Blyleven Is Thankful Family Wasn’t Hurt More Seriously

The photos, piled carelessly on a canvas chair in front of Bert Blyleven’s locker, bore mute testimony to his chilling description of the traffic accident in which his wife, daughter and two sons were injured last Thursday.

“I’m very lucky to have them back,” Blyleven said of his family.

A van, driven by Blyleven’s wife, Patty, hurtled about 160 feet through the air and turned over several times on a road near Lone Pine as the family returned from watching Blyleven’s eldest son, Todd, pitch in a tournament. Patty Blyleven suffered head injuries, cuts and bruises and Kimberley, 16, had several smashed toes. Both were in the front seat, wearing seat belts.

Tim, 8, was able to go home with his father that night, but 6-year-old Tom, who was thrown from the vehicle, suffered broken arms. The boys were lying in the back of the van and were not wearing seat belts. All were released from area hospitals last weekend.

Looking at the photos again and again, seeing the smashed side of the white van and its dented roof, Blyleven could only repeat how grateful he is that his family was spared more serious injuries.

“I went (to the accident scene) that night because my son (Tom) wanted his blanket,” he said. “We took a flashlight and poked around and found it and I was able to get it to him at the hospital. . . . The tow-truck driver said he’d seen people turn over like that and not come out alive. I’m very lucky they came out of it.”

Blyleven, who was excused from pitching last Saturday so he could be with his family, threw in the bullpen Tuesday for the first time since the accident. Pitching coach Marcel Lachemann said Blyleven--who had not missed a turn since September, 1983--would take his normal turn Friday, when the Angels will play Baltimore at Anaheim Stadium.

Joe Grahe, who was called from triple-A Edmonton to start Saturday’s game, remained with the Angels and was available Tuesday for long relief duties.