When you think of some of the best defensive wizards in Baltimore Orioles history, one of the names at the top has to be outfielder Paul Blair.
Born in Cushing, OK, Blair was a four-sport athlete when he attended Manual Heights High School in Los Angeles.
Originally signed by the New York Mets as an amateur shortstop, Blair decided to move to the outfield and spent the 1962 season in the Mets’ farm system.
It was in the 1962 First-Year Player Draft that the Orioles selected Blair. The pick would be one of the strongest selections the organization made during that period.
Blair would break into the Orioles lineup in 1965. His offense was lacking, as he slashed .234/.302/.338/.640 while hitting five long balls and driving in 25 runs on the season.
However, it wasn’t his offense that was catching eyes, as his defense was what earned him a starting spot. Blair led the league with a .992 fielding percentage and had five assists to go with only two errors.
From 1967-’75, Blair would go on to win eight Gold Gloves, including seven straight. He would lead the league in fielding percentage three separate times and in outfield assists twice.
From 1967-’73, Blair would have at least 10 outfield assists each season, including a career-high of 14 in his sixth straight season with a Gold Glove.
Blair would finish his career playing four seasons for the New York Yankees and a season with the Cincinnati Reds before retiring in 1980. He would retire as a two-time All-Star, four-time World Series champ and eight-time Gold Glove winner for the Orioles, who enshrined him in their Hall of Fame in 1984.
Blair’s range factor ranks above National Baseball Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Ken Griffey Jr., throwing out 104 runners in his career from center field alone.
Not known particularly for his offense, Blair collected just over 1,500 hits in his career, with 134 home runs, 620 RBIs and 171 stolen bases.
After his playing career, Blair would get involved in coaching, starting as an outfield instructor with the Yankees in 1981. The following year, he was named as coach of Fordham University, which lasted one season. He returned as an instructor for the Houston Astros and third base coach for the O’s Triple-A team in Rochester.
He would return to play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989 before the league folded after the season.
Blair returned to coaching in an independent league and then three years at Coppin State before hanging up his coaching uniform for good. He would appear in celebrity gold and bowling tournaments while retired and living in Woodstock, MD.
Unfortunately, Blair would pass of a heart attack during a bowling tournament on December 26, 2013. He was 69 years old.
Blair set the standard for defense for Baltimore outfielders that followed. We celebrate him and his contributions to Birdland this Black History Month.
What are your thoughts on Paul Blair? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
Represent The Baltimore Battery and show off your fandom with our official merchandise! Reasonably-priced attire made just for you! Visit our official shop site by clicking here!
Like Stephen’s content? Follow him on X – @SRJHeckman, and listen to the official podcast of The Baltimore Battery, The Final Strike, anywhere you get your podcasts!
THE BALTIMORE BATTERY 
Leave a comment