star and is one of only four pitchers in major league history to start the All-Star Game for both the American League (1971) and the National League (1978); Roger Clemens Randy Johnson and Roy Halladay would later duplicate the feat. During a 17-year career he pitched for the Oakland Athletics (1969–77) San Francisco Giants (1978–81; 1985–86) and Kansas City Royals (1982–83).