RIP, Paul Blair

[nattering nabob]

One of greatest defensive center fielders ever. Eight Gold Gloves. He was 69.

http://www.masnsports.com/school_of_roch/2013/12/former-orioles-center-fielder-paul-blair-dies.html

 

[Colton]

He always seemed to glide on his path to the baseball. A terrific center fielder.

RIP...

 

[Smasher_Sloan]

Helped those formidable Orioles pitching staffs by running down everything.

 

[jr/shotglass]

I do believe I formed my vision of smooth defensive center fielders through Paul Blair.

 

[Steak Snabler]

The Andruw Jones of his day, at least as a defender. RIP.

 

[Drip]

I had a Paul Blair glove. I couldn't catch a cold with it but, it was mine. RIP.

 

[The Big Ragu]

What an amazing fielder. He was the fourth outfielder for the Yankees when I was first falling in love with baseball. Rizzuto and Bill White and Frank Messer (etc.) used to make such a big deal out of how good a centerfielder he was -- and he really did get an incredible jump on the ball off the bat and seem to be able to track down anything. Lost a bit maybe is that even though he wasn't a terror at the plate, he was one of those players who seemed to do his best work as a batter in the postseason -- he was really good in the '77 and '78 World Series. He definitely gets my not-so-obligatory RIP. He was part of my childhood. RIP.

 

[Steak Snabler]

According to the stories coming out this morning, Blair collapsed during a celebrity bowling tournament.

He's now the second former Oriole of that era to die during a celebrity event. Earl Weaver collapsed and died during the Orioles fantasy cruise last year.

 

[Mark2010]

Bowling and cruises can be dangerous to your health. Hard to believe Blair was that old. I saw him play live.

 

[Football_Bat]

I had a Paul Blair glove. I couldn't catch a cold with it but, it was mine. RIP.

I did too ... and I played second base.

 

[WolvEagle]

Man, I hated those great Oriole teams, simply because they were better than some pretty good Tigers teams. Ah, the logic of an elementary-school baseball fan....

 

[cranberry]

The thing about Blair, to me, was he played so damn shallow in center field. He dared you to hit it over his head. He was so aggressive.

The managers got it right on his eight Gold Gloves. He's second all-time to Andruw Jones (ahead of Willie Mays), in defensive WAR among outfielders.

 

[old_tony]

The thing about Blair, to me, was he played so damn shallow in center field. He dared you to hit it over his head. He was so aggressive.

The managers got it right on his eight Gold Gloves. He's second all-time to Andruw Jones (ahead of Willie Mays), in defensive WAR among outfielders.

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.

 

[Drip]

The thing about Blair, to me, was he played so damn shallow in center field. He dared you to hit it over his head. He was so aggressive.

The managers got it right on his eight Gold Gloves. He's second all-time to Andruw Jones (ahead of Willie Mays), in defensive WAR among outfielders.

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.

 

[Steak Snabler]

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.

 

[Armchair_QB]

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

 

[shockey]

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.

 

[Riptide]

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.

 

[Double J]

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.

 

[Drip]

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.