RIP, Paul Blair

Those Orioles teams were so damn good that he could play shallow anytime there was no one on base. They're ahead 5-0 and it's just not a big deal to give up a double over your head on occasion. And the pitching was so good anyway that long drives to centerfield were about as rare as newspapers increasing staff size today. Well, maybe not quite that rare.

 

I hate sabermetrics. WAR does not reflect a true talent level. Having seen all three play, I find comparing them laughable. Mays was better than either Jones or Blair. I would rank Jones slightly ahead of Blair. That's just my opinion.

 

Trash Defensive WAR all you want. But it's funny that the guys who rank at the top of every list are the same guys who are by the eyeball test considered the greatest fielders of all-time.

 

Not trying to thread-jack but where does Garry Maddox rank on that list?

 

a much lesser-known center fielder in those days was ex-yankee Elliot Maddox, another glider who had his breakout season in '74 (.303 in his only year with more than 500 at-bats). he wrecked his knee early in '75, when he was 27, and was never the same.

Maddox elicited more 'holy cows' from phil rizzuto than any other outfielder. when the yanks played the orioles back then they'd invariably got their butts kicked but it was a treat to watch Blair and Maddox play their own game of 'can you top this?' as they each robbed hitters of extra-base hits with sensational grabs in the gaps or over their heads in deep center. like Blair and Gary Maddox, Elliot Maddux played very shallow in center, believing more balls hit in the air landed in front of them and figured they could catch up to all balls hit over their heads.

 

Hurts to see that a guy like Paul Blair didn't even make it to 70. He was always so calm and cool and smooth on the field, so I figured he was one of those guys who would make it to 85 or 90+.

RIP, Paul Blair.
He made his teams better.

 

It really sucks that Hall of Fame voters thought (think?) so little of defensive excellence that the number of HOF votes Blair received in 1986 (his first and only year of BBWAA eligibility) exactly matched the number of Gold Gloves he won.

 

The Hall of Fame is not the Hall of Very Good. Blair was a good ball player. He wasn't an exceptional ball player. There is a difference. If there was a defensive Hall of Fame, he'd be more than worthy of the honor.

 

Yeah, I thought Blair was a great defensive outfielder. But any Hall of Fame votes in his direction were throwaway votes.

 

Hence my post. Although I guess I could expand on it by saying that nobody seems to think very highly of defensive excellence.

 

Well, Bill Mazeroski's in the Hall of Fame. But to your point, I doubt he gets in without that home run.