The Orioles family got some very sad news late last night, as reports started to roll in that Oriole great, centerfielder Paul Blair had died after collapsing while bowling near his home in Baltimore.
Blair was 69 years old.
Paul L.D. Blair was born on February 1, 1944 in Cushing, Oklahoma. He was drafted by the Orioles in 1962, and debuted in the majors for the Birds on September 9, 1964. Blair would go on to play 12 full seasons with the O’s, roaming centerfield at Memorial Stadium from 1965-1976. He was a part of Orioles World Series Champion teams in ’66 and ’70, and won eight Gold Gloves during his time in Charm City.
Blair finished out his career playing for the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds, again winning a World Series with New York in 1977.
Blair is seventh in Orioles franchise history in games played, eighth in stolen bases and 11th in hits and runs scored.
While Sabermetrics weren’t around when Blair played, by BaseballReference‘s defensive WAR, Blair is the second most valuable outfielder of all-time, behind only Andruw Jones and just ahead of Willie Mays.
Blair chose to retire in the Baltimore area, and local sports fans came to love him even more in his years after the game. You’d see him around the community and he’d have an easy smile and an open heart. Blair even coached the baseball team at Coppin State University from 1998-2002.
While Blair was before my time, my father raves about him non-stop to this day. When people call sports talk radio stations in Baltimore to complain about Adam Jones they usually start with “he’s no Paul Blair.” To be fair, who is?
Our Editor-in-Chief Tony Lombardi is old enough to remember Blair, and here’s what he had to say last night on our Facebook page:
I can remember imitating Paul Blair at the plate and pretending to scale the Memorial Stadium wall while leaping with my glove against fences in the back alley. And then grabbing the No. 6, wearing it proudly when I played CF while in my 20’s as a fast pitch softballer…yes even then well after his retirement and me as a quasi-adult, playing center was still “being Blair” You will be missed… RIP old friend. ~ TL
A sad day in Birdland, indeed.
