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 standout at Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles. Originally signed by the New York Mets as an amateur shortstop, he transitioned to the outfield in 1962 while in their farm system.
That December, the Orioles selected him in the First-Year Player Draft — a move that would become one of the organization’s shrewdest decisions of the era.
Blair broke into Baltimore’s lineup in 1965, batting .234/.302/.338 with five home runs and 25 RBIs. His offensive production was modest, but his defense quickly set him apart.
He led the American League with a .992 fielding percentage, committing just two errors while recording five assists, and soon secured the everyday job in center field.
From 1967 to 1975, Blair won eight Gold Gloves, including seven consecutive, while leading the league in fielding percentage three times and in outfield assists twice. Between 1967 and 1973, he recorded at least 10 assists each season, highlighted by a career-best 14 during his sixth straight Gold Glove campaign.
Blair’s range factor surpassed that of Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Ken Griffey Jr., and he threw out 104 runners from center field over his career.
Though never known for his bat, Blair totaled more than 1,500 hits, 134 home runs, 620 RBIs and 171 stolen bases. He earned two All-Star selections, won four World Series titles and remains one of the franchise’s defining defensive anchors. The Orioles inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 1984.
Blair finished his playing career with four seasons in the New York Yankees organization and one with the Cincinnati Reds before retiring in 1980.
He later coached as an outfield instructor with the Yankees, served briefly as head coach at Fordham University, worked with the Houston Astros and coached in Baltimore’s minor league system, including a stint at Triple-A Rochester. He also managed in independent ball and spent three seasons at Coppin State University.
Blair briefly returned to the field in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989 before the league folded. In retirement, he remained active in the Baltimore community, living in Woodstock, MD, and participating in charity golf and bowling events.
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.
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