ON THE SIDELINES : Award for Angel’s Blyleven

The Angels’ Bert Blyleven, who led the American League in shutouts and nine times won following a California loss, today was named United Press International’s American League Comeback Player of the Year.

Blyleven received 11 of 25 votes from a panel of UPI baseball correspondents. Bret Saberhagen of Kansas City was second with 6 votes and Boston’s Nick Esasky third with 2.

Acquired by the Angels in a trade with Minnesota last November, Blyleven rebounded from a 10-17 record in 1988 to go 17-5. The right-hander, who turned 38 in July, lowered his ERA from a career-high 5.43 to 2.73--fourth best in the league.