It's a weird scene. You win a few baseball games and all of a sudden you're surrounded by reporters and TV men with cameras asking you about Vietnam and race relations.

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).