Friday, May 30, 2014

Player Profile: Paul Blair

I have four cards of Paul Blair. This one is from 1978 SSPC.

Playing career: Eight-time gold glove winner Paul Blair was one of the greatest defensive outfielders of the 1960s and 1970s, helping the Yankees and Orioles to six pennants in his seventeen-year career. A two-time AL All Star, he appeared to have a breakout season in 1969, hitting .285 with 26 HR, 76 RBI and 20 SBs. However, he was hit in the face with a pitch the following season and was never the same as a hitter, though he was still a competent bat for many years. Overall, in 1,947 major league games he hit .250 with 134 HR, 620 RBI and 171 SB.

Post-playing career: Blair was a long-time coach at both the college and minor league level. He died of a heart attack at a celebrity bowling tournament in 2013.

My memories: He was from before my time, though I read a lot about him as a key bench player on the great Yankee teams of the late 1970s.

Google Autocomplete results: He is fourth when you type Paul Bl, between Paul Blackthorne, an actor, and Paul Bloom, a Yale psychology professor. Another prominent Paul Blair is a DJ for Lady Gaga.

Coming up next: The next profile will be Willie Blair.

No comments:

Post a Comment